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  • The Case

    The Case

    In March 2020, 16 young people from across the state of Montana filed a constitutional climate lawsuit against their own state government. Get the details, meet the plaintiffs, etc.

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  • The People

    The People

    Meet the plaintiffs, expert witnesses, their legal team and the defendants in Held v. State of Montana.

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  • In The News

    In The News

    Held v. State of Montana hit headlines locally, nationally, and globally. Read select coverage.

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  • Learning Resources

    Learning Resources

    Our Children’s Trust builds its groundbreaking youth-led climate litigation on a foundation of the best available climate science. Learn about the most up-to-date, cutting-edge science and why reducing atmospheric CO2 to below 350 ppm is necessary to restore the Earth’s energy balance and stabilize our climate system.

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  • Legal team
  • Youth Plaintiffs
  • Experts
  • Fact Witness

Our Children’s Trust

  • Nate Bellinger
  • Susan Carey
  • Anders Carlson
  • Mat dos Santos
  • Phil Gregory
  • Ji Hyun Lee
  • Julia Olson
  • Andrea Rodgers
  • David Schwartz
  • Kelly Shedd

McGarvey Law

  • Roger Sullivan

Western Environmental Law Center

  • Barbara Chillcott
  • Melissa Hornbein
  • Rikki H.
  • Badge B.
  • Lander B.
  • Ruby & Lilian D.
  • Georgi F.
  • Grace G.
  • Taleah H.
  • Mica K.
  • Nate & Jeffrey K.
  • Eva L.
  • Sariel S.
  • Kian T.
  • Claire V.
  • Olivia V.
  • Dr. Richard Barrett
  • Dr. Lori Byron
  • Dr. Rob Byron
  • Michael Durglo Jr.
  • Peter Erickson
  • Dr. Dan Fagre
  • Mark Haggerty
  • Anne Hedges
  • Dr. Mark Jacobson
  • Dr. Steven Running
  • Dr. Jack Stanford
  • Dr. Kevin Trenberth
  • Dr. Lise Van Susteren
  • Dr. Cathy Whitlock
  • Mae Nan Ellingson

Legal team

As advocates, our job is to make sure children’s voices are heard in courts of law. Held youth plaintiffs are represented by Nate Bellinger, Mat dos Santos, Philip Gregory, Julia Olson, Andrea Rodgers with Our Children’s Trust; Melissa Hornbein and Barbara Chillcott with Western Environmental Law Center; and Roger Sullivan with McGarvey Law.

Andrea speaking outside at a press podium
OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST

ANDREA RODGERS

Andrea has been working with Our Children’s Trust since 2010 and joined the staff in 2017, representing youth in constitutional climate change cases against governments, contributing to organizational legal strategy and case development. She supervises Our Children’s Trust’s government affairs attorney and climate scientist.

Andrea is counsel of record in Juliana v. United States, Genesis v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Held v. State of Montana, Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Dept of Transportation, and is actively developing several state cases including Florida, where in 2022 she led a petition for rulemaking on behalf of 200+ youth to set a target of 100% of the state’s electricity to be generated from clean renewable energy by 2050. In addition to advancing our federal cases, Andrea supports Canada’s first youth-led climate case that received a favorable ruling before the Federal Court of Appeals, La Rose v. His Majesty the King, putting the youth plaintiffs on the path to trial.  

Andrea is the author of numerous publications, including “The Injustice of 1.5º-2ºC: The Need for a Scientifically Based Standard of Fundamental Rights Protection in Constitutional Climate Change Cases” in the Virginia Environmental Law Journal (2022), which was cited by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. Andrea is the 2024 recipient of the Svitlana Kravchenko Environmental Rights Award from Land Air Water at the University of Oregon School of Law.   

Prior to joining Our Children’s Trust, she was an honors attorney for U.S. Department of Transportation, in-house legal counsel for Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, staff attorney for Western Environmental Law Center, and clerked for Hon. John C. Gemmill on Arizona Court of Appeals. Andrea received her JD from Arizona State University and BA from University of California, Santa Barbara.

press & media

The Nation August 16, 2023 Held v. Montana Is a Historic Victory for Climate Action—but Also Human Rights DeSmog August 23, 2023 Attorneys: Verdict in Montana Youth Climate Case Bolsters Climate Suit Against US
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The Case

  • Timeline
  • Full Trial Video
  • Trial Details

The People

  • Plaintiffs Side
  • Defendants Side

In the News

  • Media Coverage
  • Press Center

Learning Resources

  • Film & Video
  • Curricula
  • OCT Impact Report

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