As I start on my 5th decade of practicing law since graduating in 1975 from American University’s Washington College of Law (magna cum laude), I remain grateful to my law school experience and my many mentors and the career and opportunities this has provided me. When I went back to school after having a young family, I could not have imagined where this would lead.
Although I have moved from the Executive Branch to the Congress and back to the Executive Branch and now in private practice, I have mainly focused on the nexus between law and policy –at least this is where I’m the happiest. In other words, how can the law–whether in development or enacted—promote policies that I and my clients and Representatives support?
To summarize my career in the law, I first was a lawyer in the Office of General Counsel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where I became the Assistant General Counsel (AGC) for Ocean Services; I then moved to Capitol Hill where I became Senior Counsel to the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries (more of this later); back to the Executive Branch as Chief Counsel of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD); and finally in private practice as Senior Counsel to Blank Rome Government Relations group (an arm of Blank Rome law firm).
Highlights of this long career are too many to mention but I will endeavor to name a few from each branch of my service in the public and private sectors.
As AGC at NOAA, I argued forcefully to approve and defend the California Coastal Act which created the first of many new coastal management programs to come–in this case the California Coastal Management Program. This defense resulted in allowing state plans to be policy documents for guiding future coastal development versus zoning maps (Am. Petroleum Inst. v. Knecht, 609 F.2d 1306 (9th Cir. 1979)). I am proud that this legacy of state coastal management programs remains strong to this day.
On my seven-year stint as Senior Counsel to the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, I worked on several bills but one of my proudest was passage of the Antarctic Protection Act of 1990 (Pub. L.101-594) which banned mining in Antarctica. While limited to U.S. citizens, the concept of protecting Antarctica from all mining was subsequently included in the Antarctic Treaty of 1998. These protections still remain in place today. Sadly, the Merchant Marine Committee itself did not survive the 1974 elections which changed the focal point of the House of Representatives forever with respect to maritime issues.
During my four-year tenure as Chief Counsel of MARAD, under the Clinton Administration, I worked closely with then Administrator VADM (USN Ret.) Al Herberger to develop and implement two new major maritime programs–the Maritime Security Program (MSP) and the National Shipbuilding Initiative. At least the MSP has remained a stalwart to keep a minimum of U.S. flag commercial vessels in the international trade alive and well. However, commercial shipbuilding in the U.S. remains a challenge.
Finally, in private practice, I have represented a diversity of large and small companies, domestic and international, including Delfin LNG, DNV, the International Marine Contractors Association and Miller Ferry, and hopefully enabled them to stay in business, profit, or in the case of pro bono clients, such as HIAS, assist with Afghan families coming to the United States.
In 2017, the Governor of Virginia appointed me as a Member of the Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority (VOWDA) where I served first as Member then Chair of this state advisory committee. The role of VOWDA was to advise the Governor on how to bring offshore wind to the Commonwealth of Virginia. While there were disagreements along the way, in the end, the committee came together to support the approval of first a research lease and then a commercial lease to Dominion Energy Virginia, the largest utility in the State, to develop the Commercial Virginia Offshore Wind project (CVOW) which is being constructed successfully off the shores of Virginia today. I was proud to play a small part in bringing clean renewable energy to my home state.
I was able to build on my U.S. experience in offshore wind to join the international organization, Women in Wind, where I served as a mentor to an engineer in the government of Chile who was trying to bring offshore wind to her country.
During my career, I have had the pleasure of teaching law both to foreign and American students. Under the auspices of the Center for International Legal Studies (CILS), I taught college-level law students in Warsaw, Poland, about U.S. constitutional law and they in turn showed me the beautiful cities of Krakow and Gdansk. In the States, I have been an adjunct professor at both Georgetown University Law School and my alma mater American University College of Law where I taught renewable energy law and ocean resource law, respectfully.
No, I’m very happy my career turned out the way it did.
My advice to law students and those associates I have mentored is take the first job offered, work hard at it, then decide what you really want to do and find the next job. Be kind to those who come behind you and definitely find a mentor. All my successes have largely been due to mentors. And, finally, practice law ethically and respect your opponents. If you do not feel you can take a certain position in a case or matter and do so ethically, please decline to do so. Speak out if you have concerns but do so privately with your superiors.
I have seen over my career certainly include greater participation of women in the profession; greater flexibility for part-time and remote work; and much more dependence on all forms of technology including the new AI. Who knew Google would become my best friend?
I became a member of the ABA in 1980 principally, so I could join the Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER) and, in turn, its Subcommittee on the Ocean and Coasts, where I presently serve as Vice Chair at Large. My passion for the oceans and coasts remains from my first days at NOAA. In this role, I have helped produce programs, mentored students and members, and supervised the writing and publication of articles. My mantra is giving back while getting back. In my teaching experiences, I think I have learned as much or more from the students than they learned from me.
I only joined the Senior Law Division (SLD) of the ABA in 2016 after I finally realized I am a senior lawyer now and could benefit from my peers’ advice and wisdom and continue to give back. With SLD, I have written articles on voting rights, travel, and the cost of dying in the United States, which became a popular webinar. Next up is the importance of the Equal Rights Amendment to seniors.
Now that I’ve reached this unanticipated milestone of close to 50 years of practice, and am thinking about the future, I cannot imagine any other career path than the practice of law. I am proud of the legacy and my accomplishments for which I give credit to many mentors and colleagues along the way. Follow your dreams and enjoy the challenges of practicing law and giving back to students, clients, and the rule of law.
