Berkley Center

Lois J. Schiffer is the general counsel for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and an environmental law expert. She serves as the chief legal officer for all NOAA activities and as a policy advisor to the under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. From 1993 to 2001, Schiffer served as the assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the Department of Justice with responsibility for cases related to pollution, natural resources, wildlife, tribal law, and federal lands. More recently, she served as general counsel to the National Capital Planning Commission. She has argued cases before a number of courts of appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court and has been an adjunct professor of environmental law at Georgetown University Law Center for over 20 years. Schiffer received her undergraduate degree from Radcliffe College and her law degree from Harvard Law School.