Blair Schilling

Practice Areas

Blair Schilling represents clients in a wide range of commercial matters in federal and state court, with a concentration in environmental law. Blair’s environmental practice spans coastal erosion and restoration, land contamination, land use, clean water, asset retirement, brownfield site cleanup and redevelopment, regulatory and permitting matters, and expropriation issues. In doing this work, Blair represents state government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private companies and individuals, including the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, the Natural Resource Defense Council, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Orleans Audubon Society, Pontchartrain Conservancy, Restore the Mississippi River Delta, and many private landowners. The goal of her environmental practice is to make Louisiana more resilient and encourage future sustainable economic growth in the region.

Career

Blair represents landowners throughout Louisiana against some of the oil and gas industry’s largest operators for land loss, oilfield contamination, erosion, and groundwater contamination. Because the cases she handles are highly technical and require a great deal of scientific and operational understanding, Blair is known for immersing herself in the complicated aspects of these matters, as well as for her keen ability to steer her cases in a strategic and effective manner to achieve the overarching goal of the litigation.

Blair was a member of the five-day trial team in Vintage Assets Inc. v. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C., a seminal coastal land loss case that secured injunctive relief requiring pipeline defendants to restore damaged wetlands and protect them from future erosion. Since then, Blair has represented landowners in similar cases across Louisiana, seeking restoration of land loss caused by pipeline canals. Recently, Blair filed suit on behalf of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to address damage to the nearly 34,000-acre Pointe aux Chenes Wildlife Management Area, seeking to hold pipeline companies accountable for failing to maintain and restore critical coastal wetlands.

Professional Memberships

• American Bar Association – Young Lawyers Division: Member, Disaster Legal Services Program (2023-2024); Vice-Chair, Environment, Energy & Resources Committee (2023-2024)

• American Bar Foundation, Fellow

• Association for Women Attorneys – New Orleans Chapter: Member; Past President

• Independent Women’s Organization of Greater New Orleans, Past Chair, Bylaws Committee

• Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow

• Louisiana Association for Justice, Member, Board of Governors (2025-2026)

• New Orleans Bar Association, Member

• Women’s Professional Council of New Orleans, Chair, Bylaws Committee

• Young Leadership Council, Legal Counsel/Secretary, Board of Directors (2025)

Personal

Blair is also committed to advancing female representation in the legal profession and her community. She participated in the Loyola University New Orleans Women’s Leadership Academy, which focuses on developing women leaders through education and mentorship.

Experience

Blair is an experienced mediator who was trained at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, an internationally recognized program at Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law. She earned a Sustainable Capitalism and ESG certificate from UC Berkeley School of Law’s Executive Education program, focusing on integrating environmental, social, and governance considerations into business and investment strategy.

Blair frequently shares her knowledge and experience. She was selected to present “Legal Ramifications Surrounding the Latest Scientific Evidence in Pipeline Canals and Land Loss” at the 2023 State of the Coast conference, the largest statewide forum on Louisiana’s coastal communities, environment, and economy.

Education

Awards