Before entering the practice of law I was a self-employed goldsmith for 12 years.  I made custom one-of-a-kind jewelry designs in my retail store.  Then I became interested in environmental matters affecting our local water supply and closed up shop to attend law school.  ADMITTED 2006 - State of Illinois 2006 - U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois 2007 - U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit EDUCATION Chicago - Kent College of Law Juris Doctor, 2006 Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology Certificate-Jewelry Manufacturing, 1990 University of Missouri - Columbia B.S.B.A.-Economics, 1987 CASES Pollack v. Department of Defense, Army, Navy, et al., 507 F.3d 522(7th Cir., 2007)(Referring to Pollack's complaint as clever and ingenious). This case was brought when the Army and Navy illegally transferred contaminated federal property without first getting US EPA's concurrence that the remedy in place was operating properly.  In fact, EPA specifically said they would not concur because of flaws in implementation.  Held: Citizen suits challenging property transfers with incomplete cleanups are barred the same as suits challenging the cleanups themselves. Pollack v. Department of Justice, Coast Guard, Navy, Marines, DoD 08-cv-320 (ND IL, 2008) This case challenges United States government firearms training activities discharging lead bullets into surface water in violation of the Clean Water Act and RCRA and creating a public nuisance on state owned submerged lands. Held: Citizens have no standing if the illegal discharges do not affect the water quality to the extreme level of personal injury. AWARDS CALI Award for Coursework in the Chicago Environmental Law Clinic SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS "Environmental Aspects of Military Operations - Current Topics of Local Interest",  Chicago Bar Association - Environmental Law Committee, MCLE Presentation, Dec. 5, 2006

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