SELC Senior Attorney Frank Holleman elected fellow to American College of Environmental Lawyers 

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Southern Environmental Law Center is proud to announce Frank Holleman, longtime senior attorney, has joined the American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL) as a fellow.  

Each year, ACOEL invites highly accomplished individuals to the college for their “substantial contributions to the field of environmental law and their high standards of practice.” ACOEL consists of approximately 300 active fellows from around the country, attorneys from the private bar, academia, and nonprofits and includes SELC senior attorney Derb Carter. We’re not surprised Frank is receiving this high honor and we celebrate his achievement and deserved praise for his work over many years of practice. 

After graduating from Furman University, Frank Holleman attended Harvard Law School, serving as editor of the Harvard Law Review and graduating magna cum laude. After law school, he clerked for Judge Harrison Winter on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and for Justice Harry Blackmun on the U.S. Supreme Court.  From 1999 to 2000, he served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education under President Clinton. In 2011, Frank joined SELC and has been a force to be reckoned with, a seasoned litigator and persuasive orator for many of our cases.  

Holleman leads SELC’s regional litigation and policy work on coal ash pollution that has led to a cleanup of 270 million tons of coal ash, influencing utilities to protect clean water and helping create stronger protections for communities in the South. His legal experience touches several of SELC’s programs, including clean energy, water protection, and wildlife. 

We congratulate Frank Holleman for this national achievement and apt recognition for the years of his dedicated and tenacious environmental law practice.