In the Courts

Defenders has been a stronghold of wildlife litigation since the organization’s inception in 1947. Defenders’ attorneys possess an in-depth knowledge of the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, National Forest Management Act and other conservation laws, aggressively utilizing these laws to protect endangered species and ecosystems.

The legal team works in consort with biologists, regional experts, local conservation groups and grassroots activists from its national headquarters in Washington, D.C. and its field office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Wildlife

Defenders uses the Endangered Species Act and other federal conservation laws to protect endangered and threatened species, and imperiled species not currently benefiting from ESA protections.


Public Lands

In addition to species-specific litigation, Defenders is a committed advocate for the protection of the nation’s wildlife refuges, parks, forests and other public lands.


Water and Wetlands

Protections afforded by the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act are critical to the survival of imperiled species dependent on fragile river and wetland habitats.