WSBA Environmental and Land Use Law Section

04/27/2026

Hope to see you tomorrow at our annual networking event!

The Washington State Bar Association's Environmental & Land Use Law Section (ELUL) is hosting its Annual Spring Law Student Networking Event, and it's a great chance for Washington law students to meet and mingle with practicing environmental and land use attorneys.

The event will take place on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Stoup Brewing in Capitol Hill, located at 1158 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122. It's a casual, low-key evening — a perfect way to make connections in the environmental and land use law community.

Food and drinks are on the house, with drinks sponsored by McCullough Hill PLLC.

Whether you're a law student curious about environmental or land use law or a local practitioner looking to connect with colleagues, this one's for you. Feel free to pass this along to classmates, coworkers, or anyone else who might want to come!

Hope to see you there!

03/18/2026

ELUL Section 2026 Midyear Conference
Public Service Attorney Scholarships

The Environmental and Land Use Law Section of the WSBA is prepared to give two scholarships up to $1,000 toward 2026 ELUL Midyear Conference costs and expenses. The ELUL Midyear Conference will be held May 14–15, 2026, at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, Washington. Scholarships may be used for conference registration, travel, room, and certain meal expenses.

Eligible applicants will meet the following requirements:
a. Work in public interest or public service (i.e., non-profit (501(c)(3)), or local, state or federal government);
b. Work in Washington State;
c. Practice in the field of environmental and/or land use law; and
d. Current member of the ELUL (membership may be established any time prior to scholarship application submittal).

HOW TO APPLY
Entrants should submit a short (one page or less) cover letter with their contact information and a brief statement to show compliance with the eligibility criteria for this scholarship. Entries should be in PDF format. Entrants must submit their entry by email to [email protected], with the subject line “WSBA 2026 ELUL Midyear Scholarship.” Entries must be received on or before 5:00pm PST on April 1, 2026.

SELECTION
Successful applicants will be selected at the discretion of a subcommittee of the ELUL Executive Committee. Awardees will be notified by April 10, 2026, and must confirm acceptance of the award (including intent to register for the conference) by April 17, 2026. Registration will be processed using scholarship funds, with the remaining amount awarded for other qualifying expenses upon submittal of receipts after the conference.

02/18/2026

Save the date for the Environmental and Land Use Law midyear!

When: May 14-15, 2026

Where: Heathman Lodge

More details to come!

01/15/2026

Sharing a CLE that may be of interest to our members:

KCBA is putting on a lunchtime CLE entitled “Mind the Gap: Navigating Washington State Air Permitting and Compliance Amid Federal Regulatory Rollbacks”. The CLE will be this Friday at noon. Please make sure that you do not miss this opportunity to learn more about a very important environmental issue. If you have any questions regarding this CLE, please contact KCBA for more information. Thank you.

TO REGISTER:
https://www.kcba.org/?pg=events&evAction=showDetail&eid=317729&evSubAction=viewMonth&calmonth=202601

If you plan to attend the annual King County Bar Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon, this program will be recorded for later viewing. Please email [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

Date Friday, January 16th
Time 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM Pacific Time
Location Virtual via Zoom

To attend this virtual meeting, click on the link above to register. If you’ve already registered, please check your inbox for your registration confirmation email containing the meeting access information. Please email [email protected] with any questions.

CLE Topic Mind the Gap: Navigating Washington State Air Permitting and Compliance Amid Federal Regulatory Rollbacks
CLE Credit 1.00 Law & Legal

KCBA will submit CLE credit to the WSBA for all attendees within 30 days.
________________________________________
AGENDA
12:00 PM Introduction: Jay Tufano, Chair
12:05 PM Presentation: “Mind the Gap: Navigating Washington State Air Permitting and Compliance Amid Federal Regulatory Rollbacks” by Annika Wallendahl, Principal Engineer & Fuad Wadud, Principal Engineer – Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.
The relaxation of Federal air regulations under the Trump administration has different implications across the United States. This presentation will provide an overview of Federal air regulatory rollbacks since January 2025 and how these changes affect air permitting and compliance for your clients operating in Washington State.
1:15 PM Adjourn
________________________________________
PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES
Annika Wallendahl, Principal Engineer – Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.
Annika Wallendahl is a Principal Engineer in the Seattle office of Geosyntec Consultants. Annika has over 20 years experience working with multimedia environmental compliance, permitting, and auditing. Prior to joining Geosyntec, Annika worked as the environmental manager for a large industrial pulp and paper mill and as a local air agency inspector. Annika is a Professional Engineer (P.E.) and Licensed Geologist (L.G.) in Washington State. She holds a B.S. degree in Geology from Montana State University, a M.Sc. degree in Geology from Abo Akademy University in Finland, and an MBA degree from Western Governors University.

