Our Attorneys

Emma Clouse is an associate in the Firm’s Chambers-ranked Energy Law and Real Estate Groups. With a background in environmental justice, Emma is dedicated to empowering communities through the use of legal tools that support sustainable development and affordable housing. She finds the greatest professional satisfaction in knowing her work contributes to thriving, resilient communities.

Prior to joining the firm, she represented developers and investors in low-income housing tax credit transactions, focusing on real estate acquisitions, leasing, and financing at Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen. She also completed a two-year Equal Justice Works fellowship with the Equitable Community Development and Housing team at the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. Her fellowship expanded the team’s advocacy and policy efforts around environmental justice in Chicago, focusing on issues such as urban agriculture, zoning and land use, water equity, and renewable energy. This experience deepened her commitment to helping organizations and communities navigate the complexities of development and access the legal support they need to succeed.

She remains actively engaged in advancing racial equity and urban agriculture in Illinois and serves as a governor-appointed member of the state’s newly formed Agriculture Equity Commission.