March 2007

How does it feel to be at the forefront of a developing field of criminal law across the country?  In only his second year as a Trial Attorney at the US Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section in Washington, DC, David Joyce (JD ’04) applies his passion for marine policy in prosecuting national environmental cases.  “Environmental criminal law remains a developing field,” he states, thus David’s work at USDOJ often allows him to prosecute cases with little or no precedent.

David’s responsibilities at USDOJ include working with numerous federal agencies in developing cases, interviewing witnesses, and presenting evidence to the grand jury and at trial on behalf of the government.  His caseload is directly related to the marine and terrestrial environments, with David prosecuting corporations and individuals for violations of the nation’s environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, and other Title 18 offenses.

David grew up in Freeport, ME and graduated from Williams College, majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Environmental Studies.  After spending a semester at Williams’ Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program in Mystic, CT and another semester at the School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies in the Turks and Caicos Islands, BWI, David cemented his interests in environmental law and policy.

Between law school and his undergraduate work, David taught middle school math in Tacoma, WA and captained a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands with 12 high school students, teaching them sailing, scuba diving and leadership skills. 

UM was a perfect fit for David.  “I chose UM Law for the joint degree program with the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS),” he explains. “The issues I dealt with at UM – both in the environmental law courses and at RSMAS – are directly relevant to the work I do now for the Justice Department.”     

David graduated from UM Law in 2004 and from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at UM (RSMAS) in 2005.  Some of the classes he enjoyed at UM included Law of the Sea, Natural Resources and Energy Law, Torts, Coastal Law, and Admiralty.  He also was able to participate in UM Law’s Comparative Law Seminar in Leipzig Germany with Professors Abraham and Williamson.  While at UM, David served as an Executive Editor for the UM Law Review, was a Dean’s Fellow for the Academic Achievement Program Writing Center (and a Supervising Writing Dean’s Fellow as a 3L) and a Research Assistant for Professor Oxman. David also graduated Magna Cum Laude and was inducted into the Order of the Coif.

In the summer following his first year, David clerked for the admiralty firm of Underwood, Karcher, and Karcher in Miami and worked as a summer associate in his second year for Choate, Hall & Stewart in Boston, MA. After graduating, David clerked for the Honorable Gene Carter, USDC – Maine, which prepared David for his job as a prosecutor with the USDOJ

In addition to the unique joint degree program, David took full advantage of everything Miami and UM had to offer.  “I loved the proximity to the ocean and diving in the Florida Keys.  The RSMAS campus’ outdoor patio was my favorite place to work, and the aesthetically pleasing nature of the main campus made it a comfortable place to engage in rigorous academic pursuits.”

When David is not aggressively prosecuting cases to protect the Nation’s environment, David enjoys hiking, skiing, and cycling, and he recently completed his fourth marathon.