Overview
Joseph Welsh is a dedicated member of Singleton Schreiber’s Environmental Litigation practice group, where he advocates for communities impacted by environmental harm. He is committed to seeking justice for those affected by toxic torts, environmental contamination, and pollution. With a background in environmental law, Joe has a passion for protecting the environment and has gained extensive experience in complex litigation, representing public water systems and community organizations in cases involving PFAS, fire-related toxins, and air and water pollution.
Before joining Singleton Schreiber, Joe worked as an Environmental Justice Staff Attorney at Lone Star Legal Aid, where he played a pivotal role in challenging petrochemical environmental permit applications in environmental justice communities. His experience includes petitioning the EPA to object to an oil refinery’s Title V permit and drafting a notice of intent to sue the EPA for unreasonable delay under Clean Air Act citizen suit provisions on behalf of environmental justice community organizations. Earlier in his career, Joe served as a Deputy District Attorney with Colorado's Fourth Judicial District, handling over 1,000 cases and prosecuting thirty misdemeanor trials focused on child abuse, domestic violence, assault, DUI charges, and careless driving resulting in death.
Joe earned his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he concentrated on environmental and energy law and served as President of the Environmental Law Society. He is currently pursuing an LL.M. in Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law from the University of Houston Law Center.
In his spare time, Joe enjoys playing ice hockey, running, and reading. He is licensed to practice law in Colorado and Texas.
.
Professional Affiliations
Affiliations
Member, American Bar Association; Environment, Energy, and Resources Section
News & Publications
News
“Behind the Concrete Curtain: Acknowledging and Curbing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Hydroelectric Facilities and River Impoundments,” San Diego Journal of Climate and Energy Law Vol. 13 (2022)
"The SEC is Not a Climate Regulator: The SEC's 2024 Final Climate-related Risk Disclosure and its Consequences," Environs: Environmental and Policy Journal (pending publication, 2025)
Press Releases
Practice Areas
Education
University of California, Davis, B.A. in Middle East History, 2017
University of San Diego School of Law, J.D., 2022
University of Houston Law Center, LL.M. Candidate, 2024
Admissions
- State of Colorado
- State of Texas
Languages
- English