Dan Gatmaytan is currently working toward a PhD at Northeastern University's Law, Policy & Society Program and an Associate Professor at the University of the Philippines, College of Law. Before he entered the academe in 1998, he practiced law with public interest law offices working on environment and natural resources law, and indigenous peoples' rights. His practice brought him at the forefront of battles between the government and rural poor communities who are directly dependent on natural resources. Dan worked with these communities to challenge development-induced displacement and helped reconcile community goals and aspirations on resource use into state policy. Dan assisted client communities to protect community interests through lobbying with policy-formulating bodies from local communities to the national government as well as by conducting research and litigation. Dan received his Masters in Studies of Environmental Law from Vermont Law School in 1995 (cum laude), and his Masters in Law from the University of California, Los Angles in 1996.