Our Childrens Trust

OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST PROTECTS EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE AND NATURAL SYSTEMS FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS BY ELEVATING THE VOICE OF YOUTH IN LEGAL ACTIONS, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND IN THE MEDIA TO SECURE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO A SAFE CLIMATE SYSTEM.

OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST IS WORKING TOWARD ITS PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: PROTECTING EARTH'S NATURAL SYSTEMS FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. WE ARE WORKING TO HELP ENSURE THE CONTINUING SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR AIR AND WATER, AND OTHER NATURAL SYSTEMS. DURING 2021, WE COORDINATED YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES AND LEGAL ACTIONS, AND SUPPORTED NUMEROUS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS TOWARD OUR MISSION. DURING 2021, THE ORGANIZATION RECEIVED 2,249,021 IN DONATED IN-KIND LEGAL AND EXPERT SERVICES THAT WERE PROVIDED IN LEGAL ACTIONS FILED IN PURSUIT OF THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST IS A 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT PUBLIC INTEREST LAW FIRM PROVIDING STRATEGIC, SCIENCE-BASED LEGAL SERVICES TO YOUTH FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO SECURE THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS TO A SAFE CLIMATE. WE WORK TO PROTECT THE EARTH'S CLIMATE SYSTEM FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS BY REPRESENTING AND SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE IN GLOBAL LEGAL EFFORTS TO SECURE ENFORCEABLE RIGHTS TO A HEALTHY ATMOSPHERE AND STABLE CLIMATE, BASED ON THE BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE. THIS LEGAL WORK - GUIDED BY CONSTITUTIONAL, PUBLIC TRUST, HUMAN RIGHTS LAWS AND THE LAWS OF NATURE - AIMS TO ENSURE SYSTEMIC AND SCIENCE-BASED CLIMATE RECOVERY PLANNING AND REMEDIES AT FEDERAL, STATE, AND GLOBAL LEVELS. WE SEEK DECLARATIONS OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF YOUTH AS WELL AS LEGALLY- BINDING, COUNTRY AND STATEWIDE SCIENCE-BASED CLIMATE RECOVERY PLANS THAT WILL RETURN ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS TO BELOW 350 PARTS PER MILLION (PPM) BY THE YEAR 2100. THUS, ALL OF THE LITIGATION AND ADVOCACY WORK IN WHICH OCT PARTICIPATES PRESENTS A POSITION ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC AT LARGE ON MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST. WE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ACHIEVE, NOR DOES ANY OF OUR WORK ACHIEVE ANY OF OUR OBJECTIVES BY ILLEGAL ACTIVITY OR THROUGH A PROGRAM OF DISRUPTION OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. IN FACT, WE HONOR THE LEGAL PROCESSES OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND CONSIDER OURSELVES OFFICERS OF THE COURTS AS WE PURSUE OUR OBJECTIVES IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW AND COURT PROCEDURES. WE SCRUPULOUSLY ADHERE TO THE CANONS OF LEGAL ETHICS AND MONITOR ALL OF OUR EFFORTS TO ENSURE OUR ETHICAL REPRESENTATION IN AND PURSUIT OF OUR LEGAL EFFORTS. ________________________________________ 1. BELOW IS A LIST OF ALL ACTIVE LITIGATION AND LEGAL ACTIONS IN WHICH OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST SUPPORTED OR REPRESENTED YOUTH CLIENTS IN 2021: JULIANA V. U.S., DISTRICT OF OREGON, CASE NO. NO 6:15-CV-01517-AA WE REPRESENT 21 YOUNG AMERICANS FROM ACROSS THE U.S. IN THIS CASE THAT SEEKS A COURT DECLARATION THAT THE YOUTH'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO LIFE, LIBERTY AND PROPERTY, AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S PUBLIC TRUST OBLIGATIONS TO PRESERVE NATURAL RESOURCES HAVE BEEN VIOLATED BY THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONS OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT THAT KNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTE TO AND EXACERBATE THE CLIMATE CRISIS. THIS CASE, WHICH SEEKS A SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS THROUGH THE PROTECTION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. NO FEES OR EXPENSES HAVE YET BEEN SOUGHT, RECOVERED OR PAID TO OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST IN THIS LITIGATION. SAGOONICK V. STATE OF ALASKA, SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF ALASKA, SUPREME CT. NO. S-17297 WE REPRESENTED 16 YOUNG ALASKA NATIVES AND YOUNG ALASKANS IN THIS LAWSUIT SEEKING A COURT DECLARATION THAT THE YOUTH'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS UNDER THE ALASKA CONSTITUTION, AND THE STATE OF ALASKA'S OBLIGATION TO PRESERVE NATURAL RESOURCES UNDER THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE, HAVE BEEN VIOLATED BY THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONS OF THE ALASKA GOVERNMENT THAT KNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTE TO AND EXACERBATE THE CLIMATE CRISIS; AND, DEVELOPMENT BY THE STATE OF ALASKA OF A SCIENCE-BASED CLIMATE