Renata Valquier Chavez

Renata Valquier Chavez de Tritz is the 2026–2027 Law and Policy Fellow with Maryland Sea Grant and the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI). Her work focuses on environmental law, water governance, coastal adaptation, and environmental justice, with a particular interest in how law and policy can help communities respond to changing environmental and climate conditions. She holds an LL.M. in environmental and energy law from Georgetown University Law Center, a J.D. from Creighton University School of Law, and a master’s degree in community and regional planning from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her background in both law and community planning informs her interdisciplinary approach to environmental issues and her interest in connecting legal research, policy development, and community engagement.

Valquier Chavez de Tritz’s long-term goal is to work at the intersection of community adaptation, water governance, and environmental justice as an attorney who can move between litigation, legal research, policy development, and direct engagement with communities. She was drawn to the Law and Policy Fellowship because Maryland Sea Grant and ALEI pair legal research with extension and outreach, creating opportunities to connect legal knowledge with the people and communities it affects.

She believes meaningful environmental progress requires more than understanding what the law says. It also requires making that knowledge accessible, so communities can understand their rights, navigate complex systems, and have a meaningful voice in decisions that shape their future. Environmental decisions can have consequences that extend well beyond state lines and government boardrooms, making communication, collaboration, and community participation essential to effective environmental policy.

Originally from Nebraska, Renata enjoys spending time outdoors running, hiking, and fishing. She speaks English, Spanish, and French and is passionate about making environmental law accessible across language and cultural boundaries.