Alumni Update: Elia Kazemi '17, J.D. '21
Elia is excited about her new position as State Coastal Conservancy Attorney. The Conservancy is a small state agency that protects natural resources, including wetlands, open space, rivers, and watersheds; addresses the impacts of climate change; and increases opportunities for the public to get to and enjoy the coast. As an attorney with the conservancy, she provides oral and written advice on a wide variety of legal issues, mostly in the areas of contracts, real property, environmental permitting, land use, and operation of state and local government. Elia Kazemi graduated from Santa Clara in 2017 with a degree in Environmental Science. She returned to attend the Santa Clara School of Law where she served as president of the Environmental Law Society and as a tech editor on the Law Review Journal Board. She wants to encourage more ESS students to pursue law where they can address climate issues and policy from a legal standpoint. Elia credits her experiences in ESS for fueling her commitment to improving climate policy, protecting local resources, and practicing sustainability in her daily life. Her most memorable experiences include exploring Isla Espiritu Santo in Baja California with the Baja Immersion Experience, visiting farms in the Santa Clara Valley for her capstone project, and getting to know the people in the department while working as the ESS office assistant. In her spare time, Elia designs and creates jewelry and clothing using upcycled materials.
