Natalie Bridgeman Fields is the managing attorney of the Earthjustice International Program. She leads a global team of attorneys, scientists, and other practitioners working to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and advance clean energy, defend biodiversity and the natural world, and protect human health.

Prior to joining Earthjustice, Natalie founded Accountability Counsel, where she was the executive director for 14 years. She led the organization of lawyers, advocates, and researchers working to amplify the voices of people to defend their environmental and human rights when harmed by international finance and development institutions’ projects. Under Natalie’s leadership, the organization was foundational in building opportunities for communities to seek justice in the burgeoning area of accountability mechanism law.

Natalie’s legal career also included solo law practice co-counseling on human rights and environmental cases in U.S. courts. She represented Indigenous Achuar community members and Amazon Watch in the Carijano v. Occidental Petroleum case, a successful suit against the oil company for toxic torts. Natalie has served as consultant for development banks regarding creation, development, and redesign of accountability systems.

Natalie spent the early part of her legal career at Wilson Sonsini, where she litigated corporate and securities cases, ran the asylum program, and was part of the Cabello v. Fernández-Larios legal team, which sued a Pinochet lieutenant. The Cabello case returned the nation’s first Alien Tort Statute jury verdict on a crimes against humanity claim and was upheld on appeal.

Natalie guest lectures and has published on topics ranging from environmental justice, to accountability in development finance and impact investing, to business and human rights. She has taught law school and business school courses on international environmental law and responsible finance.

Natalie is an Echoing Green Fellow, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Entrepreneur, and has been a Stanford University CDDRL Fellow. She is a graduate of Cornell University, where she was a Udall Scholar and received the Michael Schwerner National Activist Award. Natalie received her law degree from UCLA School of Law, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs. She sings in a band and lives in San Francisco with her husband and three kids.