About Jessica

Jessica Reiss has considerable interest and depth of knowledge in environmental law. Her level of understanding stems from multiple, diverse perspectives gained working in numerous positions in the environmental field, including with a state regulatory agency, in environmental consulting, in house with regulated entities, and performing public and private research. Her experience allows her to advise clients with a wide range of environmental issues. Jessica has handled issues regarding environmental compliance, safety, sustainability, air permitting, storm water, wastewater pretreatment, hazardous waste programs, tanks, and related enforcement actions. Jessica comes to Barnes & Thornburg from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), where she was an attorney and provided counsel to the Office of Air Quality and to the Rules Development Branch. She represented the department in permit appeals, enforcement actions, and rulemaking. Prior to joining IDEM, she was senior environmental consultant for Hitachi Consulting, where she advised federal agency clients on environmental compliance and sustainability. Prior to law school, Jessica managed environmental health and safety in house at automotive manufacturing facilities throughout the Midwest. In addition to her practice, Jessica is an adjunct professor, teaching sustainable management in the spring and environmental law and regulation in the fall, at Indiana University-Indianapolis School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Jessica chose to attend Vermont Law School because she knew she wanted to practice environmental law, and it is consistently ranked as the number one school for environmental law by U.S. News & World Report. During law school, she interned with the American Lung Association’s Healthy Air Campaign, the Legislative Council of the Vermont General Assembly, and the Southern Environmental Law Center. She was also a research assistant with the Institute for Energy and the Environment at Vermont Law School, where she researched regulatory barriers to carbon capture and sequestration, ultimately co-authoring a book that provided legislative and regulatory solutions.

Practice Areas

Education

• Vermont Law School, JD, graduated 2011
• Vermont Law School, Master of Environmental Law and Policy, graduated 2011
• Ball State University, B.A., Public Relations, graduated 2004

Bar Admissions

• Indiana, 2011
• District of Columbia, 2012

Languages