Rachel Westrate
Faculty Directory
  • Faculty

Rachel Westrate

Titles

  • Assistant Professor of Law

Degrees

  • JD, Harvard University
  • BA, Washington University

Contact

Phone: 802-831-1364

Biography

Rachel Westrate is an expert in international environmental negotiations, air quality, and climate law. She served as one of Vermont Law and Graduate School’s inaugural Parenteau Climate Action Fellows during the 2025-26 academic year before becoming an assistant professor in the summer of 2026.

Prior to joining VLGS, Rachel worked for the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, leading negotiations in various international fora including the United Nations, the Group of 7 (G7), and the Group of 20 (G20). She also served as a climate policy advisor in the Office of Management and Budget, focusing on the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. In law school, Rachel was the editor-in-chief of the Harvard Environmental Law Review and a student attorney in the International Human Rights Clinic. She spent summers at the Environmental Defense Fund and the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense. Prior to law school, Rachel worked at the World Resources Institute as a research assistant.

When she is not working, Rachel enjoys horseback riding, downhill skiing, and hanging out with her three cats, Mao, Juniper, and Martini.

Rachel graduated from Harvard Law School in 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in environmental policy and English literature from Washington University in St. Louis.

Expertise

  • Clean Air Act
  • Climate Change
  • International Environmental Law

Departments

  • Environmental Advocacy Clinic
  • Environmental Law Center