“We all share one planet, but we have competing interests. The law is a means to bring balance and help us agree as a society on the actions we will take, and the standards we will live by.”

Mallonee’s interest in environmental issues comes from her professional and personal experiences. She was born into a farm family that taught her basic values and a connection to the land. Throughout her education, she studied the natural sciences. In her business career, she remained aware of the need for balance between economic success and preservation of health and environment. “Environmental law is a fascinating area, raising issues that are very important to all of us,” she explains. “We all share one planet, but we have competing interests. The law is a means to bring balance and help us agree as a society on the actions we will take and the standards we will live by.”

Mallonee’s mentor—the judge for whom she had worked years earlier—encouraged her to consider MSU-DCL. He had confidence in the program and knew of some very fine graduates, now judges and attorneys. Important, too, was the school’s connection to Michigan State University and its proximity to Midland, Michigan, where Mallonee still lives with her husband and two small children.

Mallonee was accepted as a part-time student and granted a merit scholarship in the fall of 2000. While the scholarship made law school affordable for her, she continued to work at Dow until February of this year. She recently was awarded an MSU-DCL Public Interest Law Society Fellowship to conduct part-time legal research. This summer she’s completing an externship with the Natural Resources and Environmental Division of the Michigan attorney general’s office.

In the coming year, Mallonee will concentrate on preparing herself for the challenges of a legal career and will continue to gain experience in public service, with a 2004 or 2005 graduation date on the horizon.