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What do you know now that you wish you had known in law school?��

Even if you plan to practice environmental law, every law student really should take corporations as a building block to creating legal solutions. I practiced environmental law right out of school, and it was terrific. But longer term, the best policy jobs required savvy beyond NAAQs and RCRA. Go get as much real world work experience—of any kind—as you can. Great lawyering requires common sense.

What advice would you give to current students as they’re preparing to graduate?��

Get experience. Throw yourself into your career for a couple of years and find time for some legal volunteer work. It will pay off with competence and the ability to execute on your longer-term goals—like getting the perfect environmental job, or starting your own company.��

Who was the biggest influence on your career?

Judge Jon Hays, the water court judge for whom I clerked, took on diverse challenges throughout his career, e.g. public defender, district attorney, civil court judge, then water court judge. He taught me to be fearless in trying new paths. Also, Judy O’Brien is arguably Silicon Valley’s legal thought leader. Her mentorship changed the way I think about how the law can build productive companies and change organizations.

Of what accomplishment are you most proud?

Being co-founder and president of Precision Photonics Corp. We built a venture-backed high-tech company literally from the garage into a great organization of 45 talented people, developed and patented novel technologies, shipped product to China, and returned a great win to our investors.