December 16, 2010

Clinic Director Transitions at the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center

Clinic Director Transitions at the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center

 

Professors Dan Rohlf and Craig Johnston co-founded the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center (PEAC) in 1996 and co-directed it during its early years. For the past twelve years, Professor Rohlf has served as clinical director. Now, after leading PEAC through a period of remarkable growth and success, Professor Rohlf is moving into an Of Counsel position with the clinic. Professor Johnston will return to PEAC as its new clinical director. We are excited that both of PEAC’s co-founders will be involved with the clinic; Dan and Craig will be starting in their new roles in January 2011.

Professor Rohlf will increase his academic course load – which focuses on biodiversity management and conservation, sustainability, and the intersection between science and law – as well as work with the law school’s growing LLM program. He will continue to work on cases for PEAC that seek to protect and restore imperiled species and their habitat, work with students, and provide other support to PEAC.  Originally trained as a geologist, Dan is a nationally-recognized expert on endangered species law and policy, wildlife law, and ecosystem management.  He is the author of The Endangered Species Act: A Guide to Its Protections and Implementation, which won the National Wildlife Federation book award.

Professor Johnston will oversee PEAC’s ongoing legal and educational program, as well as lead PEAC’s expansion into new areas for the clinic such as the development of a national-level appellate practice. Craig is a nationally-recognized expert on pollution law, having co-authored casebooks on both environmental law and hazardous waste law. Although Professor Johnston has not formally been a part of PEAC for the last several years, he has a long history of serving public interest clients; most recently, he has written Supreme Court briefs for the Natural Resources Defense Council in two significant environmental cases.