Anne Jennings, founding board member, was a force of nature—brilliant and unwavering in her pursuit of justice and her passion for a thriving democracy. She challenged us to be better lawyers and more powerful writers, pushing us to build stronger arguments. She was anchored in the beauty of and care for the natural and human world, informed by a brilliant mind and an ever-expanding wisdom and generosity in her pursuit of justice. Anne was a pioneering lawyer who recognized the importance of strategies in and outside of the courthouse.

Reflecting on her transformative equality work, Anne was asked to join ACLU’s Special Commission on Race Discrimination and Civil Liberties, the Affirmative Action Committee, and the Equality Committee. She also served the State of California Attorney General’s office for 20 years. Outside of the law, politics, and activism, Anne was devoted to her family and friends and a balanced life full of opera, sports, birding, Buddhism, and working in her garden. We are privileged to have had her company, mentorship, and friendship. Without Anne and her wife, Sharon, Our Children’s Trust would not be what it is today. We honor her legacy, carry her lessons forward, and will miss her immensely.  

“I am deeply grateful to OCT and its ongoing commitment to empower young people to be recognized and heard as we face cataclysmic change from the human-caused climate crisis. We face irreversible harm if necessary action is not undertaken now. OCT’s expertise and legal strategy with younger generations is key, embracing core human rights principles, embedded in the United States Constitution, to secure a livable climate. Our courts, if they are to be accountable to these young people and future generations, must act to protect these rights. Our and their very survival depends on it.”