Who We Are

CCLF Board Members

James Birkelund is an environmental attorney specializing in climate change, clean energy, and natural resource matters, both in the United States and internationally. He counsels nonprofits, government, and private entities on a broad range of litigation, policy, and administrative matters. Sample engagements include advising on climate change and energy regulations, working to promote alternative energy projects, commenting on energy proceedings before Public Utility Commissions, and litigating to protect natural resources. James previously practiced environmental law at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and as in-house counsel for a major electricity utility in Australia. He received a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and an M.S. in Resource Policy from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources. James teaches as an Adjunct Professor at Hastings College of Law, San Francisco, California and serves as a Judge Pro Tem for California Superior Court in San Francisco.

Noah Garrison is the Environmental Science Practicum Director at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. He previously worked as a staff attorney in the national water program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where he focused on legal, policy, and technical issues related to urban runoff and stormwater; green infrastructure and its relationship to water supply, energy use, and climate change; regulation and enforcement under the federal Clean Water Act; groundwater supply and management; and impacts of dams and other flow diversion projects on river systems. Noah is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, with a specialization in Public Interest Law and Policy, and also holds a M.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Cara Horowitz is the Co-Executive Director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law, where she also co-directs the Environmental Law Clinic. The Emmett Institute was founded as the first law school center in the nation focused on climate law and policy. Cara has testified to the California legislature on climate regulation and has been quoted in the Washington Post, the Daily Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and other media. Before joining UCLA, she was a lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council and in private practice. She is a graduate of Yale College and the UCLA School of Law.

Hollin Kretzmann is a staff attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute. Hollin’s work focuses on fracking and other oil and gas issues in California. Prior to working at for the Center, Hollin was a staff attorney for Clean Air Council in Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of Chicago Law School.

Barton Lounsbury is an attorney with the University of California’s Office of the General Counsel and focuses on a broad array of environmental and land use matters. He previously worked at a boutique environmental litigation firm in Berkeley, representing public agency and nonprofit clients in state and federal courts on issues pertaining to water resources, environmental impact analysis, and land use planning. Bart also served as a foreign service environment officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Bangkok, Thailand, and prior to USAID, was an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in Santa Monica. Bart received his J.D., M.U.P. (Urban Planning), and B.A. from Harvard University.

Adrian Martinez is a staff attorney in the Los Angeles office of Earthjustice. He litigates cases in state and federal court related to clean air and land use. Adrian’s work centers on soot and smog pollution and oil and gas drilling, as well as their associated health and environmental impacts. Prior to joining Earthjustice, he worked as a staff attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where he focused on issues concerning air quality, specifically smog reduction. Adrian is a graduate of Duke University, and received his law degree from the University of Denver College of Law.

Michelle Mehta currently works as a freelance attorney, specializing in civil litigation. She previously practiced environmental law at the Natural Resources Defense Council in its Water Program, focusing on issues relating to water quality, water efficiency, and climate change. She is a graduate of UC San Diego and the UCLA School of Law.