Jamie Anne Grodsky

JAMIE ANNE GRODSKY Feb 23, 1956-May 22, 2010 A golden-haired, beautiful person with an exceptional mind, she was struck down by a rare disease at the peak of her life and career. Jamie was a Professor of Environmental Law who had also served as a lawyer in all three branches of our Federal Government. She was born in San Francisco and attended Hamlin's and Burkes. She received her BA degree, With Distinction, from Stanford University where she was elected Senior Class President. Jamie spent a year, with backpack and guitar, exploring Appalachia, being handed from family to family by people she met and enchanted. A highlight was an evening playing guitar on his porch with the great Doc.Watson. With curiosity and concern, she walked with the Native Americans from Calif. to Utah during their protest march to Washington D,C.. She then served as Educational Director of the S.F. Oceanic Society where she founded Sea Camp, a maritime educational program for children. This was followed by a stint at Woods Hole Oceanographic Instit. In Marine Policy. After receiving an MA from UC Berkeley in Economic Geography, she spent 5 yrs as an Analyst at the US Congress Office of Technology and Assessment where she wrote on information technology and economic competition. She subsequently received her Law Degree from Stanford, where she was Articles Editor of Stanford Law Review, and received the Murie Award in Environmental Law and the Ochlmann Prize for Legal Writing. She returned to Washington as Counsel to the Committee on Natural Resources, US House of Representatives, and later as Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee. This was followed by a Judicial Clerkship with the Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit Court (the Hon. Proctor Hug) in Reno, who referred to her as "The most multitalented person I have ever met." Afterward, she was Senior Advisor to the General Counsel of the EPA with a focus on biotechnology regulation and environmental justice. She began her ultimate academic career as a Professor of Law at the Univ. of Minnesota and, until her death, was a tenured Professor of Environmental Law at George Washington Law School in Wash. DC. She published numerous articles and reports focused on how environmental law must adapt to new biological and technical development (e.g. increased risk, based on an individual's DNA and biomarkers). Her publications are widely quoted and the last two were each chosen as one of the top 5 law review articles in the US. Jamie was a caring and dedicated teacher. She loved to energize and excite her students, but in an even-handed, warm supportive style. "Enthusiasm, command of materiel, and accessibility are exceptional" was a typical evaluation by her students. Jamie was an outgoing young woman with a quick sense of humor and bright smile. She endeared everyone by making them feel that their lives were beautiful. She was an untaught, but accomplished sketch artist and blue grass guitarist, and loved nature and the outdoors. Jamie was predeceased by her mother Kayla and is survived by her father, Gerold Grodsky of San Francisco, her sister, Andrea Huber of Washington, D.C., her uncle and aunt, Myron & Prisella Grodsky of St. Louis, aunt Judy Wolfe of Salt Lake City and many close cousins. Private family interment. All friends are invited to a gathering at 501 Beal Street, S.F., CA on Thursday, May 27th from 2 to 6 pm. In lieu of flowers donations to the charity of your choice.