| Michael Koehler is entering his fourth and final year of a JD/MPA degree at Suffolk University. He graduated from Middlebury College in 1999 with a double major in Geography and Environmental Studies. Prior to returning to graduate school, Mike helped run Phillips (Andover) Academy's nationally recognized community service program, served as a wilderness instructor for Thompson Island Outward Bound, and interned for the Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah. While in law school, Mike has gained legal and policy experience at the Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, the civil division of the United States Attorney's Office, and at the environmental law firm of McGregor and Associates. He researched and wrote public comments on behalf of the city of Boston related to proposed regulations of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, researched and edited comments to federal and state agencies responsible for permitting proposed LNG projects, and researched and drafted memos explaining the regulatory parameters of emerging regional greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs. He also saw to the various legal and political issues related to green buildings, energy management, and climate protection while working at the Boston Department of Environmental and Energy Services.
"I learned about the relationships between Boston and local interest groups, and that community groups should never assume city officials do not genuinely share their concerns. The fellowship didn’t change my plans so much as it helped me focus and realize that energy law and policy is an incredibly dynamic and engaging area in which I can develop a career. It has confirmed yet again what I have understood since high school: that being civically engaged is a tremendously rewarding endeavor." |
RAPPAPORT CENTER FOR LAW AND PUBLIC SERVICE
