John Notoris

John Notoris is a 2L at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Originally from Suffern, NY, John attended Paul Smith’s College in upstate New York, in the heart of the beautiful Adirondack Mountains. It was here he fostered his natural-love and appreciation for the environment through experiential learning. John graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science. Through his classes and experiences at Paul Smith’s College, John discovered he wanted to do more to protect the environment than assist researchers (still a crucial task). He wanted to delve into the law and policy-side of environmental protection.

John went on to work as a paralegal for a year while earning his paralegal certificate from an ABA accredited program at Rockland Community College with a 4.0 GPA. His time as a paralegal at various private law firms confirmed his desire to pursue a career in environmental law. 

John chose Pace for its #1 ranked environmental law program. During his time as a 1L, John participated in the National Environmental Moot Court Competition as a Bailiff Representative, the Environmental Law Society, and the Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies (GCELS), amongst other extracurriculars. He finished his 1L year with a 3.82 GPA and a class rank of 9/208. 

John chose to get involved with GCELS and its IUCN division early on to foster connections with like-minded individuals and assist in the increasingly high-pressure fight against climate change. He hopes to continue to work with GCELS and the IUCN after the Symposium to combat climate change and ultimately, improve the world.