Emily Orler's practice focuses on assisting a wide array of clients on the full lifecycle of environmental review and permitting—including litigation, compliance counseling, rulemaking, and legislative advocacy. Emily builds on her decade of federal government experience leading environmental reviews of major energy-related projects to help clients strategically navigate complex matters.
Emily has advised and defended clients in matters involving mining operations, refineries, pipelines, railroads, and electric transmission lines. She has worked on cases involving administrative record review, tort actions, and environmental enforcement defense. She has particular expertise in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change issues at both the federal and state levels, including GHG emissions and climate change impact assessment, GHG reporting and accounting, and carbon markets.
Prior to joining Arnold & Porter, Emily worked for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) managing reviews of infrastructure and cleanup projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Experience
- Major energy company in state and local regulatory and legislative advising on land use, environmental review and permitting, GHG reporting and carbon markets, and low carbon fuel standards related to refinery operations and fuel sales.
- Major energy company in advising on federal environmental review requirements.
- Infrastructure Developer in advising on environmental review and permitting requirements related to development of new railroad.
- Alaska Native Corporation in advising on environmental review requirements related to ANCSA easement conveyance.
- Trade Association in advising on environmental review and permitting requirements related to electric infrastructure, including NEPA, Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
- Fortune 100 company in advising on remediation of contaminated sites.
Perspectives
Credentials
Education
- J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 2019, cum laude
- B.A., Environmental Studies & Political Science, Tulane University, 2010, summa cum laude
Admissions
- District of Columbia
Government & Military Service
- Acting Director & Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of Regulatory Compliance, Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy
- Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Department of Energy
- Detailee, Energy, Minerals & Realty Management, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior
- Environmental Protection Specialist, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Activities
- Instructor, Environmental Law Institute Bootcamp – The Energy Transition and Environmental Law