Summer Associates 2011
Name: Erin Roohan
School: Georgetown University Law Center
Hometown: Rockaway, NY
What brought you to Crag?: The chance to do environmental litigation work in a non-profit environment and the opportunity to explore the Pacific Northwest.
What are your legal interests?: Environmental law in general, but more specifically animal protection and ocean conservation.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: This is my first time in the Pacific Northwest, so I don’t have a favorite place yet. I’m sure by the end of the summer I will have more than one favorite place out here.
Favorite Quote: “I define nothing, not beauty, not patriotism. I take each thing as it is, without prior rules about what it should be.” Bob Dylan
Name: Derek Leuzzi
School: Gonzaga School of Law
Hometown: Bellevue, WA
What brought you to Crag?: A friend of mine tuned me into the work Crag was doing with her family to help protect the northern slopes of Mt. Hood. I am drawn to the work that Crag does for the environment, and their approach to solving environmental issues.
What are your legal interests?: Environmental justice.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: I do not have a “favorite place” in the PNW because I love too many places way too much, but I am currently most interested in the Pasayten Wilderness in Northern Washington.
Favorite quote/book: “You can’t fall off a mountain.” – Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac
Name: Ian McCurdy
School: University of Oregon School of Law
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
What brought you to Crag? : I was drawn to the work Crag does with under represented communities in Alaska, the Northwest, and California.
What are your legal interests? : My legal interests are varied but I have liked working on Title VI issues so far this summer and on other projects that can be used to help communities in Crag’s project areas.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: Glacier Lake in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Favorite book: Encounters with the Archdruid by John McPhee
Name: Scott Hilgenberg
School: Lewis and Clark Law School
Hometown: Green Bay, WI
What brought you to Crag?: During my first year at L & C, I volunteered at NEDC and became aware of the great conservation work that Crag does. It is inspiring to work with such compassionate attorneys who have a real dedication to the environment.
What are your legal interests?: Environmental law with a focus on water law, International Law, Land Use Planning and Conservation
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: Short Sands Beach, Stumptown on Belmont
Favorite quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” -Ghandi “No regrets, that’s my motto. That and everybody Wang Chung tonight.” – Out Cold
Summer Intern 2011
Name: Alix Jacobson
School: Duke University
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
What brought you to Crag: I am considering going to law school so I thought I’d see what the life of a lawyer is really like. I was given the opportunity to work with Crag through the DukeEngage-Portland program.
What are your academic/legal interests: I am a Biology major with a concentration in Marine Biology. If I go to law school, I’d like to study environmental law so I can work to protect our oceans.
Favorite Place in the Pacific Northwest: Seward, Alaska
Favorite Quote: “For all at last return to the sea–to Oceanus, the ocean river, like the ever flowing stream of time, the beginning and the end.” -Rachel Carson
Fall Associate 2010
Jordana Jusidman joined the Crag Law Center in August 2010 through Vermont Law School’s Semester in Practice program. During her legal externship, which concluded in mid-December, Jordana explored the field of environmental litigation. She had the opportunity to work with staff attorneys at Crag on various projects, including the Measure 49 cases. During her time at Crag, she appeared before a local state court for oral argument. While working at Crag, Jordana enjoyed living on an urban farm in Milwaukie. Originally from California, Jordana holds dual Bachelors degrees in International Relations and Spanish from UC Davis. She is fluent in Spanish, well-versed in Portuguese and has spent time studying and working abroad in Brazil, Cuba and Mexico. Jordana is an outdoors enthusiast and has led kayaking and rock climbing programs for Outward Bound and the Northwest Passage.
Summer Associates 2010
Name: Eric Swanson
School: Georgetown University Law Center
Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela and Marietta, GA
What brought you to Crag? : Crag specializes in exactly what I want to do: environmental law for the good guys. Also, I wanted to get away from D.C.’s brutal summers and explore a new area of the country.
What are your legal interests? : Environmental law and policy.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: It’s really tough to say. I loved Smith Rock for the climbing, the coast for its rugged beauty, and Eugene for its atmosphere. Probably my favorite thing of the summer was every once in a while being surprised to look up from riding my bike around Portland and see Mount Hood in the distance. That is the one thing I’ll miss the most back in DC.
Favorite Quote: “All the elements are there. The stone, the air when you’re free-falling, the water and the fire inside.” – Chris Sharma, on deep-water solo (climbing over the ocean with only the water as protection).
Name: Julie Krogh
School: UCLA School of Law
Hometown: Lake Oswego, OR
What brought you to Crag? : I was drawn to Crag because of the down-to-earth and intelligent people who are driven to protect the natural state of the Pacific Northwest. Growing up in Oregon, the forests, rivers, and coasts of this state were always very special places to me and I wanted to work with people who valued them as well.
What are your legal interests? : My legal interests are too varied and subject to change to list, but I particularly enjoyed working on Measure 49 vested rights issues this summer.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: Anywhere there’s enough room to pitch a tent.
