Member Spotlight

Cheerful Catunao

Cheerful Catunao is an associate at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, P.C. in Seattle, where she practices a full range of environmental and natural resource matters. Her practice includes environmental litigation, regulatory compliance, and advising clients. Her litigation and regulatory compliance experience includes defending against citizen suits, enforcement actions, and rulemaking challenges. She has advised clients on matters arising under the CAA, CWA, SDWA, ESA, NHPA, CERCLA, TSCA, NEPA, CZMA, and SMCRA.

Prior to joining Schwabe, Cheerful served in the Office of the Governor of Guam as associate counsel and was an assistant attorney general with the Washington Attorney General’s Office, Ecology Division. During law school, she served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Chief Judge Tydingco-Gatewood of the U.S. District Court of Guam.

In 2023, she was selected to participate in the SEER Leadership Development Program (LDP). Participating in LDP provided a valuable platform to work on critical Indigenous issues related to environmental and natural resources law. Her LDP cohort developed the Environmental Law and Indigenous Peoples CLE Webinar Series. Cheerful serves as a vice chair on the SEER's Oceans and Coasts Committee and Indigenous Law Committee.

Cheerful is an avid freediver and enjoys surfing, snowboarding, and standup paddleboarding.

Cameron Hughes

Cameron Hughes is an associate at Hogan Lovells US LLP in the energy regulatory practice. She advises on matters involving nuclear regulation and the broader energy sector. During law school, she interned with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and served as the Student Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of National Security Law and Policy. Prior to law school she worked in clean energy policy at ClearPath, where she wrote on advanced nuclear and fusion energy policy. Her experience drafting legislation provides a unique insight into the laws affecting the nuclear industry and clean energy deployment.

Cameron’s involvement with the ABA began in her second year of law school when she joined the SEER Nuclear Law Committee as a programs vice chair, a role that she continues to serve in today. Organizing programs provided a launchpad to network with a range of nuclear law professionals and monthly meetings with the committee helped grow her mentorship network in the crucial early stages of her legal career. Both activities taught her the key players and issues in nuclear law, which in turn eased her transition into the industry. 

Outside of her career as an attorney, Cameron maintains an interest in post-Soviet issues. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history and Russian language and literature and completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Kutaisi, Georgia, where she retains personal and professional connections.

Temple Stoellinger

Temple Stoellinger is the Associate Dean and a Wyoming Excellence Chair at the University of Wyoming's Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, with a dual appointment in the College of Law. She teaches courses on wildlife law, environmental law, NEPA, and public land law and policy. As an interdisciplinary legal scholar, Temple explores innovative approaches to decision-making around valued natural resources.

Temple's involvement with the ABA has been instrumental in her professional growth. During the 2023-2024 ABA year, she participated in the ABA SEER Leadership Development Program, an experience that accelerated her service to SEER and provided her with valuable skills and insights. Currently, Temple serves on the ABA SEER Natural Resources & Environment Magazine Editorial Board and is the co-chair of the SEER Biodiversity Committee. These roles have provided many rewarding opportunities to collaborate with and learn from leading experts in the field.

Prior to joining the University of Wyoming, Temple advised Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal on natural resource issues and worked as legal counsel for Shell International B.V. On the weekends, you can find Temple hiking, biking, or skiing in the Rocky Mountain West with her family.

Noemi Lujan Perez

Noemi Lujan Perez (Mexican-American, Basque, Apache) is a seasoned public affairs professional with a portfolio managing technology, conservation, green energy, and civil rights issues. Her experience in the intersection of policy and media has positioned her as a strategic communicator with a specialization in litigation public relations and crisis communications.  

Noemi previously served as Deputy Chief of Communications for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) where she developed and implemented a strategic public relations and stakeholder engagement effort to expand audience reach for the boating, fishing, and hunting industries. She also supported the development of signature programs under the Agency Director.

In her current role as President/CEO of ECODiversity, Noemi manages a boutique public affairs agency managing PR and DEI client services.  Her client portfolio includes the City of Los Angeles Climate Emergency Mobilization Office (CEMO), Green Hydrogen Energy Corp., the National Park Foundation, and NOAA. She is also a convener of a national coalition driving heritage site preservation legislative efforts at the state and federal levels. Noemi is a Membership and Inclusion Vice Chair on the SEER Public Land and Resources Committee.

Noemi was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and is a two-time University of Southern California (USC) alumna. She obtained her Masters in Legal Studies (MLS) with a specialization in Legal Compliance from the USC Gould School of Law, and executive training from the Yale School of Management. She currently serves on the USC Gould School of Law Alumni Association Los Angeles Board.

Sean Kelley

Sean Kelley is a law student at the Mississippi College School of Law and will be graduating in December 2024. He is the President of the college’s Environmental Law Society and is part of the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Executive Board as its ABA Representative. During his 1L summer, he interned at the Attorney General Office of Jeff Landry and with The Water Institute of the Gulf. Currently, he is externing with the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Southern District of Mississippi.

