New Environmental and Energy Law Chair Amy Kendall: ‘Support the People Who Are Doing the Work’
6.5.2025
Amy Kendall, the new chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Environmental and Energy Law Section, knows the importance of the rule of law.
“Environmental and energy law impacts every aspect of a person’s life,” she said. “Clean air, clean water – it’s essential, and we see it as our responsibility to make sure those protections don’t become relaxed or fall to the wayside.”
Kendall is a partner at Knauf Shaw in Rochester, a boutique environmental energy and land use firm. Her practice focuses on water-related issues. She advises clients on wetland permitting and compliance. She advocates for clients on groundwater, surface water and drinking water contamination issues.
“Our firm really feels that it’s important to be involved in the section, so every attorney at our firm is a member,” Kendall said.
As environmental law faces changes and challenges from the current administration, Kendall said it is important for the section to guide and aid practitioners in the field.
“I see it as my job to support the people who are doing the work,” she said. “Whether that’s commenting on legislation, providing feedback on rules – but also challenging some of the actions that have occurred that really have a negative impact on the environmental and energy space. We have so many talented, knowledgeable individuals, and we really feel that it’s our responsibility to stand up and make sure that the rule of law is the most important guiding principle.”
Kendall also discussed the importance of supporting young environmental lawyers and building the future of the section.
“We’re going to be focusing on programs for young lawyers, with skills credits that provide practical information for new environmental attorneys and hopefully convince new attorneys to become environmental attorneys,” she said. “To provide basic information that some of us as older practitioners take for granted, like, what forms do we have to fill out? What is the process for complying with this particular law? So I’m excited about getting a system in place for providing those skills credits to young lawyers.”
Kendall is also looking forward to the section’s upcoming 50th anniversary. “This is the 50th year since the first meeting of what was then the Special Environmental Committee,” she said. “So one of the things I plan to do this year is really pay tribute to the past. We’re going to be doing a retrospective history project through articles in our environmental law journal and presentations. Not only looking at the past but looking at the future.”
