Mark Rigau

Mark Rigau joined UC Davis in 2025 to serve as Lecturer and Director of the Water Justice Clinic: Small Farmer Assistance Program. Professor Rigau is an experienced environmental and litigation attorney who served in the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Environment and Natural Resources Division, from 1993 until 2025. While at the DOJ, he also served on the e-Discovery and Environmental Justice Working Groups, which focused on, among other things, emerging issues relating to electronic discovery and the environmental impacts of cases on underrepresented communities, respectively.  He represented the U.S. in complex civil and appellate litigation, primarily in environmental defense. As Senior Trial Counsel, he led trial teams, negotiated settlements, advised federal agencies, and managed all phases of litigation. He also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C. (1997-1998), where he prosecuted criminal cases. During his tenure at the DOJ, Professor Rigau received numerous awards for his trial work.

He has significant experience in federal environmental laws, alternative dispute resolution, regulatory compliance, federal civil procedure, evidence, and environmental litigation. Professor Rigau has also been an instructor at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina, teaching courses in evidence and civil trial practice to Assistant U.S. Attorneys and DOJ trial attorneys. From 2006 to 2007, he taught legal research and writing as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

Before entering the legal field, Professor Rigau worked as a land use planner and consultant for both public agencies and private firms in Florida. His non-legal experience includes work as a city planner and land-use consultant, where he reviewed development proposals, evaluated compliance with environmental and zoning regulations, and coordinated with government entities.

Professor Rigau holds a J.D. with honors from St. Thomas University Law School, where he was an Associate Editor of the St. Thomas Law Review and a recipient of multiple scholarships; an M.P.A. from Florida Atlantic University, where he received an Environmental Growth Management Fellowship; and a B.A. in Biology from UC San Diego.