About the Authors

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About the Authors

Barbara L. Arras is a partner in the New Orleans office of Phelps Dunbar LLP.

She represents defendants in toxic tort litigation primarily involving pulmonary

diseases allegedly caused by asbestos and other pulmonary irritants and hemato-

poietic diseases allegedly caused by benzene.

Jane F. Barrett has over 40 years of experience working in the field of environmen-

tal criminal law. Her environmental experience began as an attorney with EPA’s

Office of Water. She also served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of

Maryland, where she was responsible for developing and supervising the prose-

cution of criminal violations of state environmental laws. Later Professor Barrett

was appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, where

she created and served as Chief of the Environmental Litigation Unit. In both state

and federal enforcement roles, Professor Barrett has extensive criminal jury trial

experience, including significant environmental criminal cases, and has success-

fully argued numerous appellate cases. During her career in the Department of Jus-

tice, Professor Barrett received numerous recognitions and awards, including U.S.

Attorney’s Office Barney Skolnik Award for Prosecutorial Excellence in 1997, and

the Department of Justice Special Achievement Award for the Dee case in 1989

(recognizing the first prosecution of Department of Defense senior managers for

environmental crimes). Professor Barrett also has extensive experience in private

practice, having chaired the White-Collar, Internal, and Government Investigations

Group as a partner with Dyer Ellis & Joseph, PC and later Blank Rome LLP. In addi-

tion to litigating complex criminal and civil cases, she also conducted corporate

internal investigation and advised clients on the implementation of corporate

compliance programs. In 2007, she joined the faculty of the University of Maryland

School of Law as an associate professor of law and director of the Environmental

Law Clinic, where she taught environmental law and supervised students handling

a variety of environmental litigation matters. In 2010, Professor Barrett received

the Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Advocate Award, and in 2012

the University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic received the American Bar

Association’s Award for Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Pol-

icy. In 2017, Professor Barrett retired from the faculty of the Maryland Law School,

becoming Professor Emeritus, and retired from private practice in 2018.

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