Brennon Mendez (he/him) is an Emmett/Frankel Fellow in Environmental Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law for 2024-2026, where his work will focus on environmental justice, public health, and urban policy.

Prior to joining UCLA, Mendez worked as a litigation associate at Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher LLP, where he focused on appellate litigation, class actions, and white-collar criminal defense. He maintained an active pro bono practice in which he represented LGBTQ+ refugees in immigration proceedings and victims of police brutality in federal court. He clerked for the Honorable Richard R. Clifton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Mendez received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was Lead Editor of the Yale Law & Policy Review, the Voting Rights Co-Chair of the Legislative Advocacy Clinic, and the Professional Development Chair of OutLaws. He received his B.A. in Political Science and Ethnic Studies magna cum laude from Columbia University.