Erin Gaines joined Earthjustice in 2020 and is a supervising senior attorney based remotely in Austin, Texas. Her work is focused on representing frontline communities and non-profit groups challenging oil, gas, and petrochemical buildout in Texas and along the Gulf Coast.

Before joining Earthjustice, Erin was an attorney and team manager at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, where she represented low-income community groups in environmental justice cases along the Texas Gulf Coast and the Texas-Mexico border. Her work included civil rights and fair housing complaints, permit challenges under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act review cases, and citizen suit enforcement.

Erin was a law clerk for the Honorable Gregg Costa on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Southern District of Texas, Galveston Division. She is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and Stanford University. She enjoys camping and exploring Texas parks and rivers with her family and eating breakfast tacos.