John C. Dernbach is Professor of Law at Widener University Law School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He has divided his career between teaching and government service. 
 

In his teaching role, Dernbach has focused on sustainable development in the United States. He has edited the only two comprehensive nongovernmental assessments of U.S. sustainable development efforts. He has written and lectured widely on sustainable development, climate change, environmental law, and legal writing.
 

In two stints totaling near 15 years, he worked at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (now the Department of Environmental Protection). During this time, he helped draft or help implement comprehensive and nationally recognized reforms to Pennsylvania’s mining and waste programs. More recently, he was Director of the Department’s policy office.