Melissa Harrison

Legal/Administrative Assistant

Melissa supports a group of attorneys who mainly focus on environmental justice, climate change, rulemaking and guidelines, and water quality issues. She helps prepare litigation, discovery requests, and with navigating the court system and court filings.

“I am particularly excited by our work on protecting wetlands,” Melissa said. “These delicate habitats are constantly at risk of being destroyed by developers and industry and are very vulnerable to climate change. I am proud to be working alongside attorneys that focus on defending them.”

Living in diverse ecosystems has given Melissa an important personal relationship with nature. She was born in Somerville, New Jersey, and moved around a lot; Lake Placid, New York, in the Adirondack State Park is where she calls home. Her experiences “led me to pursue a career fighting to give a voice to the environment,” she said. “I want future generations to experience the natural environment without future interference.” 

Melissa is based in the Chapel Hill office. She relocated from southwest Florida to Durham, North Carolina, and she treasures the opportunities her new home state offers: “I can easily access swamps, mountains, forests, or the ocean, all of which are incredibly special to me.” 

Previous experience

• Paralegal
• B.A., The New School, emphasis in political science and photography
• A.B., Keiser University, paralegal studies 
• With SELC since 2022