Dec. 30, 2007 -- James Pierce '91 revels in the free-form improvisation of jazz when he picks up his trombone after a day litigating environmental cases. By day, Pierce is a deputy attorney general in the natural resources section of the California Department of Justice. Evenings and weekends find him leading the James Pierce Jazz Collective.

The holder of a master's degree in music from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, Pierce continued to play throughout law school. In those days, his interests centered on orchestral and chamber music. A few years ago, he switched to jazz.

"In orchestral music," he said, "you are the messenger for the composer. The musician is a follower. In jazz, the musicians have a more interpretative role. You have to embrace the art of improvisation, internalize the tune, and listen to each other differently. Knowing what you want to convey through the music is key," he said.

In his job, Pierce is helping the state of California remain a leader in environmental protection, saying "We are on the forefront of protecting the air, land, and water." After practicing environmental and land use law both in the Bay Area and near Mount Shasta, Pierce was impressed by the credentials and convictions of the people he had met doing environmental work at the Attorney General's office.  For him, becoming a deputy attorney general was "a great opportunity to explore a variety of cutting-edge areas of environmental law. We are doing substantive work that will hopefully endure for generations."

Pierce practices both law and music daily, and performs regularly with the Collective and as a sideman with Greg Jones, Kiki Ebsen, and other artists. In addition to festivals such as the Idylwild Jazz Festival near Palm Springs, California, his group plays in jazz and R&B venues and for corporate events.

In October the Collective played at the State Bar's Annual Meeting in Anaheim, where Dean Jeff Brand was in the audience. "I was standing in the middle of the exhibition hall-surrounded by vendors selling books, software, you name it. The dulcet tones of these talented musicians rose above the din," Dean Brand said. "As I stood there, watching others stop and appreciate the music, I thought to myself, James Pierce is so typical of so many USF alums: playing to his passions. He is a tremendous environmental lawyer in the AG's office, yet he continues to feed his soul through his music. It is often said that musicians work when they play and play when they work. I think in some ways that's a thought that applies to so many of our grads who really enjoy their work and find so many creative ways to engage in the world."