John Cruden J.D. ’74 was confirmed by the United States Senate to be the assistant attorney general for Environment and Natural Resources Division for the United States Department of Justice. Cruden was originally appointed to the position in an announcement on December 23, 2013.
After graduating from West Point, Santa Clara Law, and the Woodrow Wilson School at the University of Virginia, Cruden served in several positions during his legal career in the military. After rising to the chief legislative counsel of the U.S. Army, Cruden then joined the government to spend decades practicing environmental law. He spent more than 20 years as a top career attorney in the Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources division before leaving that position to besom president of Washington-based research and advocacy organization the Environmental Law Institute (ELI).
ELI Chariman Edward Strohbehn Jr. has this to say about Cruden:
“John Cruden’s lifetime commitment to public service, his decades devoted to environmental law, and his outstanding record at the Justice Department make him an unparalleled choice to lead the Environment and Natural Resources Division. We at ELI can attest to the great qualities he will bring to the work—his knowledge and judgment to make good decisions and his spirit and energy to bring others together and get the job done.”