RECOVERY PLAN TO REDUCE AND MITIGATE THE CLIMATE CRISIS, AS A REMEDY FOR THE STATE OF ALASKA'S VIOLATIONS OF THOSE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. THIS CASE, WHICH SOUGHT A SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS THROUGH THE PROTECTION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, WAS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. NO FEES OR EXPENSES WERE SOUGHT, RECOVERED OR PAID TO OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST IN THIS LITIGATION. THIS CASE CONCLUDED IN 2021. AJI P. V. STATE OF WASHINGTON, SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, CASE NO. 99564-8 WE REPRESENTED 13 YOUNG WASHINGTONIANS IN THIS LAWSUIT THAT SEEKS A COURT DECLARATION THAT THE YOUTH'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS UNDER THE WASHINGTON CONSTITUTION, AND THE STATE OF WASHINGTON'S PUBLIC TRUST OBLIGATIONS TO PRESERVE NATURAL RESOURCES HAVE BEEN VIOLATED BY THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONS OF THE STATE THAT KNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTE TO AND EXACERBATE THE CLIMATE CRISIS; AND, TO REMEDY THE STATE OF WASHINGTON'S VIOLATION OF THOSE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS BY ORDERING THE GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP A SCIENCE-BASED CLIMATE RECOVERY PLAN TO REDUCE AND MITIGATE THE CLIMATE CRISIS. THIS CASE, WHICH SOUGHT A SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS THROUGH THE PROTECTION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. NO FEES OR EXPENSES WERE SOUGHT, RECOVERED OR PAID TO OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST IN THIS LITIGATION. THIS CASE CONCLUDED IN 2021. HELD V. STATE OF MONTANA, LEWIS & CLARK COUNTY DISTRICT COURT, CASE NO. CDV-2020-307 WE ARE CO-COUNSEL IN THE REPRESENTATION OF 16 YOUNG MONTANANS WHO ASSERT THAT, BY SUPPORTING A FOSSIL FUEL-DRIVEN ENERGY SYSTEM, WHICH IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS, MONTANA IS VIOLATING THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS: TO A CLEAN AND HEALTHFUL ENVIRONMENT; TO SEEK SAFETY, HEALTH, AND HAPPINESS; AND TO INDIVIDUAL DIGNITY AND EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAW. THE YOUTH PLAINTIFFS ALSO ARGUE THAT THE STATE'S FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY SYSTEM IS DEGRADING AND DEPLETING MONTANA'S CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED PUBLIC TRUST RESOURCES, INCLUDING THE ATMOSPHERE, RIVERS AND LAKES, AND FISH AND WILDLIFE. THIS CASE, WHICH SEEKS A SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS THROUGH THE PROTECTION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. NO FEES OR EXPENSES HAVE YET BEEN SOUGHT, RECOVERED OR PAID TO OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST IN THIS LITIGATION. REYNOLDS V. STATE OF FLORIDA, DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA, CASE NO. 1D20-2036 WE WERE CO-COUNSEL IN THE REPRESENTATION OF 8 YOUNG FLORIDIANS IN THIS CONSTITUTIONAL AND PUBLIC TRUST LAWSUIT AGAINST THE STATE OF FLORIDA, GOVERNOR DESANTIS, AND SEVERAL STATE AGENCIES. THE LITIGATION SOUGHT A COURT DECLARATION THAT THE YOUTH'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS UNDER THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION, AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA'S PUBLIC TRUST OBLIGATIONS TO PRESERVE NATURAL RESOURCES HAVE BEEN VIOLATED BY THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONS OF THE STATE THAT KNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTE TO AND EXACERBATE THE CLIMATE CRISIS; AND, TO REMEDY THE STATE OF FLORIDA'S VIOLATION OF THOSE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS BY ORDERING THE GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP A SCIENCE-BASED CLIMATE RECOVERY PLAN TO REDUCE AND MITIGATE THE CLIMATE CRISIS. THIS CASE, WHICH SOUGHT A SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS THROUGH THE PROTECTION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, WAS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. NO FEES OR EXPENSES WERE SOUGHT, RECOVERED OR PAID TO OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST IN THIS LITIGATION. GLOBAL DOMESTIC LITIGATION: WE ALSO SUPPORTED LAWYERS AND PLAINTIFFS IN YOUTH-LED CONSTITUTIONAL AND PUBLIC TRUST CLIMATE LITIGATION IN CANADA, MEXICO, INDIA, PAKISTAN, AND UGANDA. WE ARE NOT COUNSEL OF RECORD IN THESE CASES, AND NO FEES OR EXPENSES HAVE BEEN SOUGHT, RECOVERED OR PAID TO OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST IN THESE LITIGATIONS. ALL OF THESE GLOBAL DOMESTIC CASES ARE PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE HARMS WROUGHT ON THEM BY THEIR GOVERNMENTS' ACTIONS CONTRIBUTING TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS. AS A RESULT, THESE CASES ARE ALL IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. NO FEES OR EXPENSES HAVE YET BEEN SOUGHT, RECOVERED OR PAID TO OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST IN ANY OF THESE GLOBAL DOMESTIC LITIGATIONS.