The Call of the Wild

Q & A WITH STEV E WHITE ’77

Originally from the Midwest, Steve White came to San Diego to gain his law degree. At California Western, he did an externship in Anchorage, Alaska. Hooked on the outdoor adventures, fresh air, and slower, more self-sufficient way of life of this northwestern state, White never looked back, making Alaska his home for the last 45 years. Underpinned by his law degree, White became a commercial fisherman, environmental consultant, boat captain, Assistant Attorney General, and more as he embraced the Alaskan lifestyle.

White sat down with California Western to discuss his colorful and varied career path.

Q. How did California Western lead you to Alaska?

Well, one of the main things that attracted me to California Western was its Clinical Education Program, and I was on the student volunteer board for that program. That introduced me to various opportunities, and the one that I participated in was the one that took me to Alaska during my last semester of law school. It was an externship with the City Attorney’s office in Anchorage – a three-month off-campus experience. I chose Alaska because the other two opportunities did not appeal to me. One was in Appalachia, and I had grown up close to there, so I was familiar with that area, and the other was in Hawaii, where I’d spent some time in the military and was not particularly keen on that climate. So Alaska was a place I had never been to and was very different and, for that reason, appealing.

Q. How was this a lifechanging experience for you?

I didn’t return to school for graduation as it didn’t work in my schedule there in Alaska. So I graduated, but not within the ceremony. My eyes were opened to all the opportunities Alaska offered, particularly the chance to get outdoors and into very close natural settings, which always appealed to me. I decided I would settle in Alaska, so I returned to San Diego, gathered up my belongings, and shipped them up there. And Alaska has been my home for the last almost 45 years.

Q. You passed the Bar and then decided to put your law career on hold. Why was that? The first thing to do was to take the bar exam that summer, which I did and passed. I decided then that I would not take up law practice right away but explore all the other opportunities that Alaska offered and work in different fields, so I did for about ten years. While studying for the bar exam, I worked for an environmental consulting firm and, subsequently, a commercial diving company. After several years with those companies, I became a commercial fisherman on the coast in a small village called Cordova, on the east side of Prince William Sound. I had a lot of other jobs in the small town to keep the cash flowing. I was an instructor at the Community College, a truck driver, and I processed fish. All sorts of things you need to do to make a living. But, by and large, for ten years, I didn’t actively practice law.

“I always thought my law degree would assist me in whatever I did. And that’s true. I think a law degree and the training to get that degree is very functional no matter what you do after that.”

Steve White ’77

Q. How and why did you kickstart your law career after those experiences?

I decided I didn’t want to continue with commercial fishing. Although I had a very small legal practice on the side, I wanted to get my brain re-engaged, so I applied to and attended the University of Washington LLM program on Marine Law. I did that in Seattle, returned to Alaska, and started working for the Attorney General’s office in Juneau. I started in the commercial section of that department, and eventually, I persuaded the Attorney General to transfer me to the Natural Resources section. I worked in that section for about 14 years, and it covered everything from public land use, fish, and wildlife to environmental protection.

Q. Your career then took another turn. Tell us about that.

I decided I wanted to take a whole different track. My law practice and profession were very rewarding, and I enjoyed being a public attorney representing the residents of the state of Alaska. But, I wanted to go back to working on the water. So I got a Captain’s license, and ever since, I’ve been a small boat captain taking visitors to Juneau. People come on cruise ships, and I take them out in a smaller boat and show them the wildlife – principally whales and other marine wildlife.

Q. You have managed to pursue a lot of interests, but you always had your legal career to fall back on. Is that how you planned it, or just how it worked out?

I planned it that way. I always thought that my law degree would assist me in whatever I did. And that’s true. A law degree and the training to get that degree is very functional no matter what you do after that. I practiced law for a while and really enjoyed it, but with all the other things that I did, my legal education enhanced my ability to do them.

A law degree will serve you well whether you intend to be a lawyer or take up another profession. It helped me get a lot of jobs. My law degree enabled me to be hired in businesses that were not law-related. People like to have a person who is trained or thinks like a lawyer on their staff.