Melissa Blue Sky ’04 is a senior attorney with the People, Land, and Resources program at the Center for International Environmental Law. After receiving her BA from Atlantic College and her JD from American University Washington College of Law, she spent significant time in Latin America, where her work focused on forests.
Melissa says, “I think it’s a really important and unique role that CIEL plays in the environment and human rights space in that we’re an advocacy organization but really grounded in the law. Unlike a lot of other organizations, we put a lot of focus on basing what we’re calling for on legal expertise and ensuring its accuracy and precision. I think that can be really powerful and make a big difference, especially when working with bigger groups who can amplify our positions and our voices, and we can do the same for them in a different way.”
