Cara Condit joined the Center for Arctic Study and Policy (CASP) as the Executive Director in September 2017. As an active duty judge advocate, Cara most recently served as the Deputy Chief for the Coast Guard’s Office of Maritime and International Law, Environmental Law Division where she managed a staff of five attorneys. Cara was primarily responsible for timely legal counsel on environmental compliance and enforcement issues under the Coast Guard’s jurisdiction. As the subject matter expert for U.S. and foreign vessel compliance under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), Cara provided key guidance related to the implementation of the Polar Code. As the Acting Division Chief, Cara assisted with the Arctic Executive Steering Committee and prepared senior leadership briefings on environmental concerns under the Arctic Strategy. Cara’s portfolio also included legal guidance pertaining to the National Environmental Protection Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. With a background in international law, Cara worked on resolutions through the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee and served as a member of the INTERPOL pollution crimes working group. As a duty attorney, Cara provided guidance to field units on authorities related to safety of navigation, inspections and port security. She directly supported the Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance, the Office of Marine Environmental Response, and the Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis. Prior to her assignment in LMI, Cara was an independent duty appellate attorney and liaison to the Navy-Marine Corps Appellate Review Activity. From 2011 to 2013, she worked as trial defense counsel and advised service members in the Physical Disability Evaluation System. During her afloat career, Cara served as the First Lieutenant aboard USCGC Tampa in Portsmouth, Virginia, and as Executive Officer on USCGC Block Island in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. Prior to joining CASP, Cara served in the Rhode Island Office of Veterans Affairs. Cara is continuing her military service as an Appellate Government Attorney for the U.S. Air Force Reserve. She lives with her husband, Chris, and their son, Thomas, in Westerly, Rhode Island.

Education

• LL.M, National Security and Foreign Relations Law, George Washington University Law School, 2014
• J.D., International Law, Suffolk University Law School, 2011
• B.S., Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 2004

Selected Publications and Presentations:

• Portrait of a Dying Breed: The Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge, Wrecks and Rescue (August 2005)
• Contributing author, Maritime Safety and Security: An Introduction (McNichols, M., 2016)

Honors

• Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal
• Coast Guard Commendation Medal
• Coast Guard Achievement Medal

Professional Memberships

• State Bar of Massachusetts
• Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
• Accredited before the Board of Veterans Appeals