Areas of expertise: Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, federal lands, federal administrative law and litigation.

McCrystie oversees Defenders’ legal team, which develops and implements strategic litigation, engages in legal advocacy, and advises Defenders’ policy, advocacy and lobbying teams on legislative matters to advance Defenders’ conservation goals. McCrystie’s litigation, legal, and legislative advocacy has involved the conservation of a myriad of imperiled species and their habitats, including Mexican gray wolves, northern gray wolves, grizzly bears, lynx, aquatic species and birds in and around the Gulf of Mexico and many others.

McCrystie joined Defenders in 2014 as a senior attorney, later became Managing Attorney of the Denver-based legal team, and is now Vice President of Conservation Law. Prior to joining Defenders, McCrystie worked as an associate attorney, project attorney and staff attorney at Earthjustice for over 10 years. McCrystie began her legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Zita L. Weinshienk, U.S. District Judge for the District of Colorado. McCrystie earned a B.A. in history from Williams College and a J.D. from the University of Colorado, where she graduated Order of the Coif.