Ruth Musgrave

Ruth Musgrave was recently Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s Senior Policy Advisor for Natural Resources from 2022 to 2025, where she oversaw multiple state agencies, budgets, and policy initiatives. Ruth has worked in wildlife, conservation, and natural resources policy for over 30 years. She founded and directed the Center for Wildlife Law at the Institute of Public Law, University of New Mexico School of Law, where she managed numerous wildlife and biodiversity projects, including publishing state and federal wildlife laws compendiums and two wildlife law newsletters. She taught wildlife law, biodiversity and the law, and advocacy at the UNM School of Law.

Ruth holds a J.D. from UNM School of Law and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from The Colorado College. Before devoting her time to conservation policy, she was law clerk to the Chief Judge of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals; an Assistant U.S. Attorney; VP and General Counsel to the New Mexico Medical Society; and worked in private law practice. Ruth serves on boards of directors and advisory boards of national and international wildlife organizations. In her free time she hikes, rafts, tracks, snowshoes, and travels with her family, always watching wildlife and enjoying nature.