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Climate Defense Project

Climate Lawyers for the Climate Movement

In the fight for climate justice, we need lawyers who are on tap, not on top; who reject harmful hierarchies and center movements instead of themselves; who are zealous and skilled advocates; who balance urgency with efficacy and care; who engage generously in information-sharing and collaboration; who value creativity and a willingness to advance novel legal theories; and who bring to their practice anti-racist, anti-colonizer, anti-carceral, and anti-capitalist values.

CDP supports front-line activists, advances creative strategies and overlooked legal arguments, connects attorneys with experts and community members, and provides direct representation to those criminalized for protest, direct action, and resistance efforts.

Co-founders Alex and Ted met in law school, where they led the filing of a fossil fuel divestment lawsuit against Harvard University.  Claire, Kira, and Jonathan joined CDP in 2023 to support land and water defenders in Minnesota, New England, Appalachia, and elsewhere.  Our attorneys are currently licensed to practice in Colorado, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, and Washington State.

Meet the Team

Meet the Board

What We Do

Here is CDP’s Form 1023 application for tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization and our IRS exemption letter.