Zach Pilchen

Zach Pilchen, currently holding the esteemed position of Senior Legal Counsel at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C., is a distinguished graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School. He successfully earned his J.D. and a certificate in environmental and natural resources law in May 2013. During two impactful summer clerkships at the EPA, Mr. Pilchen collaborated closely with agency attorneys on civil enforcement matters related to RCRA and TSCA § 6(e). His contributions included crafting numerous legal memoranda, assisting in the development of an innovative compliance manual, and supporting electronic discovery efforts for a case stemming from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Zach's academic achievements shine through with his consistent placement in the top 7% of his class. He excelled in a diverse range of courses, focusing particularly on administrative, environmental, constitutional, and criminal law, as well as legal writing.

Beyond his academic successes, Zach Pilchen actively contributes to various facets of the law school community. He serves as an Associate Editor on the environmental law review and as a teaching assistant in the Legal Writing Department, mentoring students on projects such as appellate briefs, memoranda, complaints, demand letters, judicial opinions, and statute-drafting. Throughout his three years of law school, Zach has been an integral part of moot court programs, achieving national finalist status in the prestigious National Moot Court Competition.

Post-graduation, Zach Pilchen seamlessly transitioned into the professional arena as the Senior Legal Counsel at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Based in Washington, D.C., he continues to make substantial contributions to the field of environmental law, exemplifying a steadfast commitment to excellence and service.