JOCELYN THOMPSON, 53
FIRM: Alston & Bird LLP
LAW SCHOOL: UCLA
CLIENTS: BP, Mitsubishi Cement, Conoco Phillips, Flying J, Golden Queen Mining
When Jocelyn Thompson tells people she is an environmental lawyer, they usually assume she works for the Sierra Club. In fact, as another lawyer recently quipped at a party, “She represents the polluters.”
But Thompson believes that stereotype, based on right-versus-wrong thinking about the environment, is fundamentally flawed.
“Each and every one of us is a polluter,” she said. “My projects produce the things people need and use without even thinking. We fill up our cars with gasoline or move into a house made of rock and concrete without thinking about where those materials came from. The decisions of corporations are simply the decisions of the individual consumers magnified.”
Thompson chose to study law with the intent to seek political office. She soon discovered her non-confrontational personality didn’t fit with the style of modern elections.
“But I discovered other things about myself – that I love using analytical skills, problem solving, and helping people do the right thing,” she said. “That’s why I’m a lawyer.”
Her biggest projects include handling the legal matters for a $700 million expansion of the Flying J gasoline refinery in Bakersfield, the Tesoro Refining power plant in Wilmington, Service Rock Products’ sand and gravel mine in the Mojave Desert and WesPac Pipeline’s jet fuel pipe from the Port of Los Angeles to LAX. She’s currently working on approval for gold mining in the Mojave Desert and a limestone quarry in San Bernardino County.
She likes environmental law because it asks big questions. Who owns the water in the ground or in a riverbed? How far can government intrude into personal decisions to protect the environment? Do old rules still apply to new technology?
“It’s satisfying to deal with issues that are so prominent and important to society,” she said.
Her practice of environmental law has led her to consider her personal choices. She recently reduced the size of her lawn by half to conserve water. At her downtown offices of Alston & Bird, the firm does not supply bottled water in order to cut down on plastic consumption. And all her office paper is re-used to save trees.
“I try to reduce driving, but I’m not perfect,” she said. “I could ride the bus to the office more if I got up in time.”
While Thompson loves her job, she already has another career planned if she ever gets bored with lawyering. Her dream is to become a landscape architect, a profession that mixes engineering, art, psychology and an appreciation for the environment.