Before law school, he attended Louisiana State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management Systems followed by a Master of Environmental Science. He had the pleasure of working for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality as an Air and Hazardous Waste Inspector and worked in Industry for Zen-Noh Grain Corporation in various roles throughout his time at LSU. 

SEER has been a wonderful experience for Sean as he has met many prominent environmental attorneys and students and has made many friends along the way. He attended the 2023 SEER Fall Conference in Washington, DC, and is serving as the Air Committee’s Programs Vice Chair and Written Content Vice Chair. Sean is thrilled to see what the future has in store with his involvement in SEER. 

In his free time, he likes to go scuba diving and enjoys getting under the water any time he gets the chance. He also enjoys traveling around the world, learning about new cultures, spending quality time with friends and family, and continuing his legal education so he can be an environmental attorney for the benefit of the environment.

Sabrina Ashijan

Sabrina Ashjian is a clinical supervising attorney and project director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment at UCLA School of Law. In this role she teaches the California Environmental Legislation & Policy Clinic. She also does legislative & regulatory consulting internationally, nationally, and locally with clients ranging from investment firms to nonprofit organizations. She previously was with the Environmental Law Clinic at UC Berkeley School of Law where she taught environmental justice and legislation courses.

Her other environmental roles include serving on the Los Angeles Water Quality Control Board after being appointed by Governor Newsom, the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission Governing Board, and as an advisory member of California Lawyers Association Environmental Law Section.

Sabrina joined SEER following her participation in its ABA Section, Division, and Forum (SDF) Coordination Committee as a liaison for the Civil Rights & Social Justice Section (as one of the Vice Chairs of the Environmental Justice Committee). She enjoyed the collaborative approach so much that she just began serving as Co-Chair of the SDF Coordination Committee in 2023. She looks forward to becoming more involved with SEER this year and is excited for the opportunities to collaborate and coordinate with environmental lawyers across the country.

Jamie Morin

Jamie Morin is a founding member of Confluence Law, PLLC, in Washington State. Her practice revolves around advising clients in matters related to water rights, and the management and use of water resources. This includes acquisition, adjudication, protection, reallocation, and regulation of water rights, as well as collateral issues that arise for entities engaged with water resource issues including public, private, and nonprofits organizations. 

Jamie renewed her membership in the ABA after founding Confluence Law, PLLC, for all the great small firm resources. As an added bonus, the ABA is a great way to stay up to date on what is happening in water resources in other states and around the west. 

Rarely one to let a plea for help go unanswered, Jamie answered a call to serve as SEER Water Resources Committee co-vice chair of communications in 2021, which led to an opportunity to work with a group of great lawyers from around the country to update the 2023 ABA Resolution on Tribal Water Rights Settlements and ultimately to step into her current role, Water Resources Committee Chair.

Jamie was admitted to the Washington State Bar on the eve of the last century after attending the University of Montana. Jamie considers herself a citizen of the Columbia Basin and can often be found enroute to obscure locations in the region, or out walking in the woods with her dog, Ari. 

Molly Leisen

Molly Leisen is an associate at Fredrikson & Byron, where she is a member of the Environmental, Energy & Natural Resources and Energy Regulation & Permitting groups.  She assists clients with environmental due diligence, allocation of environmental liabilities and obligations, and drafting of environmental provisions in mergers and acquisitions and real property transactions.  Molly is experienced at reviewing, researching, and analyzing complex legal and regulatory requirements to provide clients with advice regarding environmental regulatory and compliance matters.

Molly previously worked at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission where she gained experience in regulatory matters including energy facility siting and permitting, approval of innovative renewable energy projects, and review of utilities’ cost recovery requests.  She attended the University of Minnesota Law School, where she received her J.D. in 2016.

Molly was recently appointed to the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN) of Minnesota’s board of directors. WEN is a collective of volunteers who are passionate about fostering professional networks for women and underrepresented genders working in the environmental sector, or those simply passionate about stewardship and conservation of our natural resources.

Molly is a member of SEER’s Membership Diversity Enhancement Program (MDEP) and serves as Programs Vice Chair on the SEER Transactions and Brownfields Redevelopment Committee.  Her ABA involvement has created leadership opportunities and broadened her professional network.  She comments that SEER’s resources enable her to stay-up-to-date with changes and new developments in the field.

Molly enjoys traveling, hiking, embroidery, and spending time with her husband and two-year old son. 

Rachel James

Rachel James is an Associate Attorney in the Charlottesville, Virginia office of the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC). As an Associate, Rachel participates in case development, conducts legal research and writing, and applies her expertise in utility policy and energy justice across cases.

In 2022, Rachel moved to Virginia from Hawai‘i. As a Staff Attorney at the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission, she worked on the integration of energy justice into energy planning processes, distributed energy resources, electrification of transportation, energy efficiency, and grid service purchase agreements.

