John Cruden was at the forefront of groundbreaking environmental law issues during his long tenure at the Department of Justice (DOJ) over five Administrations beginning in 1991 and ending in 2017. He was instrumental in enforcement cases such as Exxon Valdez and Love Canal and played a key role in cleaning up the World Trade Center. Notably, he led the negotiations on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the Volkswagen “diesel-gate” scandal, the largest settlements of their kind in DOJ history. Among other positions, he served for eighteen years as the Deputy or Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division and received the Presidential Rank Award from three presidents. The DC Bar has recognized him as a Legend of the Law.
As revealed by his oral history, now available on the Historical Society’s website, Cruden’s achievements and contributions were expansive beyond his legal career at DOJ. Throughout, he demonstrated his love for his country and his passion for protecting the natural environment.
Born in 1946, Cruden was raised in a small town in Michigan and adopted by immigrant parents who instilled a strong work ethic. He attended West Point, and during his earliest military service directed airborne battalion exercises across Germany. He then served in Vietnam, both in a ranger battalion and in a Special Forces unit. Cruden’s legal career also began in Vietnam. He took the LSAT in Saigon and was accepted to Santa Clara Law School on full scholarship. As a JAG prosecutor and then Chief of Civil Litigation in Germany, he received the Legion of Merit. After returning to the United States, he held various military positions including General Counsel of the Defense Nuclear Agency, Director of Administrative and Civil Law at the Judge Advocate General’s School, and Chief Legislative Counsel of the Army. His military awards include the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
After retiring from the Army after twenty-three years in the military, Cruden was selected to become the Chief of Environmental Enforcement, US Department of Justice, then the largest litigation section in DOJ. In addition to his distinguished service at DOJ, he became the first person to lead the three premier legal environmental organizations as President of the Environmental Law Institute, President of the American College of Environmental Lawyers, and Chair of the ABA Section on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources. While still serving at DOJ, he was also the first government lawyer to be elected and serve as President of the DC Bar. After ultimately leaving DOJ after twenty-two years, he is now a Principal at Beverage & Diamond, an adjunct professor at George Washington University, and a Special Olympic swim coach.
The complete oral history, and a fuller summary of that history by interviewer Tracy Scarrow, are available on the Historical Society’s website here.