The Intermountain West Called to My Heart

I have long been called to Wyoming. Despite growing up on the beach in Southern California, the wilds and open spaces of the Intermountain West have called to my heart for as far back as I can remember. My grandpa was from Riverton, Wyoming, and I grew up hearing his stories of an adventurous and resourceful life. My young heart painted Wyoming as a mysterious place where cowboys still existed, and where Indians lived. Now having seen much of the place, I can’t say I was wrong. 

 

I never imagined that I would go to law school. When I told my sister I was thinking about it, she laughed at the idea of me being stuffed into a suit and having to behave myself in front of a judge. I laughed with her. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a lawyer. What I had become convinced of, though, was that I wanted the education.

 

I am a person who is strongly driven by sense of place. I care a lot about this planet we call home. As I’ve matured, I’ve learned that my passion for the Earth is something I can rely on about myself — I will always care about it. I wanted a legal education because I want to be part of the conversations and decisions about our land. A JD is a powerful tool to bring to those conversations.

 

The University of Wyoming was recommended to me as a place with a great focus on environmental law. I have found that to be absolutely true. For such a small law school, our faculty represents a good variety of interests. All elective classes come and go, but at UW the environmental law corner sits strong. We have professors who are national experts in public lands, water law, and oil and gas. Participating in their classes and other opportunities they facilitate has opened doors for me. The things we are working on here are important and influence the future of environmental law. In many ways, the West is kind of its own country, and Wyoming continues to be a central figure in its development. 

 

I have taken my focus on environmental law a step further by enrolling in one of the law school’s joint degree programs. While earning my JD, I am also working on a master’s degree in Environment and Natural Resources. The law school partners with the Haub School, the College of Business, and the College of Arts & Sciences here on campus to facilitate their joint degree programs. I am very grateful for my affiliation with the Haub School. I lovingly say that they are the hippies and dirtbags here on campus, and it is there that I find people who dress like me.

 

People of the Haub School believe you can work hard and still do good without having to give up your humanity. My classes with them have allowed me to dive deeper into environmental current events and get involved with real projects across the state. Having a master’s degree in ENR puts another tool in my toolkit and allows me to point to something concrete when discussing my knowledge of and passion for the land. 

 

Favorite moments:

For me it a is a privilege to be a resident of this state. The work I am involved with is important and shaping the future of the West. I am constantly meeting new people who are working hard to better their corner of the world. I can’t wait to join them.

 

Advice for incoming law students:

I’d like to say that anyone thinking of going to law school should understand that law schools in general attract ambitious, competitive, and self-serious types. When you put a bunch of people like that together, it can be an intense experience. That being said, one of my favorite things about UW is we are somewhat of an exception to that stereotype. Pokes* know not to take themselves too seriously and that it’s better to foster a culture of comradery and support. After all, you never know when you’re going to get stuck up a creek with a broken bridle and a bloody nose.

 

*Besides being the Wyoming Cowboys, we are also known as the Pokes (as in cowpokes).