Meet the JD class of 2028: Daniel Camacho
Daniel Camacho
CLASS OF 2028
Prior Education: United States Military Academy at West Point ’16 (Bachelor of Science, International Relations, Russian)
Hometown: Manassas, Virginia
Prior Work Experience: United States Army, Civil Affairs team leader
As a child, I always saw myself as a career military officer, and I went on to serve in the Army for the last nine years. However, the increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events has convinced me that American national security is more threatened by the effects of global warming than by any foreign actor.
During my deployment to the Philippines last year, I personally saw the devastation and human toll that natural disasters cause through my involvement in a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operation following a typhoon. But at that very same time, America was just beginning to recover from Hurricane Helene and preparing for Hurricane Milton. These two storms killed more than a hundred Americans, displaced millions, and caused over $100 billion in damages.
I am concerned that both federal and state laws do not reflect the urgency required to meet the threat of global warming, and our national security apparatus remains myopically focused on the traditional threats posed by foreign adversaries.
The military has no meaningful role to play in combatting climate change, so I decided to leave the Army. I determined that I could continue to serve my country as a lawyer crafting meaningful environmental regulation, empowering government agencies to enforce those regulations, and challenging the offenders of those regulations in the court of law.
Why did you choose Duke Law School?
From the outset, I was looking for a school with a smaller, more closely knit student body. My wife, Hayley Lawrence (Duke Law ’21), and some of her very close friends are recent Duke Law graduates, and I heard about their experiences and the close bonds they formed with their classmates. They have often benefited from tapping into the robust Duke Law alumni network, have professors who have remained engaged in their careers, and received assistance years after graduation from the Career and Professional Development Center regarding clerkship opportunities. So it was the nature of the extremely supportive community that really convinced me to attend Duke Law.
Are there student groups or other activities you’d like to get involved with?
I ran competitively for years, including during college, and I have really fond memories of group runs from those days, so I am excited to join the Duke Run Club and explore the trails in the area.
I am also very interested by the collaboration between Duke Law and Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment through the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic. It seems like a great way to interact with the broader Duke community and other disciplines while conducting deeply meaningful work.
How do you plan to use your law degree after you graduate?
I am hoping to do a clerkship or two immediately following graduation. I then plan on returning to government service, at either the federal or a state Department of Justice. Although I would like to gain experience litigating across a number of legal areas, I ultimately see my practice sitting at the nexus of national security and environmentalism.
What do you do to relax outside of work or class?
I grew up with a national forest across the street from my house, and I spent much of my childhood playing in the woods and wandering down single-track trails. I still find running and hiking in the woods deeply restorative. I am very excited to be in Durham where there is so much green space — I live very close to Duke Forest and have already spent some time exploring its trails! My two cats, Marty and Winston, are equally passionate about life in a forested area, and they are greatly enjoying all of the bird and squirrel action that they get to see on a daily basis.
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