What is a “dirt lawyer?”

“Dirt lawyer” is a slang term used in the real estate business for a lawyer who obtains governmental approvals. Officially, we’re called “land use lawyers,” a subspecialty in real estate law. Dirt, by itself, is not worth much. The value is created when you take dirt and add governmental approvals.

What is dirtlawyer.com?

It’s a tool for people involved in real estate and the local political process. We have collected in one place links to websites that are important in real estate and the local political process. The portal has links to 127 cities, the local papers in all those cities, 58 counties, all the State and Federal agencies involved in real estate and the environment, and much more.

Who can benefit from it?

It’s not a website for lawyers – it is for everybody interested in real estate. People who use it include landowners, developers, environmentalists, planning staffs, other public employees, City Council members, Supervisors, Planning commissioners, reporters and any citizen who wants to know what is going on.