John C. Cruden was named Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the U.S. Department of Justice by President Obama on January 20, 2009.  As Acting Assistant Attorney General, Mr. Cruden oversees environmental litigation arising under more than 150 federal statutes, such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, CERCLA (Superfund), the Endangered Species Act, NEPA, and others.  The Environment Division’s work includes affirmative civil suits to stop polluters and recover clean-up costs, prosecution of environmental and wildlife crimes, defense of federal agencies and their programs, including management of federal lands and other natural resources, defense of federal environmental regulations, litigation relating to tribes and Indian lands, and condemnation of land for congressionally authorized public use. 

Mr. Cruden has spent most of his legal life litigating, teaching litigation-related subjects, or supervising litigators.  He has served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General  in the Environment Division since 1995, following four years as Chief of the Environmental Enforcement Section.  He joined ENRD in 1991 after working as Chief Legislative Counsel for the Army, as an agency General Counsel, as Special Counsel to the Civil Division’s Assistant Attorney General, and as a military lawyer.  While at DOJ, he twice has received the highest government award, the Presidential Rank Award, from two different Presidents.  He is a Past President of the District of Columbia Bar, the second largest bar in the nation, and was the first government attorney to be elected and serve in that position.  He is on the board of the National Conference of Bar Presidents.  Mr. Cruden is listed in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Law.  He is currently the Chair-Elect, ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources and  a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.  In 2007 he was listed by a national magazine as one of the top 500 lawyers in America.  John also is a swim coach for Special Olympics and a recipient of Fairfax County Virginia’s Volunteer of the Year award for his work with mentally handicapped children.  John graduated from West Point, Santa Clara Law School summa cum laude, and the University of Virginia with honors.

The Environment and Natural Resources Division, which is organized into ten sections, has primary responsibility for litigation on behalf of the United States regarding:

• Prevention and Clean Up of Pollution
• Environmental Challenges to Federal Programs and Activities
• Stewardship of Public Lands and Natural Resources
• Acquisition of Property for Federal Needs
• Wildlife Protection
• Indian Rights and Claims
• ENRD Sections

With offices across the United States, the Division is the nation's environmental lawyer, and the largest environmental law firm in the country.