About Us
The Western Environmental Law Center uses the power of the law to foster thriving, resilient western lands, waters, wildlife, and communities in the face of a changing climate. We envision a thriving West, abundant with protected and interconnected ecosystems, powered by renewable energy, and cared for by communities brought together in an ecology of kinship. WELC works close to the ground, with offices in Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Montana, and Colorado. As a public interest law firm, WELC does not charge clients and partners for services, but relies instead on charitable gifts from individuals, families, and foundations to accomplish our mission. WELC integrates national policies and regional perspective with the local knowledge of our 165+ partner groups to implement smart and appropriate place-based solutions.
Our Mission
We use the power of the law to foster thriving, resilient western lands, waters, wildlife, and communities in the face of a changing climate.
Board
WELC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of renowned attorneys, academics, and conservationists from across the country.
Staff
WELC has offices throughout the West. Meet the people who, supported by our donors, do the day-to-day work of defending the West.
WELC: An Outside Magazine Best Place to Work for the sixth year running in 2024!
WELC believes in taking care of people. Our policies provide for generous vacation time, great benefits, and a strong culture of camaraderie. We’re small enough that we all know and care about each other but big enough to take down powerful corporate polluters and government scofflaws. We get to do high-level, large-scale work and execute it in places we know and love to explore. For these reasons and more, Outside Magazine named us as a best place to work for the sixth year in a row in 2024!
WELC: A 2025 NonProfit Times best nonprofit to work for!
The NonProfit Times, the leading business publication for nonprofit management, named WELC the #6 overall best nonprofit to work for in 2025! This recognition takes into account personnel policies such as salary, vacation, and health insurance benefits. It also measures the cultures of applicant organizations, how happy staff truly are, how dedicated employees feel and how management supports them. We’re proud to receive this recognition, and we are always striving to improve our workplace so our talented attorneys and support staff can make the strongest possible difference for our environment and communities. Read more about this honor here!
WELC: 2023 Oregon Business Magazine #11 best small nonprofit to work for in Oregon!
WELC offers incredible work-life balance and tons of job flexibility, which among other things led Oregon Business Magazine to award us as one of Oregon’s best nonprofits to work for in 2023. We truly care for one another here, and management takes care of staff not only because kindness is a way of life at WELC, but also because our people are our greatest resource. We want people to stick around, have more fun, and do more good with the WELC team. Read more here.
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