The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is pleased to announce that Sara Gonzalez-Rothi will join its faculty as a Visiting Associate Professor of Environmental Law. Prior to joining the Haub Law faculty in 2025, Professor Gonzalez-Rothi served in a variety of roles within the United States Senate and the Executive Office of the President. Most recently, she served as the Senior Director for Water at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. During her time at Pace Haub Law, Professor Gonzalez-Rothi will be teaching Administrative Law and Water Law.
"At this critical moment for the rule of law and the right of every person to clean air, clean water, and a safe and healthy environment, I am humbled and excited to join the exceptional team of faculty and students at Pace Haub Law," said Professor Gonzalez-Rothi. "Brave and skilled lawyers of tomorrow hold the keys to unlock a more just future, and we are fortunate to participate in their development."
From 2021-2025, Professor Gonzalez-Rothi served as the Senior Director for Water at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. She was in this role for the entire duration of the Biden-Harris Administration and was responsible for coordination and harmonization of federal interagency activities related to marine, freshwater, and drinking water policy. Prior to this, she served as Senior Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where she advised all democratic members of the Committee on issues related to the ocean and atmosphere. Professor Gonzalez-Rothi also held other positions, including as a Senior Policy Specialist with the National Wildlife Federation and as Legislative Counsel to a U.S. Senator, where she advised on issues related to environment, energy, agriculture, and animal welfare.
“Professor Gonzalez-Rothi comes to the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University with over sixteen years of experience related to complex environmental policy matters,” said Achinthi Vithanage, Executive Director of the Environmental Law Program and a Professor of Law for Designated Service in Environmental Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. “She has dedicated her career to public service and advancing commonsense solutions to bettering the environment. The entire Pace Haub Law community will benefit from the unique perspective that Professor Gonzalez-Rothi will bring to our environmental law program and larger campus community.”
During her time working in the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Professor Gonzalez-Rothi had several impressive accomplishments. She established and co-led the Ocean Policy Committee, which was co-chaired by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Under this leadership, the Ocean Policy Committee developed the first ever United States Ocean Climate Action Plan (PDF), Ocean Justice Strategy (PDF), and National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (PDF). She also helped establish and run the first ever Interagency Policy Committee on Poly- and Per-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Additionally, she created the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge Initiative, launching the Wetland and Water Resource Protection Guide, and hosting the White House Freshwater Summit. Notably, she also helped to forge two historic agreements to pause longstanding litigation against the federal government by Tribal Nations, states, and environmental organizations regarding the degradation of salmon and other native fish in the Columbia River Basin. While working in the United States Senate, she played a large role in negotiating and successfully shepherding the RESTORE Act through Senate passage with overwhelming bipartisan support and ultimately to a final enactment.
Professor Gonzalez-Rothi is a frequently sought after independent consultant and has conducted legal and policy research and writing, briefed congressional staff, provided strategic counsel, served as a guest lecturer, and more on high-impact environmental and science policy matters. Her research interests and scholarship include climate change, water law, pragmatic environmentalism, and more. Her most recent publication includes Cultivating Fair Winds and a Following Sea: Considerations for Offshore Wind Proponents in New York, published in The New York Environmental Lawyer. Professor Gonzalez-Rothi is a Board Member with the Coastal States Stewardship Foundation and previously served as an Advisory Board Member with the Women’s Aquatic Network and an Appointed Member with the Maryland State Parks Advisory Commission. She graduated with a BA from the University of Florida and a JD (cum laude) from the University of Miami School of Law.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is proud to announce that the 2025 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy will be jointly awarded to Professor John H. Knox and Dr. David R. Boyd for their groundbreaking efforts as successive United Nations Special Rapporteurs on the human right to a healthy environment. The award will be presented during a ceremony at Pace University in New York City on October 23, 2025.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is excited to announce that Professor Rachel Rothschild has been selected to receive the 2025–2026 Pace Haub Environmental Law Distinguished Junior Scholar Award. The Haub Environmental Law Distinguished Junior Scholar Award is presented annually to an emerging junior environmental law professor who exhibits scholarly excellence and promise at an early stage in their career. The Haub Environmental Law Faculty solicits nominations from law professors throughout the country and selects a recipient from that pool of nominations. The award recipient is invited to present his/her recent scholarship to the Haub Law community.
In July 2025, the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University welcomed students and faculty from O.P. Jindal Global University for an immersive academic experience focused on the intersection of corporate law and environmental sustainability.