Fuad Wadud, Principal Engineer – Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.
Fuad Wadud is a Principal Engineer in the Seattle office of Geosyntec Consultants with 24 years of experience in environmental consulting and air engineering. Fuad assists clients by preparing and negotiating large and complex Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit applications, Title V permitting projects, and regulatory agency negotiations. He specializes in regulatory applicability and analyses, emission inventory preparation including greenhouse gas (GHG) and air toxics, compliance demonstrations, best available control technology (BACT) analyses, and historical permit reviews. Fuad has experience working with multiple state regulations in the United States and provinces across Canada. Earlier in his career, Fuad was an environmental engineer with a state agency where he evaluated new and modified sources of air contaminants for many types of industrial, manufacturing, and energy sources. Fuad is a Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the states of Washington, Missouri, and South Carolina and obtained his B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from Washington University is St. Louis.

Presentation Title: "Mind the Gap: Navigating Washinton State Air Permitting and Compliance Amid Federal Regulatory Rollbacks"

01/15/2026

Sharing a career opportunity that may be of interest to our members:

Associate Attorney – Land Use, Real Estate, Environmental & Litigation

About Us

McCullough Hill is seeking a talented Associate Attorney to join our dynamic team in downtown Seattle. We are a boutique law firm dedicated to delivering exceptional legal services in land use, real estate, environmental, and business law in the most efficient and effective way possible. We represent clients shaping communities through some of the most significant and exciting development projects in Washington State. We pride ourselves on providing timely, responsive service and helping clients achieve their goals efficiently and effectively. To learn more, visit www.mhseattle.com.

Responsibilities

The candidate will participate in our active land use, real estate and environmental litigation practice, including land use appeals, real estate disputes, condemnation, and environmental litigation. Work includes development of litigation strategy; research, analysis and drafting of pleadings; assisting with discovery; working with expert witnesses; and appearing before administrative hearings bodies and in court. In addition, this position includes work in our busy land use permitting practice, involving development of permitting strategy, working with technical experts, interaction with government staff, participation in local permit hearings, and policy advocacy. The position also includes involvement in our environmental practice advising clients and working with technical experts and regulators to resolve environmental issues. The candidate will also have the opportunity to work on real estate and business transactional matters.

Qualifications

2–5 years of experience as an attorney, including work on litigation matters
Experience or demonstrated interest in land use, real estate, and environmental law
Exceptional academic credentials and research and writing skills – accuracy and clarity are key
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Highly motivated, proactive, self-starter with enthusiasm for working in a fast-paced environment
Commitment to delivering superior client service
Ability to manage multiple complex legal projects effectively
Capacity for work exceeding 1600 billable hours per year – this is a full-time position
Ability to work at our downtown Seattle office – this is an in-person position
Membership in the Washington State Bar Association (or eligibility)

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $160,000 to $230,000, depending on qualifications and experience. Other compensation may include an annual bonus based on billable hours exceeding expectations and exceptional performance. The firm offers medical and vision (PPO and HSA options), life and AD&D coverage (additional employee funded option available), long term disability (additional employee funded option available), a 401K plan, and generous PTO.

How to Apply

Submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and list of references by email to the Hiring Partner at [email protected].

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and close February 11 or when the position is filled.

Send a message to learn more

11/03/2025

We have two upcoming webinar mini-CLEs open for registration:

First, join us at noon on November 12 for What's Happening with NEPA? Elizabeth Harris from the Environmental Protection Division of the State Attorney General’s Office will be covering the ever-changing world of the National Environmental Policy Act, from legislative reforms, to executive orders, and caselaw updates. Register here: https://www.mywsba.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Default.aspx?TabID=1356&productId=26886394

Second, join us at noon on December 9 for 2025 Ethical Issues Related to the Use of Artificial Intelligence, a discussion with Jeanne Marie Clavere of WSBA about the ethical debacles and practice triumphs with using artificial intelligence in the practice of law. Register here: https://www.mywsba.org/PersonifyEbusiness/2025-Ethical-Issues-Related-to-the-Use-of-Artificial-Intelligence/MeetingDetail/26811921

TUITION$15 - Environmental and Land Use Law Section Members (discount applied at checkout)$25 - Standard/Non-Section Members For technical suppor...

