Are you passionate about environmental issues and considering a future in law? Join us on Monday April 1st at 6:30 p.m. in the Choi Auditorium for an enlightening discussion on environmental justice and the role of law in addressing pressing environmental challenges. This panel brings together legal experts who will explore the complexities of environmental law and its implications for communities disproportionately affected by environmental degradation.
Jennifer Ganata joined Communities for a Better Environment in September 2018. Previously she worked at Communities for a Better Environment from 2007 to 2012 as a youth organizer and a legal fellow. She transitioned from doing environmental justice work to housing by starting her housing career at Eviction Defense Network. Before returning to CBE, Jennifer was a senior staff attorney at Inner City Law Center where she did eviction defense and land use.
Jennifer has a deep interest in connecting her passion for environmental justice and housing in order to defend frontline communities’ right to housing and a better environment. She believes that organizing is key to helping move our communities away from investing in an extractive economy. Jennifer has a BA in Ethnic Studies and a minor in Urban Studies and Planning from University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Jennifer received a JD from City University of New York (CUNY), where she was trained through the Adult Defender Clinical program and an LL.M from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a focus on Critical Race Studies. She is a member of the National Lawyers Guild in Los Angeles.
Natalia Ospina (she/ella) joined CRPE as its Legal Director in February 2024, bringing years of experience in environmental justice issues and community lawyering. Before joining CRPE, Natalia worked as an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA). At NRDC she provided legal and technical support to frontline and environmental justice clients and partners across the U.S. in their fights to address disproportionate environmental impacts and build healthy and thriving communities. During her time at CRLA, Natalia represented farmworkers in the Central Coast in their fights to address wage theft, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and pesticide exposure. Throughout her legal career, Natalia has learned that community power-building must be at the center of all successful legal strategies and is dedicated to centering community organizing in CRPE’s legal advocacy.