Interview with Paul Cohen, Staff Attorney

1. Where are you from and what’s your background? 

I was born in Northeast Philadelphia and grew up between there and lower Bucks County. I went to college at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and after a year working on Capitol Hill, I went to law school at Duke University.

I began my legal career working at a large international law firm, Ropes & Gray, for four years. I then joined the Council as a legal fellow from 2016-2017. I left to clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit for four years before finding my way back to the Council this past fall.

2. How long have you been with the Council?

One year in 2016-17, plus 9 months since rejoining in October 2021.

3. What’s your expertise you bring to the Council? How do you use it to fight for a cleaner environment?

My expertise is in litigation. In more practical terms, I think of myself as a legal communicator, which looks more like being a writer, teacher, counselor, and/or advocate, depending on the situation. I primarily write legal briefs, which (at their best) educate the court and advocate for a just interpretation of the law that protects the environment. I also enjoy counseling our organization and communities regarding their environmental rights and possible legal actions to protect them.

5. Why did you want to return to working for the Council after being a legal fellow in 2016-2017? What’s your favorite aspect of working here?

Everyone at the Council is here because they are deeply committed to a cause that is larger than themselves. The team shows up every day willing to make sacrifices to do this work. It’s inspiring and energizing to be around a group of people who keep at it despite the challenges and headwinds we often face.

Also, I think too few Pennsylvanians know that they have a state constitutional right to a healthy environment. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court reinvigorated that right in 2017, when I was working for the Council as a legal fellow. I was excited to come back and continue the work of ensuring that our courts appropriately interpret and protect that right, which I hope might serve as a national model one day.

6. What are you working on? 

I am primarily working on the defense of Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), and on opposition to the zoning for a quarry in Upper Bucks County. I have also been working on an appeal to ensure that polluters pay their fair share of the legal costs when they violate environmental laws. 

7. What legal battles or challenges are you following closely in Pennsylvania?

The Pennsylvania Environmental Rights Amendment is being litigated in a lot of cases that I am following closely, including the cases I noted above that I am working on. This includes the RGGI litigation. RGGI is a cap-and-invest program that is arguably the state’s most significant action ever (though we still need to do more) to address climate change, and I’m hopeful our courts will not stand in the way of its implementation.