Judge McKeown’s Unique Career Bridging Law, Art, and Conservation Leads Her to Champion the Wilderness Act

Margaret McKeown, a Wyoming-born judge for the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, has built a career presiding over issues from cultural copyright disputes to environmental conservation cases, Wyo File reports.

In recent years, McKeown’s dedication to conservation and her role as chair of the Teton Science Schools’ Murie Ranch Committee have brought her back to her Wyoming roots, allowing her to advocate for preserving wilderness areas and advancing environmental education.

Growing up as a Wyoming Girl Scout with a love for nature, McKeown was exposed early to the outdoors. Her career took her to some of the country’s highest courts, where she has adjudicated high-profile cases, including rulings on whether Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven borrowed from Spirit’s Taurus and copyright questions involving Dr. Seuss and James Bond.

Beyond the courtroom, her involvement with Murie Ranch — a historic conservation center in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park — has reconnected her to her early love for the outdoors. She chairs the Murie Ranch Committee, supporting a property known as the birthplace of the Wilderness Act of 1964, which has helped protect over 112 million acres of US wilderness lands. McKeown has found solace at Murie Ranch, reflecting on her journey into conservation as she recalls working with Wyoming wildlife as a child. The ranch, a historical outpost and environmental learning center, has helped instill a conservation ethos in many visitors, as it once did for her.

The significance of Murie Ranch was first impressed upon her during a snowshoeing trip, leading to her involvement with the Teton Science Schools and further research on William O. Douglas, the US Supreme Court justice known for championing the wilderness. This research culminated in her book Citizen Justice: The Environmental Legacy of William O. Douglas, Public Advocate, and Conservation Champion, published in 2022. Douglas had not only lobbied for conservation directly from his chambers but had also encouraged the Muries to preserve the ranch as an environmental campus.

Today, the Murie Ranch continues to honor the Muries’ legacy, drawing students and visitors interested in conservation. McKeown notes that wilderness areas now face unique challenges, from increased visitor demands to shifts in wildlife patterns due to climate change. She emphasizes that the value of wilderness lies in both its unspoiled beauty and its educational potential, hoping young people experience “Murie magic,” as she did, and come away with a deepened commitment to conservation.