John McAllen Scanlan

West Lake | Attorney

Mr. Scanlan worked as an Austin-based private attorney lawyer, founder and director of the University of Texas legal clinic, and attorney for the City of West Lake. The clinic was successful in challenging public housing that had been sited for a hazardous location. With his leadership, the City of West Lake maintained a commitment to on-site septic systems, retaining a low-density, low-runoff, development pattern. In volunteer government service, he has sat on the board of the Lower Colorado River Authority and on the Select Committee on Water Quality Standards for Lake Travis and Lake Austin. During his tenure, the LCRA dropped proposals for a lignite mine at Cummins Creek and a dam at Shaws Bend. The Select Committee was successful in banning point discharges to the Lakes Travis and Austin. As a philanthropist and community leader, he has also served on the boards of the Environmental Defense Fund, the Hill Country Foundation, and Texas League of Conservation Voters, and been active in developing KUT’s public radio programming.