Friends welcomes new legal director, Magali Cota

||| FROM ELISE COPE for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS |||

Friends of the San Juans is excited to welcome and introduce Magali Cota as our new Legal Director and Staff Attorney. Magali is an environmental law attorney who has worked closely with communities to protect their natural spaces, educated them about their rights within an evolving legal system, and hold corporations and government agencies accountable.

One of Magali’s first areas of focus will be ensuring San Juan County and the Town of Friday Harbor’s Comprehensive Plan updates reflect key community priorities, especially those elevated through Friends’ recent work with the island Family Resource Centers and the Madrona Institute. Through strategic legal advocacy and collaboration, she’ll work to advance policies that protect the islands’ natural resources, support resilient communities, and reflect the shared values of those who call this place home.

“Stepping into the role of Legal Director and Staff Attorney at Friends, my driving goal is to protect both the human and nonhuman communities that call the San Juan Islands and Salish Sea home. I bring with me a deep commitment to environmental justice and the belief that law can be a powerful tool for lasting change.” — Magali Cota, Legal Director and Staff Attorney

Magali’s experience and skills in environmental law have been shaped by her work with nonprofit organizations such as Earthjustice, the Western Environmental Law Center, Columbia Riverkeeper, and most recently, the Northwest Justice Project, where she focused on protecting vulnerable communities.

While at Columbia Riverkeeper, Magali was involved in an ongoing legal project addressing the Snake River Dam and the “taking” clause under Section 9 of the Endangered Species Act. At the Western Environmental Law Center, she tackled pesticide regulation issues, identifying regulatory gaps within the state. She also led community workshops to share legal data, define key rights under the Clean Water Act, and guide public participation in commenting on proposed regulations for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations—highlighting their impact on air, water, and soil quality.

During her time with Earthjustice, Magali authored a legal research memorandum emphasizing the importance of embedding financial assurance requirements into laws regulating polluting industries, particularly in low-income and marginalized communities. She worked in collaboration with the Clean Air Coalition of North Whittier and Avocado Heights to oppose a neighborhood lead smelter facility, contributing to workshops that explained proposed regulations and facilitated public comment. She also supported the development of legal strategies aimed at shutting down the facility.

At JD Calkins, Magali was actively engaged in a State Environmental Policy Act appeal brought by Mason County Climate Justice and the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition.

Magali’s commitment to justice has recently expanded into civil legal issues impacting low-income communities. As a staff attorney with the Northwest Justice Project, she litigated cases involving eviction defense, Domestic Violence Protection Orders, and the dismissal of debt cases involving predatory creditors and third-party debt buyers. Her work has resulted in settlements, dismissals, and preliminary injunctions won on behalf of her clients.

Throughout her career, Magali has recognized the essential role of community, not only in her professional journey but in her ability to elevate the voices of those most affected by regulatory failures and environmental injustice. She deeply values Friends’ commitment to community voice and its understanding of the inextricable link between humanity and nature. She believes that access to a healthy environment is an innate right, and she will always fight to defend that right.

Magali is looking for year-round housing on San Juan Island! Let’s give her a warm island welcome—and, if you have housing leads, feel free to reach out! Email friends@sanjuans.org.

Friends of the San Juans’ mission is to bring people and nature together to protect the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea through education, science, policy and law. For more information visit sanjuans.org.