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Thomas Jorling, a member of Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP’s Advisory Board, was the recipient of Boston College Law School’s prestigious Daniel G. Holland Lifetime Achievement Award last week. The ceremony took place on Law Day, with roughly 200 guests gathered at the Westin Boston Seaport in support of Mr. Jorling and the four other alumni that received BC Law awards that evening. Other awards presented that night included the St. Thomas More Award, the William J. Kenealy SJ Alumnus of the Year Award, the Hon. David S. Nelson Public Interest Law Award, and the Recent Graduate Award. During the ceremony, Interim Dean Diane Ring expressed her appreciation for the recipients: “They have given of themselves – through their words and actions – with the goal of giving voice to those who do not have one, and utilizing law to create a more just society.” The Lifetime Achievement Award is the second BC Law award that Mr. Jorling has been bestowed upon; in 2019 he was the recipient of the Public Interest Law Foundation Distinction in Public Service Award.

Mr. Jorling has been a transformational figure in U.S. history with his participation, leadership and passion for the environment. As co-drafter of The Clean Air and Water Act, he was part and parcel of the Environmental movement of the past 50 years, and helped sculpt the Climate Change consciousness we know today. By the 1970’s major industry and rampart development was creating a toxic spoiled environment. Those Acts of 1970 and 1972 and the following Clean Up legislation changed that direction. Law scholars at Harvard Law School considered the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act as among the clearest  and most written pieces of legislation produced by Congress.

Throughout the years, Mr. Jorling has held several prestigious positions, including VP of the International Paper Company, Environmental Head of New York State for 7 years, and Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Department and counsel to several federal government institutions in the Executive and Legislative Branches. He has been active on many non-profit Boards including  serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Science Foundation’s 500 million dollar National Ecological Observatory Network. Additionally, he has worked with past Presidents and other world leaders in the environmental area throughout the world. His experiences provided him opportunities to lecture at various universities throughout the country, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Notre Dame. Seldom in our lifetime do we see a person affect change that has such long-term positive effect on the world.