Favorite Book: Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes
Name: Tara Gallagher
School: Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College
Hometown: Troy, MI
What brought you to Crag? : Mostly, Crag’s reputation and the reputation of the people who work here. Crag’s staff is known for helping train the next generation of environmental lawyers. I wanted to be involved with an organization that uses creative legal strategies to solve complex litigation problems associated with environmental law and educates future lawyers on how to be successful.
What are your legal interests? : Helping people, saving the planet, breaking ground, blazing trails, and, of course, winning.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: Anywhere on the coast at sunset. I never experienced such beautiful sunsets until I sat at the end of the world and looked out over the Pacific.
Favorite Quote: “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” – Hemingway.
Name: Emily Reid
School: Willamette University College of Law
Hometown: Cottonwood, AZ
What brought you to Crag? : I heard about Crag my first year at Willamette from the other officers in our Environmental Law Society. I looked at the website and Crag immediately jumped to the top of my list of places I’d like to work. The attorneys at Crag practice exactly the type of law I’m interested in pursuing. They keep things interesting by representing a variety of clients and are determined to win on the basis of law, not relying primarily on emotional appeal.
What are your legal interests? : I decided to go back to school with environmental law and policy in mind. After a variety of experiences, my goal remains the same.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: There isn’t really one single spot I could name as my favorite. I love the coast, the rivers, the forest – and having the wonderful city of Portland as my home base.
Favorite Book: The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
Summer Intern 2010
Name: Polly Kang
School: Duke University
Hometown: Seattle, WA
What brought you to Crag?: Duke Engage Portland + Interest in going to law school+ Fascination with the concept of a non-profit law center!
What are your academic or legal interests?: I am an Economics and Public Policy double major; If I go to law school, I want to possibly specialize in international law.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: Lake Washington
Favorite Book: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Summer Associates 2009
Name: Naomi Rowden
School: University of Oregon School of Law
Hometown: Seattle, WA
What brought you to Crag? : I came to Crag because of the excellent reputation Crag has for public interest work on environmental issues. In particular I appreciate Crag’s commitment to serving local communities who are directly affected by environmental issues.
What are your legal interests? : I am interested in public interest environmental law, as well as Indian law. Being able to work with Chris for the Native Villages of the North Slope of Alaska on off-shore oil and gas drilling impacts really allowed me to dig into the confluence of these issues in a meaningful way and was a great experience.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: Fall Creek area of the Willamette National Forest – It has beautiful trees!
Favorite Book: A Wizard of Earthsea by Urusula K. Le Guin
Name: Jen O’Brien
School: Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College
Hometown: Polson, MT
What brought you to Crag? : I’ve known for a while that I want to do environmental litigation work after law school, and Crag is one of the best places to learn. I knew I would be able to get substantive, hands-on experience working on a variety of issues. Additionally, I knew that the Crag staff would be a fantastic group of people to work with and learn from.
What are your legal interests? : Environmental law, specifically issues relating to public lands and land use.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: Put me anywhere on the coast that is quiet and unpopulated and I’m happy!
Favorite Person: Jeannette Rankin is one person I’ve always admired and tried to take inspiration from. She was the first woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress (and from Montana, too), an advocate for both women’s suffrage and world peace, and the only person in either house of Congress to vote against U.S. entry into World War II.
Name: Veronica Warnock What brought you to Crag?: By being a client driven non-profit Crag is able to address environmental issues that directly affect people’s quality of life even when its clients cannot afford to pay. I applied to work for Crag because wanted to get a taste of what practicing environmental law would be like and was overjoyed that I got to do so in such a setting. What are your legal interests?: Land use & environmental law What is your favorite spot in the Pacific Northwest?: It’s impossible to choose a favorite. However, I do love the Wallow Mountains, the Oregon coast, especially just north of Florence, and Mt. Rainier. What is your hometown? South Burlington, Vermont What is your favorite book?: Whatever I am currently reading.
Summer Interns 2009
Name: Amanda Pade
School: Duke University
Hometown:
What brought you to Crag? : As my academic interests expanded, I wanted to gain exposure to environmental law. As a non-profit firm in the Pacific Northwest, Crag was a great place to get hands-on experience in public interest work.
What are your legal interests? : I am extremely interested in environmental law related to climate change. Specifically, I would like to work on policies and laws that help the US deal with the issues and consequences of global warming.
Favorite Book: The Things They Carried- Tim O’Brien.
Name: David Kinsella
School: University of Portland Spring 2009, 1L Stanford Law School Fall 2009
Hometown: Redmond, WA
What brought you to Crag? : Initially it was the proselytizing of Prof. Barnes. Throughout an entire class he kept talking about what a great organization Crag was. When he mentioned at the end of class that he might be able to get an internship there for one of his students, I knew I had to ask more. Also, it was really important for me to get some nonprofit experience before I headed off to law school.
What are your legal interests? : Intellectual property, environmental law, corporate governance, merger clearance, and antitrust.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: The Redmond Watershed, right by where I grew up. I have run in the Watershed’s trails for years, and every time I go back to visit my parents it’s one of the first places I go. I feel like it epitomizes the Northwest: dense forest, soft trails, a small lake, the occasional bear, and a great community of people who are all out enjoying the wilderness. It’s perfect.
