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Oh the Places You’ll Go!Public, Private or NGO!
Where will you take your environmental law career?
Nicole Wilson MartinDeputy City Attorney, City of Los Angeles
My Story
• From San Francisco Bay Area• Started in general sciences, focused in on
environmental science. • B.A. in Environmental Science from UCLA
(2007)• J.D. from Loyola Law School (2011)
Path To My Current Job
• Worked in the Real Estate, Land Use and Public Agency practice group of large Los Angeles-based law firm during law school and as an attorney for four years
• Exposure to broad range of experience of environmental work
• Gained LA City experience representing landowners before the City’s planning and zoning boards.
• Regular interaction with city managers and city councils, usually on behalf of “real parties.”
• Also advised smaller cities in another county
My Work in the City of LA’s Land Use Division
• Combination of litigation and counseling/advising work• Advising:
– Advising the City of LA on the sufficiency of environmental review documents under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
– Regional planning documents– Commenting or advising on major and minor project– Zoning ordinances– Appearing at hearings – ownership from inception to appeals
• Litigation– Litigating cases involving California’s Planning and Zoning Law
and CEQA.
Oh the Places You’ll Go!Public, Private or NGO!
Where will you take your environmental law career?
Geoff Rathgeber
My Story
• From Hartford, CT• A.B. in history and literature from Harvard (2008) • Worked at Harvard in athletics-related
development between college and law school • Competitive swimmer: Olympic trials in 2004 and
2008• J.D. from Emory Law School (2013); externed at
Coca-Cola and the Atlanta Hawks• Summer associate at Alston & Bird
My Cases & Projects
• Litigation, regulatory and transactional work• Litigation: – CERCLA, toxic tort/nuisance– Multiple states throughout the southeast
• Regulatory Compliance– RCRA & hazardous waste issues
• Transactional – Advising on contaminated properties
Oh the Places You’ll Go!Public, Private or NGO!
Where will you take your environmental law career?
Tamara Zakim
My Story• B.A. in Philosophy from Pomona College (2003)• J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center
(2010)• Worked for four years before going to law
school• Attorney for 3+ years at large corporate law firm
in NY and SF before transitioning to Earthjustice
Current Job• Earthjustice: national non-profit, “Legal Aid” of
environmental world • Clients are environmental and community organizations • Work consists of litigation in state and federal trial and
appellate courts; also includes advocacy in administrative proceedings
• Diverse matters: public lands/wildlife; water; clean energy; public health and environmental justice, involving claims under numerous substantive federal and state environmental statutes, as well as NEPA/CEQA
Oh the Places You’ll Go!Public, Private or NGO!
Where will you take your environmental law career?
Expectations, Surprises & Tips
Nicole: Expectations and Surprises
What Turned Out as I Expected
• Broad range of cases and matters
• Collegiality within the City Attorney’s office
• Degree of responsibility • Rewarding work• Sense of protecting the
public interest, and being a public servant
What Surprised Me• How quickly I took
ownership of my cases• Complexity of the work
(e.g., public sector relies on different facets of CEQA)
• How little time there is to reflect.
Nicole: A Few Tips• Take ownership, step up to the plate• Work hard• Build relationships• Remain open to varied types of work• Don’t underestimate the value of professionalism at all
times• Be a good team player
Geoff: Expectations and Surprises
What Turned Out as I Expected
• Collegial environment, supportive team mentality
• Talented & dedicated colleagues
• Interesting cases
What Surprised Me• Took on high level of
responsibility more quickly than I expected.
• Broad range of work, including transactional component of environmental law.
Geoff: A Few Tips
• Do well in school• Follow through and be persistent• Ask questions of fellow
associates• Try to maintain a balanced
schedule and routine that works for you.
• Communicate and manage expectations
Tamara: Expectations and Surprises
What Turned Out as I Expected
• Broad range of nuts & bolts litigation experience
• Incredibly smart, passionate colleagues
• Diverse, interesting, impactful cases
What I’ve Learned• Small world• Credibility is critical• Managing client relationships
can be toughest part of the job
• Importance of campaigns and media
• It always seems impossible until it’s done.
Tamara: A Few Tips
• Know yourself• Build your litigation tool-box• Mentors and good bosses are
critical• Importance of civil procedure• Get comfortable with
uncertainty
“The bone is not the reward – digging for the bone is the reward.”
Questions?
Panelist bio: Nicole Wilson Martin As Deputy City Attorney for the City of Los Angeles, Nicole handles a range of land use issues with an emphasis on CEQA and zoning matters. Nicole defends the City against CEQA and related challenges and advises the Departments of Planning and Building and Safety, Council members and the Mayor’s Office.
Prior to joining the Office of the City Attorney, Nicole spent four years practicing in the land use, real estate and public agency practice group of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, a national law firm headquartered in Los Angeles.
Panelist bio: Geoff RathgeberGeoff is an associate in the Alston & Bird's Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group. He received his J.D., with honors, from Emory University School of Law in 2013. While in law school, Geoff served as a notes and comments editor of the Emory International Law Review and participated in legal externship programs at Atlanta Spirit, LLC (the parent company of the Atlanta Hawks) and The Coca-Cola Company; he also received the Deans Award for excellence in Sports and Advertising Law. In 2008, Geoff earned his A.B. in History and Literature from Harvard College where he was an All-America athlete and became the first student-athlete in Harvard’s history to win both The Bingham Award (Male Athlete of the Year) and The Reardon Award (Excellence in scholarship, character, leadership and athletic ability) upon graduation.
Moderator bio: Maya GrasseMaya is an associate Alston & Bird's Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group. Her practice includes securing and negotiating development entitlements for industrial, commercial, residential and energy projects, and preparing and reviewing California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents. She advises clients on compliance with a variety of environmental regulations, including CEQA, the California and federal Clean Air Acts and Endangered Species Acts, and the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA), as well as local planning, zoning and environmental regulations. Maya represents clients in formal and informal proceedings before state and local agencies in connection with permitting and enforcement actions, with particular focus on representing industrial and energy clients before local air quality management districts. She received her B.A. from Pomona College, and her law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
Panelist bio: Tamara Zakim Tamara Zakim is an associate attorney in Earthjustice’s California regional office, where she represents environmental and community organizations in state and federal courts on matters related to public lands and wildlife; clean energy; and public health and environmental justice in California. Prior to joining Earthjustice in 2014, Tamara was an attorney with a national law firm in its New York City and San Francisco offices.
Tamara is a board member and co-chair of Pride Law Fund, a non-profit that provides funding to new leaders and civil rights lawyers in the LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities. She received her B.A. from Pomona College in 2003, and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2010. Visit www.earthjustice.org to learn more about Tamara’s work.
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