Held v. Montana was a landmark constitutional case where 16 Montana youth sued the state for supporting the fossil fuel industry, arguing it violated their constitutional right to a clean environment. This led to a historic ruling in their favor in 2023, and the ruling was upheld by the Montana Supreme Court in 2024.

Melissa Hornbein, Attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center was one of the attorneys working with Our Childrens Trust litigating for the youth in the case. Melissa will be giving a brief overview of the Held Constitutional youth climate case and talking about the subsequent legislative and political backlash. She will share how they are looking to a combination of coalition-building, empowering community voices, and, of course, future litigation to defend this important legal victory and continue to ensure that it has meaning, not just on paper, but for actual people in these politically challenging times.

About the Speaker

Melissa Hornbein joined WELC (Western Environmental Law Center) in January 2020 after working in state and federal government. She holds a B.S. in botany and a B.A. in anthropology from the University of Washington, and obtained her J.D. in 2008 from Hastings College of the Law. The next year, she earned a M.S. in environmental studies from the University of Montana. Before practicing as an attorney, Melissa worked in the field as a botanist/biological technician for various academic and governmental entities, including the National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey. She worked as an attorney with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation on tribal and federal water rights issues, and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Montana with the Department of Justice. Melissa works from our Rocky Mountains office, and is based in Helena, Montana.