During law school, Rachel also worked full-time as a project manager focusing on projects that converted vehicles’ internal combustion engines to hydrogen fuel cells. She worked for a small solar developer after law school.

Since joining the ABA in 2022 as a part of the Membership Diversity Enhancement Program (MDEP), Rachel has enjoyed the excellent articles and publications offered on topics that are both of general interest and of immediate importance to the work she undertakes at SELC. She has found a wonderful community of support amongst the MDEP members and enjoys the webinars offered by various sections of the ABA.

Rachel currently serves as Co-Chair of the Section’s Special Committee for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Jogging, hiking, learning guitar, reading, and gathering with family and friends are activities Rachel regularly makes time to enjoy.

Megan Ault

Megan Ault is a senior associate at Alston & Bird LLP in San Francisco, where she advises clients on cost recovery disputes, federal and state regulatory compliance, and land use issues. Megan’s practice includes litigation, enforcement, project development, and remediation matters under a variety of federal and state laws including CERCLA, RCRA, the Clean Water Act, and the California Environmental Quality Act. 

Megan received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Duke Law School, and her undergraduate degree with majors in environmental studies, political science, and urban studies, summa cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh. Before joining Alston & Bird, Megan served as a law clerk to the Hon. Stephanie D. Thacker of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. 

In her spare time, Megan enjoys volunteering with the Legal Education Access Pipeline mentoring organization, arguing about football, and figuring out which national park she should visit next.

Tanya Nesbitt

Tanya Nesbitt is a partner in the Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C. offices of Thompson Hine LLP. She helps businesses in heavily regulated industries such as energy, refining, chemicals, and mining. Her goal is to help them navigate regulatory chaos and uncertainty, so that they can take back control of their business. Tanya has advised clients on a variety of environmental matters, including due diligence for asset acquisitions, permitting and compliance under the Clean Water Act, the Toxic Control Substances Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Tanya is a member of Thompson Hine's ESG Collaborative and routinely advises clients on the litigation risks associated with the marketing and advertising of environmental benefit claims. 

Prior to Thompson Hine LLP, Tanya served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney at the United States Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. and a Trial Attorney at the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. where she defended federal agency administrative decisions involving natural resources and public lands.

Tanya is a member of the D.C. Steering Committee for the Environmental Law Institute's Women in Environmental Law and Leadership. She also serves on Law 360's Environmental Editorial Advisory Board. Tanya is a frequent speaker and commentator on current environmental topics. Tanya is thankful to have found community, friendship, and professional mentorship in the ABA SEER community. 

Tanya maintains an active pro bono litigation practice focused on supporting survivors of domestic violence. She is a graduate of Smith College and The George Washington University. Outside of work, Tanya enjoys attending sporting events, supporting the performing arts, and traveling. 

Stuart Spencer

Stuart Spencer is the Senior Environmental Counsel for Tyson Foods, Inc.  His core responsibility is to provide legal advice to Tyson and its subsidiaries on all matters impacting environmental media. He primarily supports tasks related to maintaining or re-attaining compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. Stuart advises broadly on environmental policy matters and he supports Tyson’s litigation team as a subject matter expert in active environmental cases. He also assists Tyson’s M&A team on due diligence projects.   

Prior to joining Tyson, Stuart worked in private practice where he represented industry clients in environmental compliance and enforcement matters, primarily in the federal and state administrative space.  Stuart gained the bulk of his environmental and regulatory experience during his roughly ten years working in various legal and leadership positions at the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ). While at DEQ, he served as the Office of Air Quality Associate Director.  Stuart also served as DEQ's General Counsel, Legal Policy Advisor and Counsel in DEQ’s Office of Law and Policy.

Stuart is a current member of SEER’s Membership Diversity Enhancement Program (MDEP).  He previously served as a co-vice chair for written content on the SEER Air Committee. In his time away from work, Stuart enjoys traveling, hiking, bike riding, and spending time with his husband and their eight (!) fur and feather babies.

Rodolfo Jaffé 

Rodolfo Jaffé is a Senior Scientist at Exponent, based in Bellevue, Washington. As a quantitative ecologist with more than ten years of research and consulting experience, he relies on inter-disciplinary approaches to assess how the alteration of natural habitats influences biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. Rodolfo has experience implementing the mitigation hierarchy (avoid, minimize, rectify, and compensate) to manage business impacts to biodiversity and ecosystem services, providing litigation support in Natural Resource Damage Assessments, undertaking ecological and environmental risk assessments, and working with threatened and endangered species. His work is grounded in data science, heavily relying on the curation of very large and messy datasets, data analytics and visualizations, spatial analyses and GIS, modeling, statistics, and machine learning.

Before joining Exponent Rodolfo worked in academic institutions from South America, Europe, Australia and the United States, NGOs, and a major mining company. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and serves as Academic Editor for the scientific journals PeerJ and Ecological Applications. 

Rodolfo currently serves as a vice chair on the Section’s Biodiversity Committee. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and playing music.