Emma Overton is an assistant corporation counsel with the City of Chicago Department of Law. She is assigned to the Building and License Enforcement Division, where she represents the city in municipal code enforcement cases related to public health and safety.

While a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) College of Law, Emma was a summer honors law clerk with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Administrative Law Judges. She also served as a law clerk with Midwest Environmental Advocates and performed pro bono service as a law clinic assistant at the UIUC Environmental Law Clinic. Additionally, Emma served as president of the Energy and Environmental Law Society and participated in a study abroad course focusing on environmental policy in Costa Rica.

Emma became involved in the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER) in 2024 as part of the Membership Diversity Enhancement Program and currently serves as programs vice chair of the Section’s Waste and Resource Recovery Committee and as an environmental justice and just transition vice chair of the Section’s Climate Change Committee. These roles have provided her with fantastic opportunities to connect and collaborate with leading practitioners in the field.

In her free time, Emma enjoys reading, yoga, and spending time with friends and family.