Kristen Gustafson

Kristen Gustafson is one of two Deputy General Counsels for NOAA's Office of General Counsel. Ms. Gustafson oversees the legal work of the National Marine Fisheries Service nationwide. She has over 20 years of environmental law experience. Before coming to NOAA in March 2016, she worked from 2001-2016 in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice, first as a trial attorney and then as an assistant chief in the Wildlife and Marine Resources Section. During that time, she defended federal agencies in district and appellate courts in litigation brought under wildlife, natural resource, and other statutes. Ms. Gustafson was also detailed to the Division's Law and Policy Section for over a year where she gained speech writing and legislative experience. Before joining the Department of Justice, Ms. Gustafson clerked for the Honorable Ellen Segal Huvelle of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She began her career as an associate in the litigation practice at Arnold & Porter, a private law firm based in Washington, D.C. Ms. Gustafson received her undergraduate degree (B.A.) in history from Princeton University in 1994 and her law degree (J.D.) from New York University School of Law in 1997.