Faculty and Staff Profiles

Adam Babich, Director

Adam Babich is a professor at Tulane Law School. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1983 and his B.A. from Dickinson College in 1977. He has served as an assistant attorney general for the Colorado Attorney General's CERCLA Litigation Section, as adjunct attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund, as partner in a Denver law firm, as editor-in-chief of the Environmental Law Institute's Environmental Law Reporter, and as a law clerk for the Colorado Supreme Court. Mr. Babich has taught as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, American University, and the University of Denver. He has directed the Environmental Law Clinic since May 2000.

Jill Witkowski, Deputy Director

Jill Witkowski is a graduate of Washington University School of Law. She started her legal career with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York City. Immediately before joining the Clinic, she served as a judicial law clerk for Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington of the federal Middle District of Florida.

Corinne Van Dalen, Staff Attorney

Staff Attorney Corinne Van Dalen graduated from the University of Florida Law School in 1990. Ms. Van Dalen started her legal career in New Orleans working as in-house counsel for ACORN, representing its associated organizations in litigation involving the Fair Housing Act and FCC regulations. In 1992, she went to Washing-ton , D.C. to work as a legislative specialist for an organization that represents states’ interests and develops positions and recommendations regarding the Clean Water Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act and other federal environmental laws. She also worked as a legislative specialist for a private law firm providing regulatory counseling to clients on various environmental laws. Returning to litigation, she spent five years at a large Washington, D.C.-based firm working on complex product liability cases. In 2001, Corinne took a position with a firm that brought her back to New Orleans . She continued to litigate, working on environmental insurance coverage disputes and complex hazardous waste claims. She joined the legal staff of the Clinic in 2005.

Elizabeth Livingston de Calderón, Staff Attorney

Elizabeth Livingston de Calderón started her career in private practice, first with Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts in New York City and then with Pepper Hamilton in Detroit, Michigan. She moved to New Orleans in 2002 to teach Legal Research & Writing at Tulane Law School, and directed Tulane Law School's international graduate legal studies program from 2004 to 2006. Ms. Calderón earned her J.D. magna cum laude from Tulane Law School, where she was a member of the Tulane Law Review. She also earned an M.A. in classical languages from Tulane University and a B.A. from Connecticut College. She joined the staff of the clinic in May 2006.

Lisa Lavie Jordan , Staff Attorney

Lisa Lavie Jordan, a New Orleans native, originally came to the Clinic in its early years as a student attorney from 1990-1991. She received her LL.M. in environmental law, with distinction, from Tulane in 1991. She went on to serve as a prosecutor in the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office, where she eventually became a member of the office's Violent Offender Strike Force. In 1996, she returned to the Clinic, this time as a Supervising Attorney. Lisa left in 1998, but returned in July 1999 to serve as Acting Director of the Clinic for the 1999/2000 academic year. She has recently returned to the Clinic as a Supervising Attorney. Lisa retains an interest in trial education, having taught in Tulane's Trial Advocacy Program, as well as the NITA program, and having served as a coach for Tulane ATLA trial teams.

Linda Swanner, Legal Assistant

Linda Swanner joined the Clinic in April 2006 as the Clinic's legal assistant and webmaster. Ms. Swanner previously worked in the Office of Academic Services at Tulane Law School. Her move was prompted by her interests in environmental and environmental justice issues. She provides administrative and clerical support to faculty, clinical staff, and student attorneys.