With an early passion for the environment, Colin Myers ’21 attended the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (“SUNY ESF”) and enrolled in a major that would set him on a path to becoming a New York State Environmental Conservation Officer. It was during his junior year, when he began taking business law and environmental law and policy classes that Colin started thinking about law school. “I really enjoyed these classes which led to my pivot from wanting to be an environmental cop to being an environmental lawyer,” said Colin.
Once he had set his mind on pursuing a law degree focused on environmental law, Haub Law was an easy choice for him. “I chose Haub Law because of its top-notch environmental law program. I was excited about learning environmental law from an extremely knowledgeable faculty at the top of the field. In doing my research, I also learned the Law School offered endless opportunities to participate in excellent extracurriculars and internships. Taking all of this with the School’s proximity to New York City and given that I am also from Rockland County, which allowed me the ability to commute from home, Haub Law was my top choice.” Once Colin started at Haub Law, as an undergraduate science major, the transition to legal writing proved challenging. “I had gotten very used to scientific writing which uses the passive voice. Once I changed that muscle memory, I was able to adjust by the end of my 1L year and am now always cognizant of the use of passive voice, a style strongly discouraged in legal writing.”
During his time at Haub Law, Colin also took advantage of the dual degree option that 91Ƶ offers to obtain both an MBA and a JD on an integrated and accelerated schedule. “For the dual degree program, I spent my first two years at Haub Law, then a year at Lubin (including the summer), and for my last year, I took both law and business classes in the fall, and just law classes in the spring. Switching to business school was a big change – no more Socratic method or weekly homework, and more group projects – but it taught me business skills that I thought I was lacking from an education in science and law and that I believed were needed for my ultimate goal: a career in sustainability. The dual degree allowed me to take the dynamic career path I’ve gone down – first going into management consulting before pivoting to a law firm. Without the dual degree, I likely would not have gone into management consulting—a field that led me to where I am now.”
It was during Colin’s 2L year, while taking both environmental law and corporate law classes, that he began to understand the relationship between business law and strategy, environmental law, and corporate finance. “This led me to corporate sustainability, an emerging area I saw as an opportunity to address environmental issues in a proactive way rather than in a reactive way. In corporate sustainability, you get to work on putting systems in place to reduce the chance of certain risks occurring and mitigating those risks that do occur, a pursuit I find enjoyable. I also had the fortunate experience of finding a mentor in Professor Jason Czarnezki who helped me navigate the path towards my end goal.”
Now, a corporate associate with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Colin supports the sustainability office and environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) teams of a leading alternative asset manager by performing ESG due diligence for transactions by managed funds, responding to ESG due diligence questionnaires from current and prospective fund investors, and reviewing ESG marketing materials. “The work is challenging, interesting, and evolving all the time. I get to help my clients make the best sustainable business decisions available. To be able to help my clients make a positive impact is important to me.”
Colin also is an advisory board member of the Sustainable Business Law Hub at Haub Law, which was launched in 2021. “I wanted to get involved in the Sustainable Business Law Hub because it was influenced by the curriculum I pursued and career path I went down and is an initiative I wish existed while I was a student. The Sustainable Business Law Hub aims to create the next generation of sustainable business lawyers, and business savvy lawyers are an essential stakeholder in helping to achieve sustainable, long-term value creation. It’s exciting and rewarding to have a part in the initiative’s development and growth.”
As part of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at 91Ƶ’s 29th Annual Law Leadership Awards Dinner, held this past spring, Colin was recognized with a “Shining Star Award.” The Shining Star Award recognizes up-and-coming leaders in the Haub Law alumni community who have made significant contributions to the profession, their organizations, and the community early in their careers. Through his impactful career and his ongoing support of the Haub Law community, Colin has made significant contributions since graduating from Haub Law in 2021.
When Colin is not working or supporting Haub Law, he enjoys focusing on health and fitness. “I spend a lot of time exercising, going on walks with my fiancé and dog, and meal prepping. I try to live my life as sustainably as possible and focusing on health and fitness plays a big role in that.”
