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.  We at Climate Defense Project strive to be those lawyers.  CDP supports front-line activists, advances creative strategies and overlooked legal arguments, connects attorneys, experts, and community members, and provides direct representation to those criminalized for protest, direct action, and resistance efforts.

CDP co-founders Alex and Ted met at Harvard Law School, where they led the filing of the first fossil fuel divestment lawsuit, Harvard Climate Justice Coalition v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.  Claire and Kira joined CDP in 2023, after working together to support the Line 3 resistance in Minnesota.  Our attorneys are currently licensed to practice law in Minnesota, New Hampshire, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, and Washington State.