Energy Law & Policy Project

Chelsea is from the border city of El Paso, Texas. She studied Public Policy and Neuroscience at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and earned her master's degree in Public Policy at the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson. Having lived in hot climates for most of her life, she has witnessed firsthand the challenges that heat creates and feels a strong commitment to environmental work that protects communities facing these risks. Since starting law school, Chelsea has gained experience in not only environmental law but also criminal and consumer law. She hopes to work at the intersection of these fields, focusing on initiatives like advancing environmentally conscious laws that protect vulnerable communities. 

Chelsea worked for the Public Defenders of Marion County in Salem during her 1L summer and later became a court certified law student through the Criminal Defense Clinic during her 2L year. She was also part of the Litigation Lab with Judge Kasubhai, where she performed simulated interviews, prepared legal motions, and completed oral argument. During her 2L summer, Chelsea joined Sugerman Dahab, a firm which takes on complex cases against large corporations and government entities in a broad range of civil cases, including consumer and environmental class actions. She truly enjoyed the opportunity to contribute to cases that addressed systemic harms, and she credits that work with sharpening her research and writing skills. Learning from seasoned attorneys on the art of shaping legal arguments has inspired Chelsea to think more creatively in the pursuit of protecting vital environmental regulations and to explore new legal strategies that can positively influence the law. Witnessing such major legal arguments succeed has deepened her commitment to using law as a tool for justice. 

As a 3L, Chelsea looks forward to gaining further experience at Sugerman Dahab and continuing to work with the ELPP team. In her free time, she loves getting out in nature, painting, and finding a good coffee shop. 

Lexi is a first-generation Mexican American from Southern California. She grew up in Riverside County, where she saw and experienced firsthand how environmental justice communities on the frontlines of climate impacts are sacrificed through the perpetuation of climate change. These experiences led her to Chapman University in Orange County, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She worked for a year and a half with Intersectional Environmentalists to develop educational resources and materials. Lexi also worked for three years at an Orange County climate policy nonprofit, organizing disinvested climate-impacted communities and advocating for the passage of Climate Action Plans and renewable energy policies at the local level. 

During her 1L summer, Lexi worked at the Natural Resources Defense Council on national environmental policy and state-level community involvement in energy policy development. Now, as a 2L, Lexi is an extern at the California Air Resources Board, researching California pollution control programs and policies. 

Brenton grew up in Southwest Washington and earned degrees in International Studies, Environmental Science, and Comparative History of Ideas from the University of Washington. His academic work focused on the development and maintenance of critical energy and water infrastructure, with an emphasis on the resilience of electricity grids and communications systems. 

During his 1L and 2L summers, Brenton worked as a summer associate at Van Ness Feldman LLP, where he researched legal issues related to water, energy, and land use. As a 2L, Brenton externed with Chief Judge Michael McShane of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, served as Vice President of OUTLaws, and was a Staff Editor for the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation. He also participated in the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights, exploring legal responses to war and climate crisis. Finally, after authoring a paper on the Nooksack WRIA 1 General Stream Adjudication, Brenton deepened his research through hands-on study in a UC Davis international freshwater management program, exploring legal and ecological systems in California, Italy, and the Netherlands. 

Now a 3L, Brenton is externing with the U.S. headquarters of Vestas Inc., a global wind energy company, in Portland. In his free time, he enjoys backpacking, playing socccer, and planning creative, low-budget travel adventures.