About Damien Michael
Damien Michael Schiff is a senior attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), a public interest law firm based in Sacramento, California. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2004, holding, and his license remains active. At PLF, Schiff leads the Environment & Natural Resources practice, focusing on cases involving the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and commercial fisheries. His office is located at 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 1290, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Schiff earned his Juris Doctor magna cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2004. Prior to law school, he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University in 2000. During his time at USD, Schiff served as a research assistant for Professor Bernard Siegan, a noted constitutional theorist and advocate for property rights and economic liberty.
Schiff's practice areas include environmental law, land use law, and property rights. He has represented numerous landowners and property rights advocates, defending them against environmental and land-use regulations. His litigation experience encompasses all stages of legal proceedings, including hearings, appeals, negotiations, and trials. Notably, Schiff was involved in the Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency case, which reached the Supreme Court and upheld the right of landowners to challenge Clean Water Act compliance orders issued by the EPA.
With over 20 years of experience, Schiff has appeared before various courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and U.S. District Courts in California. Before joining PLF, he clerked for Judge Victor Wolski of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. His extensive litigation experience has solidified his reputation in environmental and property rights law.
Schiff is a member of the State Bar of California and the District of Columbia Bar. He has been quoted in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harper’s magazine, and The Economist. In his personal life, Schiff resides in Sacramento with his wife and two sons. He enjoys stamp collecting, Gregorian chant, and martinis.
