Blakely Hildebrand
Senior Attorney
Like many SELC attorneys, Blakely works to develop and execute legal and advocacy strategies to address water pollution, air pollution, and environmental injustice The difference is that her work focuses on eastern North Carolina, where livestock far outnumber people, and the harm stemming from the hog and poultry industries’ mismanagement of untold amounts of animal waste in the southeast.
Making and strengthening relationships with community organizations is meaningful to Blakely. She develops legal and policy advocacy strategies, and also represents SELC clients in state and federal courts and before state and federal agencies. She draws upon deep policy and advocacy experience gained before she entered law school, including work on a congressional campaign and on Capitol Hill, for a city government, and for a national non-profit organization.
The mountains of North Carolina hold a special place for Blakely. She has fond memories of hiking through rhododendron caves in the Blue Ridge Mountains, splashing in mountain streams, and resting at an overlook where the breathtaking views let her worries fall away.
“My family has been in North Carolina for generations,” she notes.
I feel a deep personal connection to the places SELC works to protect – from the beach, where I have visited nearly every summer of my life;
Blakely Hildebrand
“to the coastal plain, where I have deep family roots; to the Triangle, where I went to college and now live and raise a family; to the mountains, where grew up and find peace and so much beauty”.
Previous Experience
- SELC, intern, 2013
- J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, with honors
- B.A., University of North Carolina with honors
- With SELC since 2014