Ignacia S. Moreno

Early History/Schooling:
Ignacia Soledad Moreno was born on May 8, 1961 in Cartagena, Colombia and raised in Washington Heights, New York. She received her bachelor’s and law degrees from New York University in 1986 and 1990, respectively.

Tenure as AAG:
President Obama nominated Moreno to be Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division on June 8, 2009. She was confirmed in a 93-0 vote by the Senate on November 5, 2009 and sworn in on November 16, 2009. During her tenure the Department undertook a major civil enforcement action to redress the harm caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Division also defended significant agency actions relating to climate change, including EPA's endangerment finding, and negotiated settlements totaling about $1.7 billion with 69 Indian Tribes in tribal trust matters. AAG Moreno worked with federal agencies, communities, and industry representatives to consider and integrate environmental justice principles into the resolution of cases and matters handled by the Division.

Career:
After receiving her law degree, Moreno joined Hogan & Hartson in Washington, D.C. and worked in the firm’s environmental and litigation practice groups.  In 1994, President Clinton appointed Moreno to the Department of Justice, where she served with distinction as Special Assistant (1994-1995), Counsel, and then Principal Counsel to Lois Schiffer, the AAG of the Environment and Natural Resources Division. In this capacity, she led significant environmental enforcement initiatives and expanded ENRD’s international program.  In 2001, Moreno reentered the private sector and joined Spriggs & Hollingsworth in Washington, D.C. She became a partner in 2004 and specialized in environmental and mass tort litigation.  In September 2006, she became Counsel, Corporate Environmental Programs at the General Electric Company.  She held this position until her confirmation as AAG in 2009.

Ms. Moreno served pro bono as General Counsel to the Hispanic National Bar Association from 2008-2009. From 2000-2001, she was President of the Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia, where she also served for many years as a member of the Board of Directors and Advisory Board. Ms. Moreno has also served on the Board of Advisors for the Center for International Environmental Law, on the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees for the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and on the Advisory Board for BNA’s Environmental Due Diligence Guide. She has held leadership positions in the American Bar Association, including in the Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, and has served on committees of the District of Columbia Bar.