Greenlight on “almost alum” Josh Fortenbery (3L)
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Josh Fortenbery (3L) was recently hired as an Honors Attorney with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington D.C. Josh is currently Editor in Chief of Environmental Law. He was a summer law clerk for NOAA in Juneau, Alaska in 2014 and is looking forward to returning to NOAA after graduation.
“I came to Lewis & Clark to pursue a career in marine protection, so I’m honored by this opportunity to participate in the management of our nation’s ocean and coastal resources. As difficult as it will be to leave Portland and the Pacific Northwest, this is truly a dream position, and I know that my time here made it possible.”
Attorneys in the Honors Program will work with seasoned attorneys and independently on a wide variety of assignments, such as:
- Working with NOAA scientists on regulations governing commercial and recreational fisheries; protecting marine species, such as whales, dolphins, and turtles and their habitat; and preserving national marine sanctuaries.
- Working with the Justice Department to defend cases brought in federal court challenging NOAA regulatory programs under important natural resources statutes, including the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
- Bringing administrative enforcement actions to ensure compliance with the federal fishery laws and to protect marine species, such as whales, dolphins and turtles, and their habitat.
- Developing cases seeking to recover for damages to the nation’s natural resources from spills of oil and hazardous substances.
- Addressing complex international legal issues related to oceans, shipping, fisheries, marine pollution, aquatic invasive species, and marine scientific research.
- Working with NOAA scientists to address threats to coastal areas such as climate change, population growth, port congestion, and contaminants in the environment
- Addressing the legal needs of the National Weather Service, and the NOAA satellite programs that provide environmental data to support it.
For more information about NOAA’s Honors Attorney program click here.
