Co-Chairs

Susan Gilbert-Miller, 2010 Chair

University of San Francisco School of Law

Susan Gilbert-Miller is a second-year student at the University of San Francisco School of Law. She obtained a Ph.D. from the Institute of Development, Policy and Management (IDPM), Department of Economic and Social Sciences, University of Manchester, England, with comparative research on international water policy. Susan has worked in the environmental arena for over 10 years. She was the Director of Environmental Services for the Chicago Manufacturing Center; Senior Consultant for SAI Global; and worked as a policy analyst for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, Calabasas, California. Currently, Susan is a USF Law Review staff-member, Enviromental Law Society Board member and a Law Clerk at the Natural Heritage Institute.

Anthony Austin, Co-Chair

Golden Gate University School of Law

Anthony Austin is a second year law student at Golden Gate University, School of Law. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and the Study of Religion from the University of California, San Diego. Prior to entering law school Anthony worked at a non-profit organization in Washington, DC providing leadership and development opportunities for the nation’s Latino youth. Last summer he was awarded the ABA Diversity Fellowship in Environmental Law and interned at the California Attorney General’s Office in the Natural Resources Law Section. He is currently the Symposium Edition Editor for the Golden Gate University Environmental Law Journal and the Vice President of the Environmental Law Society.

Whitney Barnecut, Co-Chair

University of San Francisco School of Law

Whitney is a second year student at the University of San Francisco School of Law. She received her B.A. in Political Science with a Minor in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to law school, Whitney worked for a law firm that specializes in groundwater contamination litigation. She is currently a USF Law Review staff member and a board member for the Environmental Law Society.

Heather K. Cox, Co-Chair

University of San Francisco School of Law

Heather Cox is a second-year student at the University of San Francisco School of Law. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree the University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business. During her undergraduate summers she worked for a canoe camp in northern Canada. Between spending her summers on rivers and growing up in Michigan, she couldn't help but appreciate the beauty and necessity of water. Her interest in water policy, conservation, and law have only grown from there.

Ian Fein, Co-Chair

U.C. Berkeley School of Law, Boalt Hall

Ian Fein is a second-year student at Berkeley Law School. He is a California native, and also received his B.A. in English from U.C. Berkeley. Before entering law school, Ian worked as an environmental reporter for several small publications. He interned at the Sierra Club in San Francisco last summer.

Seth Mansergh, Co-Chair

Golden Gate University School of Law

Seth Mansergh received his Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and minored in Environmental Studies at University of California, San Diego. After a short stint working in real estate and property management he began law school at Golden Gate University School of Law. At Golden Gate he has been a writer and an Associate Editor for the Environmental Law Journal and worked for Golden Gate’s Environmental Law and Justice Clinic. Currently Seth Mansergh is the President of Environmental Law Society and the Executive Lead Articles Editor for the Golden Gate Law Review.

Olivia Odom, Co-Chair

U.C. Berkeley School of Law, Boalt Hall

Olivia traces her interest in water law and policy back to her summer experiences as a whitewater raft guide on Georgia’s Chattooga River. Inspired by the beauty of the Wild & Scenic river, she pursued a B.S. in geology with an emphasis on hydrogeology from the University of Arkansas. From there she moved to Oregon State University to pursue an M.S. in Water Resources Policy and Management. Her graduate work involved developing a municipal drinking water source protection plan for the City of Corvallis, Oregon and analyzing international water conflict for partners such as UNESCO and the World Bank. While studying water policy, she realized that the backbone of policy is law. She is now pursuing a J.D. at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Her interests include finding sustainable solutions to complex environmental conflict through appropriate dispute resolution. She clerked for the Natural Heritage Institute last summer.

Michael A. Smith, Co-Chair

U.C. Hastings College of the Law

Michael is a bay area native whose fascination with water stems from his time spent exploring California’s lakes and rivers, growing grapes in Sonoma County and traversing the Sierra headwaters. His interest in promoting responsible stewardship of our natural resources steered him towards his studies of land use planning at San Francisco State and eventually to UC Hastings. He serves as the Executive Editor of the UC Hastings West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law and Policy and is currently interning with The Trust for Public Land in San Francisco.