Legal experts with a shared belief that New Zealand can lead the fight against climate change.

We are lawyers who want to use our legal skills and experience to ensure a better future for everyone.  We are barristers, solicitors, and legal academics.  We come from all over New Zealand and have specialist expertise in many different areas of the law.  

We accept that the scientific evidence shows that climate change will cause global catastrophe unless we cut emissions now and achieve zero net carbon emissions by 2050.  

We believe that New Zealand can and should do more in the global fight against climate change.  We want to make sure that New Zealand meets its obligations under the Paris Agreement to reduce emissions and that it does so in a way that is evidence-based, effective, and consistent with the rule of law, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, international law, and with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. 

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc. is a New Zealand registered charity.  

Jessica Palairet - Executive Director

Jessica is LCANZI’s Executive Director. Jessica is a lawyer and was a member of Lawyers for Climate Action for a number of years before starting as Executive Director in late 2023 on her return to New Zealand from overseas. She has a Masters of Law from New York University specialising in international climate litigation. Before working at Lawyers for Climate Action NZ, Jessica worked at the High Court as a judges’ clerk, at Shortland Chambers as a junior barrister, and as an International Human Rights Law Fellow at the United Nations in New York.

Our Committee

The LCANZI Committee is elected each year by the members of Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc.

Jenny Cooper KC - President

Jenny founded LCANZI alongside James in 2019 and was LCANZI’s President for over 3 years. Jenny stepped down for scheduling reasons in March 2023 but has now returned! Jenny is a highly regarded commercial litigator at Shortland Chambers in Auckland. Jenny has been involved in almost all LCANZI projects in some way. Jenny represented LCANZI in our judicial review of the Climate Change Commission in early 2022 alongside James and Martin and is involved in our other litigation projects.

Dr James Every-Palmer KC - Treasurer

James founded LCANZI alongside Jenny Cooper KC in 2019 and has been LCANZI’s Treasurer since the beginning. James is an experienced commercial litigator at Stout Street Chambers. He has appeared in several significant climate litigation cases, including appearing for LCANZI in our ongoing judicial review of the Climate Change Commission and our successful judicial review of the ETS settings. James also chairs LCANZI’s Emissions Trading Scheme working group, which has made several submissions on the ETS.

Sophie Meares - Secretary

Sophie has been LCANZI’s Secretary since 2021. Sophie is Senior Legal Counsel at Christchurch City Council and is also an ILANZ Committee Member. As Secretary, Sophie works hard to ensure we are meeting all of our obligations under our constitution. Sophie was instrumental in registering LCANZI as a charity in 2022. 

Martin Smith

Martin has recently joined the Committee in 2024, but he has been giving his time to LCANZI litigation for years. Martin is a partner at specialist Auckland litigation and dispute resolution firm, Gilbert Walker. Martin acted pro bono alongside Jenny and James on our Climate Change Commission judicial review, as well as in our judicial review of ETS settings.

Majka Cherrington

Majka joined the LCANZI Committee in 2024, Majka is an associate at Tukau Law and has a passion for dispute resolution and assisting whanau, hapu and iwi in their claims to the Waitangi Tribunal. Outside mahi, Majka is a mama and co-chairperson on the Board of the Kohanga which her tamariki attend.

Debra Dorrington

Debra recently joined the LCANZI Committee in 2023. Debra is a sustainability consultant and a property lawyer currently working in-house at Kāinga Ora. Before joining the Committee, Debra was LCANZI’s pro bono coordinator and has been instrumental in our ongoing work with NZLS to implement a resolution on climate change and guidance on climate conscious legal practice.  

Frankie McKeefry

Frankie has been an LCANZI Committee member since 2022. He is a former corporate lawyer turned sustainability consultant. Frankie is the chair of LCANZI’s corporate governance subcommittee which is working toward having climate change recognised as a director’s duty. He has also been doing some important mahi on LCANZI’s strategic planning and development.

Nicola Hedge

Nicola is our first associate member to join the LCANZI Committee. Nicola is a kiwi who has recently moved home after living and working in the US on sustainability, most recently working as Deputy Director with the City & County of Honolulu's Office of Climate Change, Sustainability & Resiliency. She worked with NGOs for ten years at a philanthropic foundation, the San Diego Foundation, and worked as a climate advisor for the Natural Resources Defense Council, a leading environmental advocacy organisation that uses strategic litigation in the US.

Legal Assistance

LCANZI is an incorporated society whose members are lawyers, legal academics and law students committed to using their legal skills to help to drive the change needed to address the threat of climate change. 

We recognise that there are many other individuals and groups in New Zealand who are also committed to this, but would sometimes benefit from access to lawyers to assist them, LCANZI has established a panel of lawyers who are willing to assist community groups and individuals on a reduced fee, or pro bono, basis. 

Any community group or individual who think that they could benefit from such assistance  can contact the pro-bono coordinator who will discuss with them whether LCANZI members can offer support and if so will put them in contact with a suitable lawyer.