Alumni Spotlight: Astrika Adams ‘15L Astrika Adams currently serves as Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington D.C.

Astrika Adams ’15L

Astrika Adams ‘15L grew up in San Antonio, Texas and Omaha, Nebraska. She graduated from Barnard College in 2012, where she majored in environmental science. While at Barnard College, she was active in the Columbia Catholic Undergraduates and Student Government Association. She also served as a teaching assistant and research assistant for the Barnard College Environmental Science Department. In law school, Adams interned for the Ohio Supreme Court, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Appeals Board, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Chief Counsel, Senator Deborah Fischer, and the 25th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. Adams is also a 2013 Blackstone Fellow. Adams currently serves as Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington D.C. Outside of work, Adams dedicates her time to her family.  

Discuss your career path and how it led you to being the Deputy General Counsel at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

While attending Barnard College, I became very interested in exploring a career path in environmental law. That interest carried through my time at W&L Law, and, there, I attempted to center every class, every internship, every contact around environmental law. (E.g., Thank you Adjunct Professor Chip Muir for letting me write my seminar paper for your Cybersecurity Law class on cybersecurity risks affecting water utilities.) After graduating from W&L Law, I held various roles related to environmental law. I have served as in-house counsel for a private equity company with investments in the energy and environmental sectors, as a career attorney at a federal government office focused on eliminating redundancies in environmental regulations and policies, as an attorney with the premier environmental law firm Beveridge & Diamond, and, now, as Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. EPA. Environmental law is a small, niche area to practice within, and I am very grateful for the opportunity each previous employer provided to me as I learned and fine-tuned my environmental law knowledge. I’ve used each role to become a better environmental attorney so that I can identify environmental legal issues and know how to resolve them.

What sort of legal issues do you handle on a day-to-day basis?

As Deputy General Counsel, I work closely with EPA’s program offices (e.g., the Office of Water, Office of Air, Office of Policy) assisting them in rulemaking efforts as well as related policy and program actions to ensure all are legally defensible. I also work closely with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) to defend EPA’s final agency actions. And there is always an opportunity to work with fellow agency partners as well as the White House where EPA equities are implicated.

Which W&L classes and/or experiences do you think were most helpful in preparing you for this job? 

Like most things in life, it wasn’t a single class or a single topic. It was the individual relationships and generosity of those at W&L Law. It was, of course, Professor Brian Murchison, who enthusiastically cheered me on during and after law school in my professional endeavors. It was former Dean of Career Services Cliff Jarrett who continuously provided me with professional development perspective from my very first internships to various post-graduate roles. The generosity of time from both, and many more, helped me not only understand the law and the legal profession, but also helped me to see how there are many good people in the world who want to help others do good and be successful.

This summer, you have worked with current student Ciara Rascona ’28L. What led her to being in your office?

Ciara has been serving as the one and only legal intern at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington D.C. She has demonstrated intelligence, perseverance, and good judgment throughout the summer, and I have been very pleased she was able to work with us this summer. Ciara reached out to me, as an alumna of W&L Law who practiced in an area of law (environmental) that she was interested in. I eagerly responded, wanting to share any helpful information and perspective with her to guide her in her own professional journey. We had a great conversation, and I encouraged her to consider interning at EPA. She was thankfully interested. She interviewed with the General Counsel upon my recommendation, and the rest was history. It’s a good example, and reminder for all, that the best thing sometimes is to just reach out to someone. Connections and human relationships matter the most.

What advice do you have for prospective law students who are interested in government work?

There are many types of government attorneys. Regardless of what your specific role is or may be, just know that we are but temporary stewards for the American people. Having that perspective is key to serving well.

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