Photo by Dusan Smetana

The University of Miami School of Law mourns the passing of law alumnus James D. Range, JD ’74, a champion environmental lawyer and lobbyist who passed away on January 20, 2009 at the age of 63.

A lifelong conservationist, Range co-founded the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, an influential coalition of hunting, fishing and conservation groups, and was instrumental in the 1970s in marshalling through many of the nation's most important environmental laws, including the 1977 Clean Water Act, the 1977 amendments toughening the Clean Air Act, and the 1980 Superfund law.

In his 1986 book Running in Place: Inside the Senate, author James A. Miller described Range as "a legislative cowboy -- a southern, tough-talking, Jack Daniels-drinking, boyishly handsome, charismatic lawyer who long ago made the right connections on his way up north… At 36, the blustery Range has become one of a handful of key aides recognized by senators and staff alike as an authoritative source of crucial information about the Senate's agenda."

Range was born on December 26, 1945, in Salt Lake City but claimed Johnson City, Tennessee, where he was raised, as his hometown. He graduated from Tulane University and received a master's degree in fisheries biology from Tennessee Tech University in 1970. Three years later, he graduated from the University of Miami School of Law. He worked briefly for the U.S. attorney's office in Miami, then came to Washington to serve on the staff of the National Commission on Water Quality.

He had joined the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works as minority counsel by the mid-1970s and became part of Senator Howard H. Baker, Jr.'s staff in 1980. As minority counsel, Range helped formulate fundamental policies of environmental protection. Range went on to be chief counsel to Senator Baker when he became Senate Majority Leader. Range became vice president of governmental affairs at Waste Management Inc., the world's largest waste services company, in 1984 and eight years later moved to Rust International, the subsidiary of another waste management company.

Throughout, he remained passionate about conservation and the environment. He served on the Board of Directors of a number of the nation’s most respected and effective conservation groups, was past chairman of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and was a White House appointee to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. In 2003, Mr. Range received the U.S. Interior Department's Great Blue Heron Award for conservation of waterfowl habitat.

He joined the Washington law firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz in 1998 as the senior policy adviser. His clients included major corporations, as well as a number of conservation organizations. One of his clients was the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, for which he scored a coup when the 2005 federal highway bill included a provision that limited the excise tax on fishing rods to $10 per product. At Baker Donelson, Range represented the interests of companies and organizations on public policy issues concerning resource management, environmental pollution, endangered species, water quality and quantity, and agriculture. He focused significant attention on pending asbestos legislation.

Range is survived by his twin daughters Kimberly Range Truesdale and Allison Range; his father, Dr. James J. "Bud" Range of Johnson City; and three brothers.

The Washington Post published an obituary on Range titled “Lobbyist championed environment” on January 22, 2009. Click here to read the full obituary.

posted 28-January-2009