Environmental Law in the Age of Trump

The Trump Administration has condemned California environmental policy at every turn, from rescinding California’s right to set vehicle standards to threatening to revoke billions over dirty air. Join the UCLA Environmental Law Society and ACS to hear from practitioners in the private, government, and academic sectors about how the changes to environmental regulation under Trump have affected their practice. 

Co-Sponsor: UCLA Environmental Law Society

Panelists:

Nikki Buffa (UCLA Law Class of 2006), counsel in the Orange County and Washington, D.C. offices of Latham & Watkins. She has worked as an attorney and policymaker in land and water conservation, energy, endangered species, and environmental and human health protection. She served for eight years in the Obama Administration, including as Deputy Chief of Staff and Associate Director of the White House Council, White House Deputy Director of Cabinet Affairs at the White House, and Deputy Chief of Staff at the United States Department of the Interior. 

David Zaft, Deputy Attorney General at the California Attorney General’s Office, Environment Section. Mr Zaft has argued against Trump administration rollbacks in the DC Circuit Court of Appeal and other forums. Prior to joining the Attorney General's Office, Mr. Zaft was a shareholder at Caldwell, Leslie, & Proctor, where he practiced for over 11 years.

Julia Stein, Supervising Attorney for the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic, and Project Director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law. She was previously senior counsel at Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP where she focused on environmental litigation, regulatory compliance, and land use practice, including litigating complex environmental cases in state and federal court, advising clients on compliance with state and federal environmental regulations, and assisting clients through land use entitlement and development processes.