University of Miami, JD
Magna Cum Laude
Order of the Coif
University of Miami Law Review
University of Miami
LLM - Comparative Law
University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, Bachelors of Laws
University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, BA
London Polytechnic, London, UK, Trade & Economic Agreements – Summer School in International Law
Joëlle Hervic
Joëlle Hervic is an environmental and litigation attorney with experience in Amlaw 100 law firms, NGOs and government. She has counseled and represented clients in diverse industries ranging from oil companies to small businesses. Ms. Hervic brings a breadth of knowledge and understanding of environmental issues including The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, endangered species and water issues arising under The Clean Water Act (CWA), allocation issues and international environmental law. Her experience also includes commercial litigation, product liability and international trade law issues. Ms. Hervic is a skilled writer and advocate and is adept at navigating and interpreting legislative and regulatory regimes. She is also experienced in crafting comments and testifying in response to proposed legislation, including comments on the proposed Maryland Department of the Environment draft CAFO Permits on behalf of Waterkeeper Alliance and other concerned Chesapeake Bay stakeholders.
Ms. Hervic’s accomplishments include the following:
- Successfully drafted and argued a Motion for Reconsideration in Federal court in a seizure case under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) involving millions of dollars worth of imported mahogany which would have otherwise resulted in substantial loss to the client.
- Provided guidance and executive summaries to a litigation joint defense group executive committee on water pollution issues in Florida.
- Prepared waste-out reports used to allocate response costs at major Superfund sites among Potentially Responsible Parties in the settlement of large multi party cases.
- Successfully represented DuPont in a class action suit, drafting a Motion in Limine that neutralized much of the plaintiffs’ evidence and resulting in settlement.
- Advised large corporate client on State regulations concerning Hot Mix Asphalt in road construction, the use and testing of polymer binders, the link between Hot Mix Asphalt and emissions and on asphalt binder specifications for greener road construction.
- Summarized the effects of offshore mining, drilling and exploration of oil and gas in the Outer Continental Shelf for Congress.
Ms. Hervic is also active in pro bono work, which includes an amicus brief for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) to address pollution in the Guaya River in Ecuador. In her brief, Ms. Hervic identified Ecuador’s environmental and human rights obligations at international law and discussed the emerging right to water at international law. Ms. Hervic’s efforts formed part of the demand for a constitutional amendment to incorporate a human right to water, which culminated in Ecuador becoming the first country in the world to recognize nature as a legal subject of rights in its constitution.
Ms. Hervic obtained her JD Magna Cum Laude from the University of Miami and has an LLM in Comparative Law with a concentration in environmental law. She has published work in leading law journals on environmental issues and is regularly invited to speak on environmental concerns. She is fluent in French.