Professor Joseph Feller of the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University died on April 8, 2013. He was a beloved teacher, brilliant scholar, stalwart environmentalist, passionate adventurer, and loyal friend. After earning a B.A. in Physics from Harvard and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California at Berkeley, Joe gave up a promising career in science to attend Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. After receiving his law degree, he clerked for Judge Joseph Sneed of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and then worked as a lawyer for the Environmental Protection Agency before joining the faculty of ASU in 1987. From 2008 to 2009 he served as a Visiting Senior Counsel at the National Wildlife Federation, and from 2009 to 2012 he was a Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Colorado.
Over the course of his career, Joe served as counsel for a wide range of environmental groups, including the National Wildlife Federation, the Arizona Wildlife Federation, the Wilderness Society, the Natural Resources Defense Counsel, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Maricopa Audubon Society, the Yuma Audubon Society, and the Sierra Club. He was a Member Scholar at the Center for Progressive Reform, a Trustee of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, and a member of the Litigation Committee of Defenders of Wildlife. Among his enduring legacies is the restoration and preservation of the Comb Wash, a set of spectacular red-rock canyons in Southern Utah that Joe's determined and creative advocacy helped to save from grazing damage.
The College of Law at ASU has established a memorial scholarship in Joe's name to provide financial support to students interested in natural resources and environmental law. Contributions can be made online.
In 2011, while hiking in the eastern Sierras, Joe came up with the idea of trying to climb as many peaks as possible called "Bear Mountain." He pitched the idea to a couple of friends, who shared his enthusiasm, but the project never got off the ground while Joe was alive. This website is dedicated to moving the Bear Mountain Project forward, as a tribute to Joe and a way of remembering his enthusiasm, his love of the outdoors, and his affection for the offbeat.
All of Joe's former friends, colleagues, students, and admirers are invited to join the Project. Click here for more information.
Over the course of his career, Joe served as counsel for a wide range of environmental groups, including the National Wildlife Federation, the Arizona Wildlife Federation, the Wilderness Society, the Natural Resources Defense Counsel, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Maricopa Audubon Society, the Yuma Audubon Society, and the Sierra Club. He was a Member Scholar at the Center for Progressive Reform, a Trustee of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, and a member of the Litigation Committee of Defenders of Wildlife. Among his enduring legacies is the restoration and preservation of the Comb Wash, a set of spectacular red-rock canyons in Southern Utah that Joe's determined and creative advocacy helped to save from grazing damage.
The College of Law at ASU has established a memorial scholarship in Joe's name to provide financial support to students interested in natural resources and environmental law. Contributions can be made online.
In 2011, while hiking in the eastern Sierras, Joe came up with the idea of trying to climb as many peaks as possible called "Bear Mountain." He pitched the idea to a couple of friends, who shared his enthusiasm, but the project never got off the ground while Joe was alive. This website is dedicated to moving the Bear Mountain Project forward, as a tribute to Joe and a way of remembering his enthusiasm, his love of the outdoors, and his affection for the offbeat.
All of Joe's former friends, colleagues, students, and admirers are invited to join the Project. Click here for more information.