UW Alum Publishes Book on Military and the Environment

From the Publisher:

The battle is an old one man versus nature. And in modern society, man includes the military. Machines. Chemicals. Who wins the battle and at what cost? This practical analysis of the conflict between national security requirements and environmental responsibility looks at just that. William Wilcox examines the most common environmental issues that the military faces during wartime and peacetime and provides an introduction to the legal authorities, including statutes, regulations, and executive orders, governing the application of environmental law to military activities.

In late spring 2007, UW College of Law alumnus William A. Wilcox, Jr. (photo left) (J.D. '90) published The Modern Military and the Environment: The Laws of Peace and War. A retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserves, Mr. Wilcox’s 15 years of experience in environmental and military law culminates in his book. When asked what motivated him to write The Modern Military, Mr. Wilcox responded, "I have always enjoyed writing and have tried to consistently contribute to law journals. Not too long ago I realized that I had pretty much covered the waterfront when it comes to issues in environmental law applied to the military, so I decided to write the book."

After graduating from UW College of Law in 1990, Mr. Wilcox joined the United States Army where he served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1990-1995, an environmental attorney at Ft. Bliss, TX from 1995-1998, and General Counsel of the United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission from 1998-2001. After September 11, 2001, Mr. Wilcox returned to active duty from 2001-2002.

When asked about his fondest memories of the UW College of Law, Mr. Wilcox said, "I always enjoyed the ease with which we could get away from it all - to the Snowy Mountains or to Vedauwoo." What advice does he have for law students? "Don't get discouraged. Be patient. Find a niche and learn everything you can about it."

In 2005, Mr. Wilcox joined the law firm of Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, and Pittman, LLP, in Washington DC. In 2007, Mr. Wilcox retired from the US Army Reserves. A complete biography can be found at: http://www.pillsburylaw.com/william.wilcox.

A number of UW Alumni have served or are currently serving in the United States armed services and their stories will be featured in coming issues of The Docket. If you know of a person who has served, or is currently serving in the U.S. armed services who would like to be featured in an article, please contact Jill Higham at jhigham@uwyo.edu.