PROFILE: ADJUNCT PROFESSOR SARA THORNTON

Sara ThortonBy day, Sara Thornton is a principal at the Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend law firm in Austin. On Mondays this spring semester, she was moonlighting as an adjunct professor of Water Pollution Law at Texas A&M University School of Law. Although not a A&M Law graduate, she is an Aggie, having earned her Bachelor of Science in Renewable Natural Resources degree in 2002 and a Master of Urban Planning with an emphasis in Environmental Planning in 2004.

Professor Thornton received her JD from Texas Tech School of Law in 2008, where she was a research assistant for Professor Gabriel Eckstein who now teaches at Texas A&M Law. When Professor Thornton was a 1L, she was placed with a 3L mentor (now a close friend and TCEQ attorney) that was president of the law school’s Environmental Law Society (ELS). The organization was limited in funding and support, but at that time, it managed to run the only recycling program at the Texas Tech Law School. As an ELS member, Professor Thornton often volunteered to collect pounds of discarded case briefs printed by students from recycling bins and take them to public recycling centers.

Thanks to Professor Eckstein’s efforts at the Texas Tech School of Law Center for Water Law and Policy, Professor Thornton was able to find her future mentor, Martin Rochelle of the Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend law firm. She used this opportunity to write to him and express interest in the firm. This resulted in a summer clerk position, then an offer for an associate position. As a research assistant for Professor Eckstein, Professor Thornton developed the initial syllabus for Eckstein’s Water Pollution Law course at Texas Tech School of Law.

Professor Thornton loved her undergraduate and master’s programs and hoped to use them in her career. She realized the full value of these degrees once she started clerking at Lloyd Gosselink. Her previous education allowed her to understand the issues facing her clients more fully and communicate with state and federal agency staff more effectively. This knowledge also assisted her in communicating with clients and helping her to build relationships with expert consultants.

Over the past several years, Professor Thornton has spent considerable time providing legal support for the permitting and construction of two major water supply reservoirs in Texas, including Bois d’Arc Lake that is expected to complete construction this spring. She never expected to be involved in such significant water supply projects or the work that would be required to complete such projects, including the development and passage of federal legislation. Professor Thornton says her federal legislative efforts on behalf of clients have been some of the most exciting and stressful work thus far. She keeps up to date on legislative matters, noting this is critical for clients’ day-to-day representation when relevant issues are moving quickly.

Most of the Lloyd Gosselink work is done from her office in Austin. Despite working from home, Professor Thornton has not found her work has changed much. Most administrative work involves communicating with clients via phone or email. Using Zoom this year has allowed her to see some of her long-standing clients for the first time. Meeting with state agencies had previously been in person, but as TCEQ is currently completely virtual, all meetings are conducted remotely. Other administrative work involves drafting and reviewing contracts and preparing applications, including her favorite: Clean Water Act 404 permit applications. Additionally, Professor Thornton serves as general counsel for some of her clients, keeping her fully engaged with all of their legal matters.

Professor Thornton’s general advice to law students interested in a similar career path is that Austin is the location to practice water or environmental law in Texas. All of the State agencies are located in Austin, as well as prominent firms like Lloyd Gosselink. One of the most important things that law students can do — no matter what field of law they go into or never even practice law — is to network and make connections. She says students must be persistent to maintain these relationships once they are forged, as connections are only worthwhile if they are fostered. These relationships can serve students well in the future for job prospects and consultation during practice. Finally, Professor Thornton advises students to graduate, pass the bar, and listen to Professor Eckstein!