Samara Spence

Samara Spence is a trial attorney in the Environmental Defense Section of the Environment & Natural Resources Division at the U.S. Department of Justice. She litigates in federal trial courts and courts of appeals defending U.S. agencies in suits falling under the Clean Water Act; the Clean Air Act; the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; and CERCLA (the Superfund statute). A substantial portion of Ms. Spence's work includes defending the Environmental Protection Agency's rulemaking decisions under the Administrative Procedure Act. She also represents the United States in affirmative enforcement actions under the wetlands provisions of the Clean Water Act. Ms. Spence was a law clerk to the Honorable Bernice Donald and the Honorable Jane Stranch, both on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Prior to law school, she was a licensed architect practicing in Austin, Texas.