Staff
Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Nicholas is the General Counsel for Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. Betsy received her J.D. cum laude from Tulane University Law School in 1998, and her B.S. in Botany/Ecology from University of Florida in 1995. While at Tulane, Betsy received a Certificate of Specialization in Environmental Law, was a Managing Editor for the Tulane Environmental Law Journal, a practicing student attorney in the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, and co-editor of the Environmental Law Newsletter.
Prior to joining UCR in March of 2003, Betsy worked as an environmental associate for law firms in both New York and Washington, DC, with experience ranging from hazardous waste litigation to endangered species habitat conservation plan development. Since joining UCR, she has taken full responsibility for managing UCR’s legal program, including determining appropriate actions to address threats to the Chattahoochee watershed; managing all litigation including crafting legal strategies, developing substantive arguments and negotiating settlement positions in all litigation; lobbying federal, state and local officials to improve environmental laws; and ensuring compliance with all legal restrictions associated with 501(c)(3) non-profit status. Areas of concentration include Clean Water Act, state erosion and sedimentation laws, Georgia Water Quality Control Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, state water rights and allocation laws and policies, federal and state administrative procedures, the Federal Power Act, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulations.
