PROFILES
4 E n v i r o n m e n t a l a n d E n e r g y LA W P E R S P E C TIV E S
Profiles
environmental law and policy due to her broader interests in environmentalism and sustainable development. During her third year in particular, Ms. Stohr found a sense of community with Gonzaga’s environmentally-inclined student groups,
“...much of my success in the past year can be attributed to the high quality courses and professional opportunities made available by the experienced faculty and urban location of the university.” Whitney G. Stohr, LL.M. ‘12
W
hitney Stohr recently saw her work published in two major law journals. Her LL.M. thesis, “Coloring a Green Generation: The Law and Policy of Nationally Mandated Environmental Education and Social Value Formation at the Primary and Secondary Academic Levels,” has been published in the Journal of Law and Education, jointly edited by the law schools of the University of Louisville and University of South Carolina. Her second paper, “The Local Identity of Smart Growth: How Species Preservation Efforts Promote Culturally Relevant Comprehensive Planning,” was published in the January 2013 edition of the Environmental Law Reporter. A native of Washington state, Ms. Stohr developed an early interest in environmentalism through her interaction with nature and enjoyment of outdoor activities. She received a B.A. in political science with a minor in history from the University of Montana-Missoula in 2008, and a J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2011. While in law school, Ms. Stohr explored a variety of different legal topics including labor law, family law, and international human rights law. She enjoyed the complexities of interdisciplinary study, but found that she was especially interested in
and enjoyed participating in activities such as the Spokane River Clean Up and speaking in high school environmental science classes. As an LL.M. candidate at GW Law, Ms. Stohr concentrated in International and Comparative Law while maintaining her focus on environmental issues. She notes that her concentration allowed her to pursue a broad and flexible curriculum, and to explore the relationships between environmental law and other legal disciplines such as refugee law and homeland security. Ms. Stohr also enriched her education through participation in GW’s Pro Bono Legal Services Program, Environmental Law Association, and International Law Association. In fall 2011 she further explored the connection between international law and environmental issues while interning at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and General Counsel for International Law. In spring 2012 she interned with Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), where she had the opportunity to explore environmental issues such as urban planning and species preservation from a national policy perspective. Having earned her LL.M. degree, Ms. Stohr is now a visiting attorney at the Environmental Law Institute, where she works on the Post-Conflict
Natural Resource Management Project, an initiative that examines how to rebuild institutional capacity and resource management authorities in post-conflict settings around the world. She is also enrolled in a program through the University of Florida working toward an M.S. in forest resources and conservation with a concentration in ecological restoration. Ms. Stohr plans to continue pursuing a career in environmental law and policy. Although her future is yet untold, she values her time spent at GW Law and describes the LL.M. program as “top notch.” In just one year, she became an unrelenting advocate for her LL.M. alma mater: “GW Law offers an excellent environmental program, and much of my success in the past year can be attributed to the high quality courses and professional opportunities made available by the experienced faculty and urban location of the university.”
John Perkins, LL.M. ‘13 When he first studied law at the University of Arkansas, John Perkins did not intend to practice energy or environmental law. He had a B.A. in international business and wanted to learn about the legal aspects of business formation, corporate structures, and management. But after several years of practice in commercial litigation, he discovered that he particularly enjoyed working on environmental and energy-related matters, and decided to enroll in GW’s