Staff Profiles
Earthrise Law Center is the largest environmental law clinic in America. Earthrise’s 1:3 teacher-student ratio provides for an intensive apprenticeship experience and our attorneys, as clinical professors, also serve as members of the Lewis & Clark Law School faculty, teaching substantive law classes and contributing both directly and indirectly to important extra-curricular experiences for students in environmental advocacy.
Tom Buchele
tbuchele[at]lclark[dot]edu 503-768-6736
Clinical Professor
Tom anchors Earthrise’s legal practice as the senior coordinator of environmental initiatives. Prior to joining Earthrise, Tom was the director of the environmental law clinic at University of Pittsburgh for seven years, staff attorney at the Environmental Law & Policy Center of the Midwest, and a partner in the Chicago office of the prestigious national law firm Jenner & Block, where he focused on complex commercial and natural resources litigation. A distinguished graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and the University of Illinois College of Law, Tom leads Earthrise’s land management and natural resource practice, including mining, oil and gas issues. In his spare time, Tom is an excellent gardener and baker, and enjoys canning, hiking and exploring tidepools up and down the Oregon coast.
Kevin Cassidy
cassidy[at]lclark[dot]edu 781-659-1696
Senior Staff Attorney
In January 2011, Kevin opened Earthrise’s East Coast office (Massachusetts) to better position the clinic to participate in environmental litigation of national scope and importance. Prior to joining Earthrise, Kevin was a Senior Trial Attorney in the Environmental Crimes Section of the United States Department of Justice. In his eight years as an environmental crimes prosecutor, Kevin was co-lead counsel for several significant prosecutions, including the 2007 trial of Southern Union Company in Rhode Island for hazardous waste crimes. He received a BA from the University of Connecticut and a JD from Lewis & Clark Law School. Kevin is admitted to practice in the states of Massachusetts and Oregon (inactive), the U.S. Courts of Appeals for Ninth, Seventh and First Circuits, and federal district courts in Massachusetts, Illinois and the District of Columbia. Spending time outdoors with his wife and two young daughters is Kevin’s favorite pastime, especially at the beach where he can squeeze in a little saltwater fly-fishing.
Lia Comerford
comerfordl[at]lclark[dot]edu 503-768-6823
Acting Director
Lia’s work at Earthrise has focused on pollution control issues, specifically in the areas of Clean Water Act enforcement and imminent and substantial endangerment under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as well as litigation related to genetically engineered plants and Oregon’s Right to Farm Act. Lia is a graduate of American University and Lewis & Clark Law School (JD 2013) and is admitted to practice in the states of Oregon and Washington, the U.S. District Courts for the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits, and the U.S. Court of International Trade. Lia spends her free time outdoors enjoying the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, gardening, cooking, and playing with her toddler.
Alex Davis
amdavis[at]lclark[dot]edu 503-768-6728
Development Associate
Alex joined Earthrise in the fall of 2017. Alex studied Philosophy at the University of Oregon (BS 2016). During his time in Eugene, he worked for the University’s Zero Waste Program and was active in several Environmental Student Organizations. Before coming to Earthrise he worked as a legal assistant at an intellectual property law firm. In his free time he enjoys reading, hiking, and trying out the many brunch spots of Portland.
Lydia Dexter
lydiadexter[at]lclark[dot]edu 503-768-6654
Legal Fellow
Lydia joined Earthrise as a Legal Fellow in the Fall of 2023 after graduating from Lewis & Clark Law School (JD 2023, cum laude) where she focused on environmental law and its intersection with Indigenous Peoples’ issues and federal Indian law. Lydia moved to Oregon following her graduation from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelors’ of Journalism in Advertising & Public Relations and Spanish. During law school, Lydia served as the President of the Native American Law Student Association and was the first solo Editor-in-Chief of the Animal Law Review. She also gained experience working for Earthrise as a clinic student and summer law clerk, as well as dedicating two years to the Native American Law Student Association Moot Court team. In her free time, Lydia enjoys going for long walks around Portland, crafting, and spending time with her cat, Soup.
Zach Nacev
znacev[at]lclark[dot]edu 503-768-6825
Legal Fellow
Zach joined Earthrise as a Legal Fellow in the Fall of 2024. He graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School (JD 2024, summa cum laude) where he focused on environmental law. During law school, Zach worked as a clinic student and summer law clerk for Earthrise and was the Submissions Editor for the Lewis & Clark Law Review. He also served as a Teaching Fellow for the Lawyering Department his 2L year and as the Senior Teaching Fellow his 3L year. Prior to law school, Zach worked as a high school teacher, largely in Racine, Wisconsin. He also holds a Master of Arts from the University of Chicago (MA 2017) where he studied Latin American history and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Swarthmore College (BA 2013). In his free time, Zach can be found at farmers’ markets around Portland, playing and watching soccer, and spending time with his family.
Dan Rohlf
rohlf[at]lclark[dot]edu 503-768-6707
Professor of Law & Of Counsel
As one of Earthrise’s founding members and previous Clinic Director, Dan holds the Of Counsel position. In addition to working on Earthrise cases and supporting the law school’s growing LLM program, Dan focuses on biodiversity management and conservation, sustainability, and the intersection between science and law. A graduate of Colorado College and Stanford Law School, Dan is admitted to practice in Oregon, the federal district of Oregon, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. In his spare time, Dan loves to run, cycle, and spend time with his wife and kids.
Karen Russell
karenrussell[at]lclark[dotedu 503-768-6851
Budget and Financial Administrator
Karen joined Earthrise in the summer of 2017 after a 3-year stint as an Accountant and then as Contracts Manager at Moovel North America, a software company dedicated to facilitating mobility in urban settings. Karen also teaches Water Law as an Adjunct Professor at Lewis & Clark Law School and an Environmental Law and Policy course at Lewis & Clark College. Since 2006 Karen has worked as a Nonprofit Consultant advising organizations on all aspects of nonprofit organizational management, with a focus on financial management and accounting. From 1990 to 2006 Karen worked in a variety of roles at WaterWatch of Oregon. As Interim Executive Director Karen was responsible for all aspects of fundraising, budgeting, staff management and working closely with the organizations board of directors. As Senior Staff Attorney Karen was a constant presence before the Oregon Water Resources Department, pushing the agency at every opportunity to reform long-held water policies that ignore the needs of fish and other instream users. Karen has drafted numerous bills to reform Oregon water law and analyzed the environmental impacts of all water bills considered by the Oregon Legislature. Karen is a graduate of the University of Washington (BA 1985) and Lewis & Clark Law School (JD 1990) and is a member of the Oregon and Washington State Bars. Karen is highly regarded within and beyond the environmental community for her knowledge, experience and environmental advocacy. Karen enjoys telemark skiing, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, knitting and reading books the old fashioned way.
Contact Us
Earthrise is nestled at the top of the woods of Tryon Creek State Park.
Address:
Earthrise Law Center
at Lewis & Clark Law School
10101 S. Terwilliger Blvd
Portland, OR 97219
For general inquiries, email:
earthrise@lclark.edu
Main:
(503) 768-6736
Fax:
(503) 768-6642
Earthrise Law Center is located in Wood Hall on the Law Campus.
MSC: 51
email earthrise@lclark.edu
voice (503) 768-6736
fax (503) 768-6642
Allison LaPlante
Earthrise Law Center
Lewis & Clark Law School
10101 S. Terwilliger Boulevard MSC 51
Portland OR 97219