She attended New York Law School as a Harlan Scholar and worked at the School's Center for New York City Law. During her law school summers she also worked at the New York City Office of Environmental Coordination and at a refugee and asylum law firm. She graduated with a Certificate in Public Service. After law school, she practiced law in Manhattan until she decided to return to graduate school to pursue her interest in science policy. As a Master's student, she co-founded The Sustainability Review, established The Sustainability Review graduate workshop course for editors, and served as its first editor-in-chief. Maren also worked in the Salt River Project's legal department and as a teaching assistant for the undergraduate course Sustainability and Society. Her undergraduate degree is from Bishop's University in Quebec, Canada.