Jessica O’Donnell

Jessica O’Donnell is a Senior Attorney in ELPC’s Washington, D.C. office, protecting clean air and water in the Midwest, including fighting to retain and strengthen existing environmental protections. Before joining ELPC, Jessica served for 21 years as an attorney and manager in the Department of Justice Environment & Natural Resources Division, where she litigated cases under all of the major pollution control statutes, receiving numerous awards for her work. Before her time at DOJ, Jessica was a law clerk to the Honorable Nancy B. Firestone, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and an associate at a D.C. law firm. When she is not working, Jessica loves spending time with her husband and two children.

What’s a place you love in the Midwest?

I love that you can spend the day in Chicago biking and picnicking on the lake and take in the city nightlight in the same evening.

What drives you to do this work?

A clean environment is a basic human right, but it is not a guaranteed right unless we make it one.