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Panel Co-Chairs
Jessica Almendarez, 2012 Panel Co-Chair
UC Hastings College of the Law
Jessica Almendarez is a second-year law student at UC Hastings, College of the Law. She received a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Brown University. Jessica’s interest in water quality issues stemmed from her senior thesis on the Blackstone River in New England and carried over to California with her summer internship at the Environmental Law Foundation in Oakland. She is the Managing Director at Homeless Legal Services and a member of the UC Hastings Moot Court Team. She enjoys exploring the outdoors in the Bay Area.
Alexandra Baraff, 2012 Panel Co-Chair
Golden Gate University School of Law
Alexandra Baraff is a second year law student at Golden Gate University School of Law. She earned an appreciation for the ocean and limited natural resources through her involvment in the Los Angeles County Junior Lifeguard program in high school. During her undergraduate education, Alexandra interned with Orange County Coastkeeper monitoring the water quality of streams and waterways to measure the effects of urban development on the nearby environment. Alexandra earned a Bachelors of Arts in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine in 2009. Prior to law school she interned with Heal the Bay as an aqaurist at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. Alexandra has been a competitive swimmer for nine years and enjoys swimming in the San Francisco Bay.
Michael Bland, 2012 Panel Co-Chair
UC Hastings College of the Law
Michael Bland is a second-year law student at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He traces his interest in environmental law and policy back to his outdoor experiences as an Eagle Scout. From backpacking through the Sierras to conquering Mt. Shasta, his dedication to conserving and effectively managing our natural resources started at an early age. He obtained a B.A. in Environmental Policy and a Minor in Economics at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). While at UCSD, he co-founded and presided over the student organization “Greeks Gone Green.” He worked as a paralegal for the law firm of O’mara & Padilla for two years before attending UC Hastings and is currently a law clerk at the Environmental Law Foundation. Michael is a staff editor for the West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, is Vice-President of Hastings Trial Lawyers Association, and is Vice-President of Hastings Environmental Law Association.
Sarah Foley, 2012 Panel Co-Chair
UC Hastings College of the Law
Sarah Foley is a third-year student at U.C. Hastings, College of the Law. A Southern California native, she spent seven years working foran Orange County law enforcement agency before leaving to pursue her true passions—protection of the environment and natural resources(especially water). She graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a B.A. in Social Ecology and a minor in Urban and Regional Planning. During her final year at UCI, she participated in the Honors Program and wrote her honors thesis on integrated water resource management. Since coming to law school, she has interned with the United States Department of the Interior Field Solicitor’s Office and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
Miles Hogan, 2012 Panel Co-Chair
UC Davis School of Law
Miles Hogan is a third-year at UC Davis School of Law. He graduated in 2008 from UCLA with a degree in Marine Biology. A native Californian, he developed a passion for environmental protection while hiking in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and exploring the California Coast. Last summer he worked at the California Attorney General's Office in their Natural Resources Law Section; this summer he worked in the Sierra Club's Environmental Law Program. Last fall he also worked at the State Water Resources Control Board in the Office of Chief Counsel. Miles hopes to practice in the areas of Climate Change, Water Law, and Environmental Justice.
Kelly Kristal, 2012 Panel Co-Chair
University of San Francisco School of Law
Kelly Kristal is a second year student at the University of San Francisco School of Law. She received her B.A. in International Studies from Emory University. Prior to law school, Kelly worked for Google with a special interest in Google’s global community service initiative. From there, she worked on water management and sustainable agricultural systems for USAID in Kenya. During law school, Kelly worked for the California Public Utilities Commission in the legal division on water and energy issues.
Sarah Mohammadi, 2012 Panel Co-Chair
UC Hastings College of the Law
Sarah Mohammadi is a second year at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Sarah is going to graduate from Hastings in 2013 and hopes to work for a firm that focuses on environmental compliance and green initiatives and/or toxic tort litigation. She is intrigued by the intersection of successful business strategies and environmental consciousness and wants to find creative solutions about how those two priorities can coexist rather than conflict. Prior to law school Sarah studied Business Administration and Philosophy at the University of California, Riverside and played soccer for the University all four years.
Luthien Niland, 2012 Panel Co-Chair
Golden Gate University School of Law
Luthien Niland is a third year student at Golden Gate University School of Law where she is focusing on environmental law. Originally from Wisconsin, Luthien obtained her B.S. in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to law school, she traveled for eleven months and gained an international perspective on organic farming by volunteering on farms in Australia, New Zealand, Laos, and Thailand. Luthien is currently interning with the U.S. Department of Justice in the Environment & Natural Resources Division and serving as the Editor-in-Chief for GGU's Environmental Law Journal.
Kate Nitta, 2012 Panel Co-Chair
Golden Gate University School of Law
Kate Nitta is a California native and grew up the small Placer County town of Penryn in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Kate’s hometown is famous for its satsuma mandarins, granite quarry , and palm trees; its struggles with cookie-cutter urban sprawl were part of Kate’s inspiration to become an environmental lawyer. Kate received a Bachelor’s Degree in English from U.C. Davis and then moved to Kyoto, Japan for a year to study Japanese Tea Ceremony and its related arts. Kate then worked for a Sacramento real estate law firm for a couple years before coming to the Bay Area to study law. Kate has endeavored to break into the environmental law field by working at places such as the Department of the Interior Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, GGU’s own Environmental Law and Justice Clinic, NRDC, and BCDC. Kate lives in Marin County where she enjoys hiking, running, biking, and working in her vegetable garden.
Courtney Taylor, 2012 Panel Co-Chair
UC Davis School of Law
Courtney Taylor is in her second year at UC Davis School of Law where she is focusing on environmental law. After receiving B.A.s in Communication and Spanish from UC Davis, she worked as a management consultant for Accenture where she led a grassroots initiative to promote sustainable practices in Northern California. Last summer, Courtney worked as a legislative intern for California State Senator Lois Wolk where she focused on environmental issues, specifically those related to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay
Delta. Courtney currently serves as a Managing Editor for *Environs: Environmental Law and Policy Journal *and is a Symposium Chair for the UC Davis Environmental Law Society.
Leuwam Tesfai, 2012 Panel Co-Chair
University of San Francisco School of Law
Leuwam Tesfai is currently a third year law student at University of San Francisco School of Law. Originally from San Diego, Leuwam earned her BA from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Prior to law school Leuwam worked as a litigation manager in water law, intellectual property, and pharmaceutical products liability litigation at large law firms. More recently she has worked as a summer law clerk at the California Public Utilities Commission, at the Center for Resource Solutions, and at the environmental non-profit Restore Hetch-Hetchy. She is the editor-in-chief of the Intellectual Property Law Bulletin and is a research assistant in environmental law at the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Stainless Steel Water Bottles:
Educational Materials:
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