Photo by Clary Zulette.
Hello EPIC!
My name is Matt Simmons and I’m EPIC’s newest legal fellow. I may have grown up in Los Angeles, but I like the North Coast a whole lot more. I became passionate about protecting the environment thanks to my elementary school science teacher Mr. Flint who taught me about climate change and the devastating effect that our current society is having on ecosystems across the globe. In college, I decided that the best way for me to help protect the environment would be to become a lawyer and work on its behalf.
Last May, I graduated from UCLA Law with specializations in both Environmental Law and Public Interest Law. While there, I interned at the Natural Resources Defense Council, participated in UCLA Law’s Environmental Legal Clinic, and acted as a research assistant for a renowned environmental law professor. I also wrote papers on dam removal, green gentrification, and legal personhood for the environment. I was lucky enough to secure partial funding for my legal fellowship at EPIC thanks to the UCLA Emmett Institute and UC Office of the President.
Now that I am at EPIC, I am excited to help advocate for the protection of California’s forests. In particular, I’m excited to work on matters related to the Endangered Species Act which is my favorite environmental law. EPIC has a long history of protecting endangered species that I am excited to be a part of. I know I have a lot to learn from Tom, Amber, Kimberly, and Rhiannon about how to be a successful environmental advocate. They’ve had so much great success and I am excited to start doing my part to help. I’m also really grateful to all of EPIC’s members who make our work possible and I look forward to meeting more of you over the coming months.
Thank you for your continued support, Matt
Questions? Contact Matt at matt@wildcalifornia.org
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