Ruggiero, Marissa Becker

Primary Practice Areas

Torts/Products Liability: Representation of persons injured or damaged by defective products in state and federal torts litigation against the manufacturers and designers of those products, thus redressing private harms and enhancing public safety.

Environmental Law: Representation of non-profit environmental advocacy organizations in federal environmental litigation, including matters of endangered species, conservation and public lands management, protection of the public interest in biodiversity and healthy ecosystems; and counseling non-profit environmental advocacy organizations on litigation opportunities and potential strategies for achieving conservation goals.

Other Experience

2007 - present Center for Sustainable Economy, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Legal Fellow: advisor to president and senior economist on creative ways to use the law to encourage and inform sustainable business practices; representative assignments include the preparation of a comprehensive survey of federal and state incentives for the pulp and paper industry designed to encourage environmentally sound performance that transcended mere regulatory compliance.

2006 - 2010 WildEarth Guardians, Denver, Colorado
Staff Attorney: represented non-profit conservation organization in federal environmental litigation; developed expertise in administrative, wildlife, and public lands law, as well as the law governing clean air and water; identified litigation strategies for all conservation programs, including wildlife, wild places, and climate and energy; managed organization’s litigation docket.

2006 University of Denver Environmental Clinical Partnership, Denver, Colorado
Student Attorney: initiated litigation against selected state agencies for violations of ESA § 9 resulting from locally legalized trapping practices which harm or kill non-target federally protected species; researched legislative histories showing congressional intent to promote the values of quiet, solitude, and spiritual reflection in setting aside federal lands; developed information to be used in developing legal strategies to challenge administrative approval of motorized uses and heavy commercial recreation in national parks, and wilderness and roadless areas.