Kristian has pursued a career in environmental law and policy for 18 years. He grew up in Wisconsin near the Menomonee River, where he learned the importance of fresh water to economic and social development. This understanding led Kristian to pursue a degree in chemistry and then law that focused on international and domestic water law. During his law school career, he built an impressive record of experience clerking for the Honorable Judge William E. Callahan, Jr., E.D. of Wisconsin, the California Attorney General’s Office, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. He was also a Water Law Fellow at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, a post he created through a grant application process.
Before joining the California Electric Transportation Coalition, Kristian practiced law for five years where he successfully combined his education in chemistry, hydrology, and law to develop creative solutions for clients and build consensus on controversial issues. He has worked on cases that involve water rights, water quality, contracts, CERCLA, and the Endangered Species Act. Several of his cases centered on complex multi-party litigation that involved parties as diverse as municipalities, Fortune 500 companies, and individual landowners. Additionally, he has assisted clients with private property rights, including water rights, groundwater wells, and easements.
Kristian received a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a J.D. and LL.M. in International Water Law from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.
