GC Influencers
Most Influential GCs - USA
Julia Olson of Our Children's Trust
Julia Olson is the executive director and chief legal counsel of Our Children’s Trust, an innovative environmental justice nonprofit which is pursuing claims against national governments on behalf of young people for failing to take adequate action against climate change. Olson, who cofounded the organization in 2010, takes charge of a legal team which has helped young plaintiffs to bring cases cases against nations such as India, Canada, France and Uganda under an innovative usage of the public trust doctrine, a principle which holds governments responsible as trustees of public resources for the benefit of future generations.
Olson also serves as the lead counsel in Julianna vs United States, a federal lawsuit first filed in 2015 on behalf of 21 young plaintiffs against US government and several members of the executive branch. The closely-watched suit alleges the defendants violated the plaintiffs’ rights by failing to deal with global warming and climate change, with Olson’s current challenge including overseeing the response to a number of appeals seeking to stem the scope of the original complaint.
Olson’s previous positions saw her representing pressure groups dedicated to environmental and social justice in in-house roles at Earthjustice and Wild Earth Advocates.