Kathleen Garvey

Katie Garvey is a Staff Attorney in ELPC’s Chicago office. She works to keep the Midwest’s waters clean and safe, including from agricultural runoff. During law school, Katie interned for Judge Lawrence M. McKenna for the South District of New York, as well as for Food and Water Watch, and she served as the Membership Editor for the Northwestern University Law Review. Before joining ELPC, Katie was a litigator at the Sidley Austin law firm handling complex cases and enforcement actions in federal and state courts around the country. There, she was awarded the Morsch Award and the Northern District of Illinois’ Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service for her work in prisoners’ and immigration rights.

What’s a place you love in the Midwest?

I grew up in Fargo, not far from Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. And having lived in Chicago for over 10 years now, I have come to love Lake Michigan – from the Chicago lakeshore to the dunes and southwest Michigan, and all the way to the Upper Peninsula.

What drives you to do this work?

Climate change threatens our communities and natural resources, and the way we grow food in this country is damaging and unsustainable. These problems disproportionately impact already overburdened and underserved communities, and they threaten future generations. I hope to play some small part in mitigating these harms. I am grateful to have the opportunity to do so with such exceptional and talented colleagues.