Name: Victoria Whalen

Pronouns: She/her

Education/Professional Background: BA Biology & BA Urban and Environmental Sustainability with a minor in Law & Ethics 3L J.D. Environmental and Natural Resource Law Sustainable Land Use Fellow University of Oregon School of Law

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

What brought you to Crag? I was first interested in Crag when I read the tagline: “Legal aid for the environment”! This was precisely how I envisioned my legal and advocacy career unfurling. To put the cherry on top, their dedication to fighting for communities with particular focuses on land use, environmental justice, and environmental health really struck a chord in all my different education intersections and passions. Working at Crag seemed to be a perfect fit!

What are your environmental/legal interests? My environmental and legal interests revolve around environmental justice and global climate justice. I believe that to protect the planet, we must first protect those being systemically harmed in the pursuit of wealth, advancement, property, etc. We must ensure that those who contribute the least to the climate crisis are no longer the ones who are affected the worst!

What will your work focus on while at Crag? My work this summer will be environmental justice based with a long term research project on how the Civil Rights Act can help EJ cases as well as a land use research for Beyond Toxics! 

Favorite place to recreate or be in nature: My family is from upstate New York, so I have to say that the Adirondacks, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, etc. are some of my favorite places to be, especially when the leaves start to change!

Favorite book: Agatha Christie is my favorite author and it is my goal to own everyone of her mysteries (I’m halfway there)! Two of my favorites are the classic Murder on the Orient Express and Endless Night.

Favorite Quote: “To support whatever is right, and to bring in justice where we’ve had so much injustice.” Fannie Lou Hamer