On March 11, 2024, Richardson Alumna Ammie Roseman-Orr ‘99 was sworn in as the EPA’s newest Environmental Appeals judge. Her new position comes after working at the EPA for the past seventeen years, first as Senior Counsel for the Environmental Appeals Board, then as Acting Division Director for the Policy & Regulatory Analysis Division in the Office of Regulatory and Policy Management within the Office of Policy.
Judge Roseman-Orr’s interest in environmental law began at Richardson law school when Professor Antolini and Professor Jarman became pivotal mentors during her time there. Judge Roseman-Orr had initially attended Richardson with an interest in Asian Pacific law, but eventually made the switch after meeting Professor Antolini in her first-year torts class.
Professor Antolini quickly became a mentor to Judge Roseman-Orr and encouraged her to apply for an internship with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Environment and Natural Resources Division, Law & Special Litigation Section. Judge Roseman-Orr was awarded the internship and spent the first half of her 2L summer at Carlsmith Ball LLP and the second half at the DOJ. This “eye-opening” experience inspired Judge Roseman-Orr to strategically plan her next few years to become a competitive applicant for the DOJ’s honors program which would allow her to return to working for the DOJ post law school.
During law school, Judge Roseman-Orr was a member of the University of Hawaiʻi Law Review and served as its managing editor from 1998-1999. One of her favorite memories during law school was meeting Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg during Richardson’s Jurist in Residence Program. Later, when she interned at the DOJ in Washington D.C. for her 2L summer, Justice Ginsburg personally invited Judge Roseman-Orr to her chambers and to watch an oral argument. Reminiscing on this awe-inspiring experience, Judge Roseman-Orr recounts being amazed by Justice Ginsburg’s genuineness, thoughtfulness, and strong female character. She also externed for Magistrate Judge Barry M. Kurren of the U.S. District Court of Hawaiʻi. And knowing that clerkships are favored positions for potential DOJ honors program awardees, Judge Roseman-Orr clerked for Chief Justice Ronald T.Y. Moon of the Supreme Court of Hawaiʻi for two years upon graduating from law school in 1999.
Judge Roseman-Orr’s hard work and planning paid off and she joined the DOJ through the Attorney General’s Honors Program in 2001. Working as a trial attorney, Judge Roseman-Orr dove headfirst into the DOJ’s “sink or swim environment.” Within her first year, Judge Roseman-Orr was taking depositions, arguing in both trial and appellate courts, and immersing herself in the intense environment that she fell in love with when she first interned there during her 2L summer.
Needing a change of pace after giving birth to her twin boys, Judge Roseman-Orr left her job at the DOJ after five years and secured a position as Senior Counsel to the Environmental Appeals Board where she could continue to hone her writing in environmental appeals. Judge Roseman-Orr enjoyed the work-life balance that the position offered, and the camaraderie she developed with her colleagues while working toward the EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. With the encouragement of judges and colleagues, Judge Roseman-Orr eventually became an Acting Division Director for the Policy & Regulatory Analysis Division in the Office of Regulatory and Policy Management within the Office of Policy. This position expanded her breadth of knowledge of the EPA’s duties; she was tasked with directing the work of regulatory analysts and ensuring that the Agency’s regulations reflected administrative policies, developing specialized knowledge of the EPA’s policy priorities, and liaising with the White House Office of Management and Budget, among other things.
After seventeen years at the EPA, Judge Roseman-Orr opted to apply for the newly vacated Environmental Appeals Board Judge’s seat and was successful. Judge Roseman-Orr’s previous experience as Senior Counsel to the Board uniquely positions her to begin her judgeship with a wealth of institutional knowledge and the ability to hit the ground running. Moreover, the wealth of knowledge she developed in her previous positions at the EPA, has made her an expert in EPA precedent and policy.
Judge Roseman-Orr’s journey to become an EPA Appeals Board Judge serves as an example for students looking to find a career they feel most passionate about. When asked what advice she would give to current students, she emphasized that students should take advantage of a variety of experiences as they figure out what career most interests them. If a student thinks that non-profit work would most suit them, maybe they should also try working at a private law firm. She also recommended that students create a plan but remain flexible and know when to pivot when necessary. Her goal of becoming a DOJ honors attorney would not have come to fruition if not for her careful planning, and attentiveness to the desired qualifications – law review, clerkship experience, and a competitive GPA. But, remaining open and flexible to new experiences despite having a job she was deeply passionate about led her to the EPA and the Environmental Appeals Board.
Richardson’s Environmental Law Program is proud to call Judge Ammie Roseman-Orr an alumna of the program and hopes that her story inspires other students to pursue a hardworking and fulfilling career such as she has. Again, congratulations to Judge Roseman-Orr on being appointed as an Environmental Appeal’s judge!
MW 6/9/24