We’re a unique, values-driven law practice.

We’re passionate about our work, zealous in our advocacy, and care deeply about our clients. We love supporting people who are excited about making the world better and protecting places they love, who turn their pain into positive change, who share our core values, and who enjoy a good laugh. 

Elise Cossart-Daly

she / her / hers
Founder and Principal Attorney

I’ve been passionate about social justice and the environment for as long as I can remember.

I come from a family of environmental advocates. I grew up climbing oak trees, playing in the ocean, and exploring creeks on the wild Gaviota Coast. When I was two, I developed type one diabetes. As a child with a serious health condition, I had an affinity for those who faced unfair circumstances through no fault of their own. I was drawn to the experience of the Chumash, to women of all backgrounds who defied sexism, and to Black Americans’ fight for liberation. As a pre-teen, I was one of the few women who surfed in my community. Male surfers said and did all kinds of sexist things – I soon realized how discrimination and harassment can suck the joy out of anything.

When I went to the University of California, Berkeley, I studied U.S. Social Movements so I could learn about social justice strategies from the successes of civil rights and feminist activists. After graduation, I served as a high school teacher in a low-income, predominantly Pacific Islander and BIPOC community, then advised international students on immigration regulations. During this time, I often felt unable to challenge the structural inequality that made life hard for my students.

I wanted to develop more powerful tools to fight systemic injustice, so I enrolled in Loyola Law School as a Public Interest Scholar. As a law student, I helped enforce anti-discrimination employment laws at the EEOC; assisted in police brutality and human rights cases at a top Los Angeles civil rights firm; served rural, low-income workers and tenants at California Rural Legal Assistance; launched the first journal on human rights decisions from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; and externed with the Honorable Harry Pregerson at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. During this time, I never lost sight of my love of the environment. I served as Co-President of the Environmental Law Society, organized events on environmental justice, and studied impacts of California law and policy on preservation and open space. When I became a lawyer, I represented people with disabilities in civil rights cases; served low-income clients with the Santa Barbara Legal Aid Foundation; and fought for environmental protection and housing rights.

After a high risk pregnancy, I realized that if I could grow and give birth to a baby, I could run a law practice. I formed Cossart-Daly Law, A.P.C., so that I could advocate for civil rights and the environment, and live in Santa Barbara County near the coast.

Since founding Cossart-Daly Law, A.P.C., I’ve built coalitions and provided legal expertise to anti-racist, environmental justice, and environmental advocates. I've supported and advocated for people who have faced discrimination and fought for civil rights. I’ve stood up to developers poised to harm the environment and communities of color. I’ve been recognized as a 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 Super Lawyers Rising Star, a recognition only conferred to the top 2.5% of attorneys in Southern California. I’m honored to be able to do this work and grateful for the clients I serve each day.

When I’m not working, I love hiking, surfing, practicing yoga, and spending time in nature with my husband and children.

  • University of California, Berkeley, Bachelor of Arts in American Studies with an Emphasis on U.S. Social Movements, Minor in Creative Writing

    • High Distinction in General Scholarship

    • Phi Beta Kappa

    • Highest Honors in American Studies

    • American Studies Honors Thesis

    Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Juris Doctor

    • Public Interest Scholar

    • George A. Cavalleto Memorial Scholarship Recipient

    • Cindy M. Lopez Scholarship Recipient

    • Co-President & Board Member, Environmental Law Society

    • Co-Chair, Loyola CARES, Loyola Public Interest Law Foundation

    • Chief Editor & Staff Editor, Inter-American Court of Human Rights Project, Loyola International & Comparative Law Review

    • Environmental Justice Panelist, Los Angeles Environmental Justice Network & Del Amo Action Committee, 2026

    • Environmental & Women’s Law Panelist, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2026

    • Navigating Your Rights in the Workplace, Centerline Community, 2025

    • Maternal Health Panelist, ICAN of Santa Barbara, 2024

    • Addressing Environmental Injustice: Environmental Law Career Panelist, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2023

    • Civil Rights Advocacy: California Law Toolbox, Bench and Bar Conference Presenter, Santa Barbara County Bar Association, 2023

    • Power in Pregnancy, Birth, & Postpartum: Know Your Rights, ICAN of Santa Barbara, 2022 & 2025

    • Designing Your Own Blueprint for Growth, Moving Forward in Your Career, Santa Barbara Women Lawyers, 2022

    • Reproductive Justice and Disability, Pushing Limits Podcast Guest, 2022

    • Industrial Cannabis in the Arroyo Paredon Watershed Panel Discussion, Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Council, 2021

    • Housing Discrimination Bench and Bar Conference Panelist, Santa Barbara County Bar Association, 2021

    • 70th Anniversary Gala Speaker, Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, 2019

    • Mason Willrich Lecturer, Midland School, 2019

    • Invisible Identities – A Conversation on Diabetes and Disability Panelist, Just a Little Suga’, 2019

    • Santa Barbara Women Lawyers

    • California Employment Lawyers Association

    • National Lawyers Guild

    • Birth Justice Bar

    • Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles

    • Admitted to the Southern, Central, Eastern & Northern Districts of California

 Elise’s Background & Credentials

Serafina Chavez

she / her / hers
Legal Assistant & Client Services Manager

My commitment to civil rights and environmental justice stems from my lived experiences as an Indigenous Mexican woman. Growing up in the Bay Area, I spent a lot of time swimming in the Pacific Ocean and running through vast open space preserves. This was in stark contrast to my mother's childhood in Los Angeles during the late 1960s. During this time, Los Angeles had some of the worst air quality and smog in state history. My mother’s lungs would burn due to toxic air pollution during her cross-country practices along the canals of the Los Angeles River. In the early 1970s, the implementation of the Clean Air Act and the establishment of the California Air Resources Board significantly improved air quality across Southern California.

Through our contrasting childhood environments, I learned the significance of environmental policy and justice. My family history led me to earn dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Environmental Studies and Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. At UCSB, I honed my ability to identify environmental racism and inequities that impacted friends, family, and other communities I cared deeply about. Learning about complex social problems and their potential solutions inspired my commitment to serving communities impacted by environmental problems and all forms of discrimination.

In recent years, I have volunteered with The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and the People’s Pantry Santa Barbara on projects that align with my values of social and environmental justice. In 2021, I had the privilege of being appointed to a city commission tasked with designing a civilian oversight system for the Santa Barbara Police Department, which solidified my commitment to serving my community and bringing about solutions to complex social problems. At Cossart-Daly Law A.P.C., I’ve continued my commitment to equity and justice as a Legal Assistant and Client Services Manager.

In my free time, I enjoy swimming, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.