April 3, 2026
For Immediate Release
Contact: [email protected]
The American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL) announced on April 3 the election of 19 new fellows, each a prominent environmental practitioner in private practice, academia, a not-for-profit organization, or the government.
“On behalf of the fellows, I am delighted to welcome the class of 2026 to the College,” said ACOEL President Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, who is president and CEO of agricultural trade association CropLife America. “The addition of these 19 accomplished attorneys will increase the strength and depth of the ACOEL bench. This class represents the best of the best across the United States, and includes our third international fellow.”
The College’s newly-elected fellows are:
- Anne Isdal Austin, Austin Legal, Austin, Texas and Washington, D.C.
- Brittany Barrientos, Stinson LLP, Kansas City, Missouri
- Erin L. Brooks, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Chicago
- Patricia J. Chen, PC Law Group, Irvine, California
- James H. Colopy, Farella Braun + Martel, San Francisco
- Rosalind Cooper, Fasken, Toronto
- Christopher H. Dolan, Faegre Drinker, Minneapolis
- Sean H. Donahue, Donahue Goldberg, Washington, D.C.
- Bonnie Heiple, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
- Philip E. Karmel, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, New York, New York
- Jake Li, Vice President of Conservation Policy, Defenders of Wildlife, Washington, D.C,
- Neal McAliley, Carlton Fields, P.A., Miami.
- Robert Perlmutter, Shute Mihaly & Weinberger LLP, San Francisco
- Justin Pidot, Professor of Law, University of Arizona College of Law
- Brian Rayback, Dentons, Portland, Maine
- Janice M. Schneider, Latham & Watkins, Washington, D.C.
- Peter A. Tomasi, Foley & Lardner, Milwaukee
- Clifford Villa, Professor of Law, University of New Mexico School of Law, Albuquerque
- Allison D. Wood, McGuireWoods, Washington, D.C.
The ACOEL is a professional association of approximately 320 distinguished lawyers who practice in the field of environmental law. Membership is by invitation. Learn more about the College at www.acoel.org and follow the College on LinkedIn here.
