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Jason Busch鈥檚 journey to a legal career began with a political science degree from Texas A&M University, six years of working for the Texas Legislature and then a slight detour.

鈥淚 was looking for a change so I moved to Jackson, Wyoming, for five years. I spent a lot of time skiing and fishing,鈥� he said.

When Busch learned that his mother was terminally ill, he moved to Mississippi to be with her. While living there, he earned a master鈥檚 degree in philosophy from the University of Southern Mississippi. Busch said the experience changed his life.

鈥淚t turned out to be one of the best things I鈥檇 ever done for myself because it reignited a spark that had sort of burned out while I was out snowboarding, playing rock music and hanging out in Jackson,鈥� he said.

Busch was considering a doctorate in computer science until he took a course on environmental ethics and realized a career as an environmental attorney would be a good fit. While earning his law degree at the University of Oregon, Busch clerked for Ann Aiken, chief judge for the U.S. District Court of Oregon, and was a finalist in the Moot Court National Appellate Advocacy Competition.

After working for two large law firms and running his own practice, Busch was offered the opportunity to lead the Oregon Wave Energy Trust. The nonprofit public-private partnership supports the development of wave energy in Oregon.

鈥淚 consider it a plus that I went to law school later in life and had some experience under my belt because I鈥檓 not a stereotypical lawyer. That, for me, is exciting and frightening at the same time,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 more or less representing an entire industry and making it up as I go along, so to speak.鈥�

How does the reality of being a lawyer differ from what you anticipated when you started law school?

What I鈥檓 doing now actually jibes with the vision I had of being a good lawyer. I never saw myself as being a business lawyer with three clients working on issue but rather moving beyond that phase of the law, which I鈥檝e noticed is what happens with many lawyers. Young lawyers develop relationships and later become not necessarily legal eagles, but good counselors who get things done on the social and political levels.

Who is your favorite U.S. Supreme Court Justice of all time?

John Paul Stevens. I wish we had at least two more of him on the current court.

What is the first concert you went to?

The J. Geils Band

What is your favorite word?

Parsimonious

Tell us something about yourself that might surprise most people.

I used to play guitar in a bunch of heavy metal bands. Also, I speak for a living now because I give a lot of presentations, but it still makes me sick to my stomach to speak before a large group of people.