Starting in spring 2026, Taylor Lilley joins GW Law to supervise the Access to Justice Clinic, Environmental Justice Division. This clinic division was established at GW Law in spring 2024 and has attracted significant student interest. With years of experience as an environmental justice litigator and a passion for community-centered advocacy, Professor Lilley brings invaluable expertise to our students.
We sat down with her to learn more about her journey, her vision for the clinic, and the impact she hopes it will have in Washington, D.C.
Q: How did you first become interested in environmental justice?
My path to environmental justice was very much shaped by the world around me. When I started law school, I had a broad interest in environmental advocacy, but environmental justice wasn’t really on my radar—or even in my vocabulary. That began to change when I had the chance to work on international projects: one focused on installing greywater reuse systems in the West Bank, and another with the University of Malawi’s Law School to help them develop their own environmental clinic.
Q: What experiences shaped your path in this field?
I realized early on that what I loved most was working directly with communities—listening to their concerns and letting those conversations guide the work. Around the same time, the Flint water crisis and the Standing Rock movement were unfolding, and seeing those communities fight for justice showed me how my advocacy could have purpose.
After law school, I worked with communities in Mississippi recovering from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. That experience taught me the importance of showing up as a partner, not as someone with all the answers. I’ve carried that lesson into my current role at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, where I’ve spent the last six years as Environmental Justice Staff Attorney. Every project has reinforced my commitment to community lawyering and advancing the environmental justice movement.
Q: What is the purpose of the Access to Justice Clinic, Environmental Justice Division, and what types of cases will students work on?
The purpose of this clinic is to introduce students to community lawyering and show how that approach can advance environmental justice. Community lawyering means broadening the role of lawyers to support—not lead—communities in pursuing their goals. That might involve attending community meetings, organizing events, being mindful of relationship dynamics, or working with a wide range of stakeholders to achieve solutions.
In the environmental justice context, community lawyering often comes into play around issues like proposed permitting of harmful facilities, zoning disputes, or legislative strategies.
As for student work, it will depend on timing and availability, but the clinic will aim to:
- Support environmental justice policy at the state level;
- Address community concerns in specific regulatory matters; and
- Contribute to active litigation, if circumstances allow.
Students will gain hands-on experience with both the legal and relational aspects of advocacy, which I think is essential.
Q: How do you see the new clinic making an impact in the D.C. community?
In my experience, one of the biggest barriers to achieving environmental justice is capacity. Communities and grassroots organizations are often stretched thin, even as they face some of the most pressing environmental challenges.
By continuing this clinic’s work, we can help provide that additional capacity. My hope is that our students’ efforts will strengthen the larger network of D.C.-based stakeholders working with, and in support of, affected communities. At a time when the District is navigating so many environmental and social challenges, it’s critical to have more voices, more hands, and more allies in the fight for environmental justice.
Closing Thoughts
Taylor Lilley’s career reflects a deep commitment to pairing legal skills with community empowerment. Through the Access to Justice Clinic, Environmental Justice Division, she is equipping the next generation of lawyers with the tools—and mindset—needed to advance equity in environmental advocacy.
