Staci Rubin JD/MPH/MELP ’10

“Northeastern allowed me to pursue all of my interests.”

Staci Rubin JD/MPH/MELP ’10

As a staff attorney at Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE) in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston — the same place she completed her final co-op — Staci Rubin worked with residents in low-income communities and communities of color throughout the commonwealth to improve their quality of life by: accessing lower cost utility bills; reducing environmental pollutants; transforming vacant lots into green and open spaces; and participating in federal, state, and local agency decision-making processes about public health and public safety matters. “I thought I’d have to wait until I was out of law school 10 years to have a job like this,” she says, “and it happened right away.”

Staci credits Northeastern — and the combination of knowledge and skills she gained through her dual degrees with helping her find her niche. “Northeastern allowed me to pursue all of my interests,” she says.

As vice president of environmental justice at the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), Staci partnered with residents of historically marginalized communities to solve some of our biggest environmental and energy challenges and works with staff across the organization to embed environmental justice throughout CLF’s culture.

In early 2023, the administration of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey ’98 appointed Staci to a full-time position as a commissioner on the Commonwealth Utilities Commission, which oversees the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU), which, in turn, oversees electric and gas utilities, energy siting and public safety. “For many years, I’ve advocated for a more inclusive, transparent DPU that considers climate justice and I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring that vision to life. Together, we will work to ensure that environmental justice populations have seats at the table in shaping our clean energy future,” said Staci.

Co-op

Koob & Magoolaghan, New York

Staci researched and wrote legal memoranda on various prisoners’ rights and health law matters and participated in preparation for depositions and trial.

Activities
  • Society for Restorative Justice
  • Legal Environmental Advocacy Forum
  • Northeastern University Law Journal
Co-op

Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, Environmental Protection Division, Boston

Staci focused on matters including judicial review of administrative agency denial for rulemaking, transfer of venue between Circuit Courts and chemical exposures and associated public health outcomes.

MPH Courses at Tufts University School of Medicine
  • Public Health Economics
  • Occupational and Environmental Health
  • Healthcare Budgeting and Management
  • Biostatistics
  • Epidemiology
Co-op

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Boston, Massachusetts

On this co-op, Staci expl0red the inner workings of the oldest appellate court in continuous existence in the Western Hemisphere.

MELP Courses at Vermont Law School
  • Agricultural Law and Policy
  • Energy Project Finance and Development
  • Indian Country Environmental Law
  • Ocean and Coastal Law
Co-op

Alternatives for Community & Environment, Boston, Massachusetts

Staci worked with residents of environmental justice communities on matters involving environmental, energy and health law, as well as civil rights and public health.

After Graduation

Staff Attorney and Environmental Justice Legal Services Program Director, Alternatives for Community & Environment, Boston, Massachusetts

Next
  • Senior Counsel and Hearing Officer, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Vice President, Environmental Justice, Conservation Law Foundation, Boston, Massachusetts

 

 

Now

Commissioner, Commonwealth Utilities Commission, Boston, Massachusetts

Result

An advocate trying to help the world come clean.