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The MELJ’s spring issue featured an introduction to two of its new editors—Nicholas Leonard and Allison Collins, but also hard at work on its Editorial Committee are Joni Roach and Lydia Barbash-Riley.

Joni is a research attorney with the Michigan Court of Appeals in Grand Rapids, MI. She attended law school at Michigan State University School of Law, where she was a published member of the law review, a professor’s teaching assistant, and a research assistant. Joni completed multiple externships in law school, working for the Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustee and a judge in the Western District of Michigan among others. Before law school, Joni studied professional writing and computer science at Grand Valley State University. She worked in the field of e-commerce for approximately five years before making the decision to attend law school. Joni’s interest in the environment stems from her wonderful memories of camping, swimming, biking, and hiking as a child with her family in northern Michigan. In her free time, Joni volunteers at a local cat shelter, and enjoys mountain biking, hiking, reading, and writing.

Lydia Barbash-Riley is an associate attorney with Olson, Bzdok & Howard, P.C. specializing in environmental, energy, and Indian law. She represents public interest clients in proceedings before the Michigan Public Service Commission and in other environmental and land use litigation matters. Lydia also has experience counseling municipal and private clients regarding environmental due diligence and brownfield redevelopment.

Lydia received her J.D. cum laude from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, where she was the Editor-In-Chief of the Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies. During law school, she gained experience working to protect natural and cultural resources in the public and non-profit sectors as a legal intern with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Conservation Law Center. Lydia also earned a Master of Public Affairs in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs and a B.A. in political science with honors in the liberal arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to law school, Lydia was a Community Environmental Development Promoter in the Dominican Republic with the U.S. Peace Corps. Lydia currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. Outside of the office, she enjoys hiking and SCUBA diving in the Great Lakes.