Achinthi Vithanage joins the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University as Associate Director of Environmental Law Programs

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is pleased to announce that Achinthi Vithanage will join the Law School as the new Associate Director of Environmental Law Programs.

Achinthi is currently the Randolph C. Shaw Graduate Fellow in Administrative Law and Professorial Lecturer in Law at the George Washington University Law School, where she teaches International Environmental Law and Global & Comparative Environmental Law, and assists the program director in managing the top 10 ranked GW Environmental & Energy Law Program. Achinthi officially joins Haub Law today, on June 15, 2021, and will add her expertise to the School’s renowned environmental law program, which is ranked #1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. 

“I had a wonderful experience as a student in the LLM program at Haub Law and I am excited to rejoin the School now in a different capacity,” said Achinthi. “I know firsthand that the faculty, students, alumni, and staff are at the forefront of environmental law and I look forward to joining the School’s team of environmental law leaders.”

Previously, Achinthi was a Visiting Associate Professor of Law and the Environmental and Energy Law Fellow at GW Law. Born in Sri Lanka, but growing up mostly in Sydney, Australia, Achinthi worked at the Energy & Water Ombudsman of New South Wales and practiced as a solicitor in the corporate sector for some years. Achinthi holds a dual degree in Law and International Studies from the University of New South Wales and graduated summa cum laude with an LLM in International Environmental Law from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.

Currently, she is the Co-Chair of ABA SEER’s International Environmental & Resources Law Committee and is an originating member of the International Association of Energy Law, a global network of early career energy law professors. Most recently, she was recognized in LawDragon’s 500 Leading Environmental and Energy Lawyers 2021 Guide. Achinthi is frequently sought after to present and moderate panels focused on environmental and energy law topics. Further, she frequently publishes scholarly work on a variety of environmentally focused issues.

“The Elisabeth Haub School of Law’s environmental law program is number one in the country, an accomplishment that we are extremely proud of,” said Dean Horace Anderson. “Achinthi has firsthand knowledge as a graduate of Haub Law of what differentiates our environmental law program and her experience and career will be a boost to it.”

“From professor, to scholar, to lawyer, to environmental advocate, and more – Achinthi’s strengths are a perfect complement to the Elisabeth Haub School of Law’s environmental law program,” added Jason J. Czarnezki, Associate Dean of the Environmental Law Program and Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law. “We are thrilled to have her join Haub Law and look forward to working with her to further strengthen our position as the number-one environmental law program.”

About Elisabeth Haub School of Law

Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University offers JD and Masters of Law degrees in both Environmental and International Law, as well as a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law. The school, housed on the University’s campus in White Plains, N.Y., opened its doors in 1976 and has more than 9,000 alumni around the world. The school maintains a unique philosophy and approach to legal education that strikes an important balance between practice and theory. Haub Law launched its Environmental Law Program in 1978, and it has long been ranked among the world’s leading university programs, with a current #1 ranking by U.S. World and News Report. Pace’s doctoral graduates teach environmental law at universities around the world. Pace’s JD alumni are prominent in environmental law firms, agencies and non-profit organizations across the U.S. and abroad. In 2016, the Law School received a transformational gift from the family of Elisabeth Haub, in recognition of its outstanding environmental law programs. For more information about Haub Law, visit http://law.pace.edu