Laura M. Esquivel joined Earthjustice’s Policy and Legislation Department in April 2023, where she works to combat the expansion of oil and gas development on public lands, in oceans, and across the Arctic.

A lifelong advocate for civil rights and social justice, Laura views addressing the intersection of climate change and environmental justice as a natural extension of her work advancing equity and opportunity for all communities.

Before joining Earthjustice, Laura served as vice president for Federal Policy and Advocacy at Hispanic Federation, leading federal advocacy efforts on a wide range of civil rights issues affecting Latino communities, including advancing a just recovery and rebuilding effort in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.

She has also served as an adjunct professor in the political science departments of two of her alma maters.

Appointed twice by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to Senate-confirmed positions, Laura served five years on the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights and three years on the Maryland Legal Services Corporation board.

Laura holds a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, a master’s degree in political science from California State University, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree in American politics from California State University, Dominguez Hills. She is a graduate of the National Hispana Leadership Institute and holds an executive leadership certificate from Harvard University.

Often referred to as “La Madre of the Latino LGBT Movement,” Laura is featured in the PBS documentary UNIDAD: Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos.