Advocates for the West

What Advocates for the West does

Advocates for the West is a nonprofit environmental law organization founded in 2003 and headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with a second office in Portland, Oregon. The firm litigates on behalf of conservation organizations to protect public lands, water, fish, and wildlife across 18 Western U.S. states, operating primarily through citizen-suit provisions of the federal Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. Its reported track record includes 197 cases filed, an 85% legal success rate, 84+ conservation partners, and work affecting approximately 100 million acres of public lands over 23 years of operation.

The organization is staffed by a small team of specialized environmental attorneys, including Staff Attorneys Bryan Hurlbutt (Boise) and Hannah Goldblatt (Portland), and Senior Attorney Laurie Rule, supported by law clerks, externs, and a Legal Fellows program. Core client partners include the Idaho Conservation League, Snake River Waterkeeper, WildEarth Guardians, Western Watersheds Project, and Conserve Southwest Utah, with co-counsel relationships with firms such as Bricklin & Newman, LLP. Active 2025–2026 matters span Idaho wastewater Clean Water Act litigation against the cities of Burley and Rexburg, the Stibnite Gold Project injunction, the Northern Corridor Highway / Mojave desert tortoise case, and the Wishbone Bighorn Herd Protection appellate win at the 10th Circuit.

The business model is donation-funded rather than fee-based. Revenue derives from individual contributions and foundation grants, channeled through one-time donations, the Sage Society recurring-giving program, and the Legacy Society planned-giving program. The organization is a 1% for the Planet member and posts on GuideStar (EIN 06-1654062). It is independently governed by a board of directors, with no parent company, subsidiaries, or external investment ownership disclosed.

Name

Advocates for the West

Legal name

Advocates for the West

Website

https://advocateswest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Advocates for the West is a nonprofit environmental law firm that litigates on behalf of conservation organizations to protect public lands, water, fish, and wildlife across 18 Western U.S. states, funded by donations and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Legal Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Policy, Advocacy & Litigation (BPAGAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Environmental law litigation
• Public interest law
• Conservation legal advocacy
• Natural resource protection
• Clean Water Act enforcement

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a nonprofit organization, Advocates for the West relies on donations from individuals and foundations to fund their environmental litigation work. They have giving programs including Sage Society (recurring giving) and Legacy Society (planned giving).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Advocates for the West is a nonprofit environmental law organization that provides legal representation to conservation groups through litigation in federal and state courts. The firm enforces environmental statutes such as the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act to protect public lands, water, fish, and wildlife in the Western United States. Its work is delivered through a team of specialized environmental attorneys handling cases across 18 Western states.

Product overview

Advocates for the West is a nonprofit environmental law organization that fights to protect the Western United States' natural landscapes, wildlife, water resources, and public lands through legal advocacy and litigation. The organization does not offer technology products or software services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Environmental Litigation and Legal Representation

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% legal success rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Idaho Conservation LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term client partner represented in numerous Idaho environmental cases including water pollution litigation and sage-grouse protection. ICL is a key conservation organization in Idaho that Advocates for the West has represented since 2011.
• Snake River WaterkeepercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient partner in Clean Water Act litigation to protect the Snake River and its tributaries from municipal pollution.
• Bricklin & Newman, LLPsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSeattle-based law firm co-representing conservation groups alongside Advocates for the West in Idaho water pollution cases.
• WildEarth GuardianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient partner in bighorn sheep conservation litigation on the Rio Grande National Forest in Colorado.
• Western Watersheds ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient partner in bighorn sheep conservation case challenging domestic sheep grazing near bighorn habitat.
• Conserve Southwest UtahsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtah-based conservation organization partnering with Advocates for the West on Northern Corridor Highway litigation to protect Mojave desert tortoise habitat.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: Largest US grassroots environmental organization with a legal program historically operating as Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund (now Earthjustice). Broad conservation, recreation, and policy mission; litigates select federal environmental cases overlapping with Advocates for the West's docket.
• Defenders of Wildlife: National wildlife conservation nonprofit with a litigation practice focused on ESA and federal land management. Operates with a much broader advocacy, lobbying, and policy footprint than Advocates for the West but has overlapping wildlife-protection cases in the Western US.
• Natural Resources Defense Council: One of the largest US environmental advocacy organizations with a meaningful litigation practice, broad scientific, policy, and communications capabilities. Larger and more diversified than Advocates for the West, with overlap on federal environmental statutes and Western US cases.
• Environmental Defense Fund: Large national environmental nonprofit combining science, policy, legal advocacy, and corporate partnerships. Has a legal arm that handles environmental litigation with comparable statute focus, though EDF's overall portfolio is far broader than Advocates for the West's plaintiff-side specialty.

Direct peers

• Western Environmental Law Center: Portland-based nonprofit environmental law firm focused on the Western United States; nearly identical service area and practice emphasis on ESA, NEPA, and CWA litigation defending public lands, wildlife, and waters. Highly comparable in mission, method, and scale.
• WildEarth Guardians: Plaintiff-side conservation nonprofit heavily reliant on ESA litigation to protect imperiled species. Functions both as a client of Advocates for the West (per partnership records) and as a near-peer operating in the same Western US wildlife litigation space.
• Center for Biological Diversity: National nonprofit that uses aggressive ESA and environmental litigation to protect endangered species and habitat. Practically identical playbook to Advocates for the West: plaintiff-side suits, federal agency defendants, donations-funded, with significant overlap on species cases (e.g., desert tortoise).
• Earthjustice: Earthjustice is the largest US nonprofit environmental law organization; identical mission of using litigation to protect natural resources, with courts and federal agencies. Funded similarly by donations, it is the most direct functional and structural comparable to Advocates for the West, just at significantly greater scale.
• Southern Environmental Law Center: Regional environmental law organization serving the Southern US with the same nonprofit legal services model. Directly mirrors Advocates for the West's regional focus on environment, using litigation and administrative advocacy to protect natural resources.

Emerging players

• Western Watersheds Project: Regional Western US nonprofit that uses science and litigation to protect watersheds and wildlife from grazing, mining, and energy development. Smaller and more focused than Advocates for the West, it both partners with and partially competes for plaintiff-side resources and partner relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AdvocatesWest
• Facebookfacebook.com/advocateswest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advocates-for-the-west

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Advocates for the West