Our planet is in crisis, and attorneys are uniquely situated to take bold action to address climate change. Lawyers can celebrate Earth Day every day by volunteering with and supporting L4GG’s Climate Change and Environmental Justice Program.
Lawyers are uniquely qualified to:
Understand environmental laws and regulations & find legal solutions
Lawyers are equipped to decode complex environmental laws. They can help overcome legal barriers by analyzing the policies that prevent states and local governments from implementing climate tools, such as virtual power purchase agreements and community programs, and coming up with legal solutions.
Shape Federal, State, and Local policy
Lawyers can help shape federal policy by commenting on federal agency regulations and programs, including how the federal government should spend the over $2T coming from federal agencies under Biden's Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act! Moreover, lawyers can provide legal guidance and help draft state and local climate and equity laws and policies as well.Communicate effectively
Lawyers have strong oral and written communication skills, giving them the ability to work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders. They can use these skills to develop and deliver compelling arguments and presentations for community members, government officials, and others. Importantly, lawyers can also work with overburdened communities to make sure their voices are heard by state and local decision-makers implementing climate projects to ensure that community needs and environmental racism are addressed.Provide pro bono support
Environmental justice issues directly affect marginalized communities. Lawyers can provide free legal support to frontline communities looking to implement climate projects and access historic federal funds.
Volunteers for L4GG’s Climate Change and Environmental Justice program do all of this and more!
This Earth Day, we are excited to highlight 4 superstar volunteers who have plugged into our various initiatives! Read on to see how you can be using your legal skills to protect the environment this Earth Day and beyond.
Bo Mahr
Bo is a renewable energy development attorney who helps a wide variety of clean energy companies navigate project development from cradle to grave. From greenfield to decommissioning to tax equity, his practice has grown from utility-scale wind and solar to green hydrogen, DAC, battery storage, floating solar, and everything in between.
Bo has volunteered with L4GG for a few years now, working on various projects.
Determining whether municipalities can enter into virtual power purchase agreements (a first-of-its-kind issue), might be my favorite L4GG project that I’ve worked on. It’s a timely and critically important issue, and, having grown up in Missouri, it was great to play a part in advancing the already great work the city of St. Louis is doing in this area. These kinds of projects, with real and immediate impacts on great organizations, is what makes working with L4GG so special.
Olivia Lin
Olivia is in the Investment Funds group at her firm, where she represents clients such as institutional investors and fund sponsors, and advises them on matters including fund formation, operation and regulatory compliance.
Olivia is currently involved with L4GG’s Benton Harbor Right to Water project. She assists with document review and data compilation regarding the state and local governments’ policy, internal communications, and actions taken in light of the various lead exceedances discovered in Benton Harbor’s drinking water. The data addresses local petitioners’ requests for more detailed background information on how government has responded to the crisis, including any internal incompetency or negligence. Most recently, she assisted with drafting parts of a chronology report documenting the background and causes of the crisis.
I was drawn to the project because having watched the horrific Flint water crisis play out, it was disturbing to see the cycle continue in Benton Harbor, another predominantly black and low-income community. For the past few years, residents of Benton Harbor were denied not only the fundamental right of having access to clean, affordable water, but also timely, transparent information and action from the state and local governments. With the crisis also being largely neglected on a national scale, the L4GG team is working to provide more transparent reporting for both Benton Harbor residents and the general public, which may ultimately influence government action and state/federal policy and enforcement. It is a pleasure to work with and learn from the L4GG team, who are passionate and knowledgeable about this grave issue, and who are working to bring to it more attention and transparency.
Mariya Naulo
Mariya is an attorney in Orrick’s Restructuring group. In addition to pro bono work, her practice includes the representation of creditors and debtors, the representation of parties buying and selling distressed assets, and bankruptcy-related investigations.
I volunteered to partner with L4GG on its 50-State Disadvantaged Communities Report soon after joining Orrick. This project was an exciting opportunity to support the efforts of disadvantaged communities to prepare for, withstand, and recover from severe environmental events. I have also enjoyed learning about how different states pursue environmental justice. L4GG staff are knowledgeable and passionate about their work. They are committed not only to the project at hand, but also to its underlying values.
Derek Green
Derek Green works at Davis Wright Tremaine. His practice includes a combination of energy regulatory and transactional matters. He focuses on renewable energy development and advising clients on the changing legal landscape surrounding local energy policy and climate change.
Derek assisted with L4GG’s Federal Funding Webinar Series, which trained over 700 communities in how they can access over $2T in federal funding for climate equity and infrastructure projects.
Partnering with World Resources Institute and L4GG, I was part of a DWT team that helped to present on funding opportunities for meaningful decarbonization projects, with a focus on climate equity, through the US Department of Energy’s State Energy Program. L4GG is helping to provide practical advice and assistance to effectuate a clean energy transition. I appreciate the organization’s focus on climate resilience, clean energy and climate justice.