Favorite Book: “I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta”
Summer Associates 2008
Name: Nicole Rentz
School: The George Washington School of Law
Hometown: Columbia, Louisiana
What brought you to Crag? The opportunity to work for an attorneys representing local citizens in environmental litigation, and the chance to spend the summer in Portland.
What are your legal interests? Environmental and land use law, International and human rights law.
Favorite quote: “I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. That makes it hard to plan the day.” – E.B. White
Name: Maureen McGee
School: University of Oregon School of Law
Hometown: Pocatello, ID
What brought you to Crag? I was looking for a small, non-profit setting for my first year internship, where I would be able to do substantial legal work and learn first-hand how to do environmental litigation from experienced attorneys. When I saw that Crag was hiring for the summer, I found a classmate who had volunteered here. She was so happy with her experience at Crag that I applied, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to come here!
What are your legal interests? The whole reason I entered law school was to pursue a career in environmental law. I love the work that I am doing here at Crag, and am also interested in work more along the lines of increasing sustainability practices for business and working to bring our energy policies more up to speed in promoting truly renewable resources across the board. My favorite classes so far in school have been Property Law, and interestingly, Contracts.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: One of my favorite ways to relax is to leave my home in Eugene early in the morning, drive over to the Oregon Coast, and then head south from Florence until I find a nice, empty beach in the dunes area. There are secluded spots, where, after wandering out onto the beach a bit, you can sit on the sand and see nothing in any direction but the ocean and sand. Crater Lake is pretty cool, too.
Summer Interns 2008
Name: Alexandra Saavedra
School: Santa Clara University
Hometown: Lima, Peru and Portland, Oregon
What brought you to Crag? As a freshman in college, I am seriously considering going to Law School and wanted some exposure to what that entails. One of Crag’s board memebers introduced the idea of interning here and after looking into what it is Crag stands for and how much they are able to accomplish with so little resources, I decided it would be a great first law-related internship.
What are your legal interests? For now, although this is very subject to change as I am only 19 years old, I am heading towards International Law.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: Mt. Hood (Timberline)
Favorite Quote: “Today you are you that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” -Dr. Seuss
Summer Associates 2007
Perrin de Jong
School: BA, Sociology; Berea College. 2nd-year JD Candidate, Lewis & Clark Law School
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
What brought you to Crag? An opportunity to get experience working in a dazzling array of environmental law areas.
What are your legal interests? Administrative environmental law, particularly as it relates to wildlands defense, logging, mining, road-building, and environmental justice. Also criminal defense for activists and other victims of police abuse.
Favorite pastime: Playing music with friends
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: Klamath-Siskiyous
Favorite Quote: “You’re voting which you’re hoping will stop the guns from smoking — is someone f—ing joking? They’re bankers in sheep’s clothing!” – The Coup
Sean Malone
Hometown: Dayton, OH
School: BA, University of Colorado. JD Candidate, Gonzaga University
Why Crag? Environmental Work
Legal Interests: Environmental law, Constitutional law.
Favorite Pastime: Playing Guitar
Favorite Place in Pacific NW: Oregon Coast
Favorite Book: Ulysses by James Joyce
Chuck Brushwood
School: B.S., Ecology, The Evergreen State College. J.D. Candidate 2008, Willamette University College of Law.
Hometown: I’m still looking for one.
What brought you to Crag? A shared vision. Ralph came to Willamette last year to talk about Crag’s work in support of community efforts to promote environmental conservation and sustainable natural resource management, and I was hooked. Working with Crag is a real privilege and a great opportunity to focus and develop my education in preparation for my incipient legal career.
What are your legal interests? Public interest law, public lands law and policy, water law, American Indian law.
Favorite pastime: Exploring the wild lands and waters of Cascadia.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: I have a hard time picking one favorite spot with so many great places in the PNW to choose from, but I will say that I have a soft spot for the North Cascades.
Favorite Quote : “Wilderness needs no defense, only more defenders” – Ed Abbey
Summer Interns 2007
Name: Kris Russell
School: Reed College
Hometown: Easton, CT and Scottsdale, AZ
What brought you to Crag? My professor Noelwah Netusil happens to like these gentlemen, and recommended that I spend a summer with them.
What are your legal interests? Obviously Environmental Law, but I’m also very interested in Law and Economics.
Favorite pastime: I enjoy badminton, playing my flute or guitar, container gardening, and hiking with my dog, Widget.
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: Haven’t found it yet.
Favorite Quote: “Tea! That’s all I needed! Good cup of tea! Super-heated infusion of free-radicals and tannins, just the thing for healing the synapses.”
-Ten, Doctor Who
Name: Josh Halladay
School: Catlin Gabel School
Hometown: Tigard, OR
What brought you to Crag? After chatting with with Board Chairwoman Sadhana Shenoy I learned about Crag and and what the lawyers stood for.
What are your legal interests? Civil Rights and Animal Rights
Favorite pastime: Football, baseball, and racquetball
Favorite place in the Pacific NW: Oregon Coast
Favorite Quote, Hero, Book, Movie or anything else?:
“I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.”-Muhammad Ali
