Maia Hutt

Staff Attorney

Maia’s work focuses on the environmental and public health impacts of swine-waste pollution in North Carolina. She conducts research and develops advocacy strategies and cases aimed at alleviating the industrial animal agriculture industry’s impact on water quality, air quality, and human health. Maia also works to promote federal, state, and local policies that treat rooftop solar customers and independent solar companies fairly and help accelerate a clean, just energy transition.

I feel that I have a responsibility to use my skills to advocate for those who often lack a voice in our legal system.

Maia Hutt

“That includes what we traditionally think of as ‘nature’ – wilderness, streams, plants and animals as well as human communities who are disproportionately burdened by pollution and climate change. SELC approaches its work from a place-based perspective which allows us to craft our advocacy and strategy to reflect the needs and priorities of our community partners.”

Environmental justice cases are particularly meaningful to Maia. “I feel strongly that we need to center communities who bear the brunt of pollution and climate change, and to see environmental work through a social justice lens,” she said. “I am particularly proud of the work our team has done to bring attention to the disproportionate impact that industrial hog operations, particularly those producing biogas in an irresponsible manner, have on Black, Native American, and Latino communities in eastern North Carolina.” 

A special place for Maia in the southeast is Durham, North Carolina. “Every morning, I wake up around sunrise and walk or jog along the American Tobacco Trail. Lately, I’ve been watching the pokeweed berries shift towards purple. Today I helped an enormous green caterpillar cross the bike path.” 

Previous experience

• U.S. State Department, Fulbright Scholar, Republic of Georgia.  
• J.D., Columbia Law School, Alfred Forsyth Award for dedication to environmental law,  Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, James Kent Scholar
• B.A., Duke University, cum laude
• With SELC since 2018