Georgetown Law

Allison Rumsey is a partner in the Environmental Practice Group at Arnold & Porter LLP, focusing on litigation and remedial issues at major contaminated sites and rivers, including toxic tort, natural resources damages, and cost allocation. She represented BP in the litigation brought by the United States, citizen and environmental groups, states, and foreign states arising from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In addition to litigation, Professor Rumsey advises clients federal regulatory compliance, state regulatory programs, environmental auditing policies, and corporate transactions. She has experience in CERCLA, RCRA, ESA, NEPA, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act, among others.

Prior to joining Arnold & Porter, Profesor Rumsey was Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division of the US Department of Justice, where she oversaw a wide range of natural resources issues, including those involving national forests and parks, timbering, water rights, grazing, mining, brownfields, endangered species, certain issues relating to Native Americans, and NEPA. As an Honors Trial Attorney in the Natural Resources Section, Professor Rumsey handled several high-profile environmental cases. She was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for her accomplishments in a series of cases (known as the County Supremacy Movement) involving challenges to federal rights on public lands.

Professor Rumsey also has worked extensively in South Africa on a variety of environmental issues including climate change, national environmental assessments, and endangered species.

Professor Rumsey clerked for the Honorable Harold Greene, United States District Court of the District of Columbia and for the Honorable Harry T. Edwards, US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit.

She graduated with honors from Middlebury College in 1985 and received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgetown in 1992.