Today marks the twentieth anniversary of Meyer
Glitzenstein & Crystal. Founded by Katherine Meyer and Eric
Glitzenstein on March 1, 1993, the Firm has since been an unwavering voice for
animals, the environment, and public interest advocacy. Part of the team
since the beginning, Director of Operations Leslie Mink has helped grow the
Firm into a practice that has been recognized
by Washingtonian Magazine as “the most effective public-interest law firm in
Washington.”
In 1996, the firm
was joined by Howard Crystal, who became a
name partner in 2005. Over the years, many talented and dedicated lawyers have
been part of the firm – and many of our former attorneys have gone on to
impressive careers in public interest law and
other forms of public service. Last year, attorney Bill Eubanks was named
partner in the Firm.
Among the highlights of the Firm’s accomplishments over
the past twenty years are:
- victories for animals, successfully
challenged federal regulations allowing “canned hunting,” ending the burning of
endangered sea turtles in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, stopping
the infamous Hegins pigeon shoot, eliminating grizzly bear hunting in Montana,
and establishing a legal framework for Article
III standing for individuals harmed by the
treatment of captive wildlife;
- bringing many cases to protect endangered species and preserve
biodiversity, including cases leading to the
creation of new sanctuaries and refuges for the Florida manatee, protection of
the North Atlantic right whale from ship strikes, and the listing of hundreds
of animals and plants as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species
Act;
- protecting wild places by
winning cases curbing off-road vehicles, jetskis, and snowmobile use in
national parks;
- protecting public health and
safety by achieving intervention for public health organizations in the U.S.
Department of Justice’s massive case against the tobacco industry, and
obtaining improved restoration of Department of Energy nuclear waste sites; and
- ensuring access to government
records and other agency proceedings through the Freedom of Information Act,
Federal Advisory Committee Act, and other open government statutes.
Other current members
of the Firm, Amanda Barker and Jessica Almy, congratulate the Firm’s founders
and partners on this milestone and wish them great success as they continue to
trailblaze on behalf of animals, the environment, and the people who care about
them over the coming years.