10/10/2025

Join us on November 12 from noon-1 for a mini-CLE on NEPA.

This presentation will cover the ever-changing world of the National Environmental Protection Act. From legislative reform efforts and sweeping executive orders to monumental judicial decisions the federal environmental review statute has drastically changed over the last two years. Attendees will get an update on the latest developments and insight into their practical effects.

To register visit:

www.mywsba.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Default.aspx?TabID=1356& productId=26886394

Only $15 for ELUL members!

Personify eBusiness

07/22/2025

Congratulations to the new and returning members for the next term of the ELUL Executive Committee:

Gabby Gurian, Chair-Elect

Michelle Furrer, At-Large Member (2025-2028)

Rachel Sinsheimer, At-Large Member (2025-2028)

Nick Sweeney, At-Large Member (2025-2028)



Thank you to everyone who voted in the elections.

If you have suggestions for ELUL Section activities, please reach out to any EC member:

A listing of the Washington State Bar Association's 28 sections.

06/12/2025

AAG - Public Lands & Conservation Division, Olympia (DL: 6/26/25)



The AGO's Public Lands & Conservation Division (PLC) seeks to fill an AAG position in our Fish, Wildlife and Parks Section.

Please see careers.wa.gov for the application and more information.



The Public Lands and Conservation Division provides a broad spectrum of client advice, dispute resolution, and litigation services to agency clients. The division represents the Commissioner of Public Lands, the Department of Natural Resources, the Board of Natural Resources, the Forest Practices Board, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the State Parks and Recreation Commission. You will have the opportunity to work with a team of 39 experienced professionals with extraordinary commitment to serving the needs of the client and the state of Washington. Staff are offered flexible and/or telecommute schedules. We support work-life balance and thrive in this collegial, team-oriented environment. Additionally, the PLC Division is located on the Capitol Campus, which is minutes from downtown and offers scenic views of the Puget Sound, Olympic Mountains, and Mount Rainier.



This position reports to the Team Leader for the Habitat and Hunting Team and provides legal services to the Department of Fish and Wildlife and State Parks on a broad array of issues. The attorneys in the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Section frequently work on diverse and complex subject matters, including fishing and hunting regulation, habitat protection, regulatory permitting, endangered species, law enforcement, civil forfeiture, land use, real estate, public works and other contracts, administrative procedure, and public records. The section also collaborates on criminal matters arising from client agency enforcement actions, assisting prosecutors in charging violations of the state Fish and Wildlife Code. The section deals extensively with tribal hunting and fishing issues and cultural resource issues.



Duties typical of attorneys within the Public Lands and Conservation Division include:



Providing options-based client advice, both oral and written;

Appearance in federal and state courts across the state and in proceedings before administrative tribunals, such as the Pollution Control Hearings Board, the Shorelines Hearings Board, or Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;

Motions practice, trials, and participating in post-trial proceedings including any appeals;

Conducting all aspects of discovery;

Representing the AGO in public settings on matters that may be of a sensitive or high-profile nature;

Directing and assisting in investigations; and

Working individually and as part of a team.

Send a message to learn more

06/02/2025

Active section members should have received an email from WSBA with a link to your ballot for the ELUL Executive Committee elections.
Please take a moment to vote for the three at-large and chair-elect positions that begin on October 1. The applicants’ statements of interest are available at: https://www.wsba.org/environmental-land-use-law/elections/
You will be able to vote until 5 pm on Monday, June 16.
If you did not receive that email from WSBA, please contact Noah Baetge at [email protected].
Thanks for your participation in the ELUL Section!

Executive committee elections information for the Washington State Bar Association's Environmental and Land Use Law Section.

05/08/2025

On the eve of the WSBA ELUL 2025 Mid-Year Conference, a very special thank you to our Gold-level sponsor this year, McCullough Hill PLLC! This marks the second year in a row McCullough Hill has sponsored at our highest tier level, and all of us on the Executive Committee are profoundly thankful for their support.