Cossart-Daly Law, A.P.C. is a unique, mission-driven law practice.
We grew out of our deep commitment to social justice and the environment. We run a streamlined practice, so we can focus on what we do best – advocating for the environment, supporting clients who make a positive impact, and fighting systemic inequality.
We are 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, who turn their pain into positive change and power, who share our core values, and who enjoy a good laugh.
Elise Cossart-Daly
she / her / hers
Founder & 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 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 so 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 fought for the civil rights of pregnant and birthing people, and I’ve stood up to developers poised to harm the environment and communities of color. I’ve been recognized as a 2022, 2023, and 2024 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 partner and children. In addition to type one diabetes, I live with Hashimotos and celiac disease.
Elise’s Background & Credentials
Select Presentations
- Bench and Bar Conference Panelist, Santa Barbara County Bar Association, Virtual, 2021
- Housing Protections Forum Panelist, Independent Living Resource Center, Virtual, 2020
- 70th Anniversary Gala Speaker, Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, Montecito, California, 2019
- Mason Willrich Lecturer, Midland School, Santa Ynez, California, 2019
- Invisible Identities – A Conversation on Diabetes and Disability Panelist, Just a Little Suga’, New York, New York, 2019
Select Publications
- How to Keep Working with Diabetes During COVID-19, Medium, 2020
- A Civil Rights Lawyer with Type 1 Diabetes Reflects on Barriers to and Benefits of Self Advocacy, Just a Little Suga’, 2019
- Contreras et al. v. El Salvador; 36 Loy. L.A. Int’l & Comp. L. Rev. (2014)
- González Medina and Family v. Dominican Republic; 36 Loy. L.A. Int’l & Comp. L. Rev. (2014)
- Myrna Mack Chang v. Guatemala; 36 Loy. L.A. Int’l & Comp. L. Rev. (2014)
- Plan de Sánchez Massacre v. Guatemala, 36 Loy. L.A. Int’l & Comp. L. Rev. (2014)
Professional Memberships
- Santa Barbara Women Lawyers
- Santa Barbara County Bar Association
- National Lawyers Guild
- Admitted to the Southern, Central, Eastern & Northern Districts of California
Education
University of California, Berkeley, Bachelor of Arts in American Studies with an Emphasis on U.S. Social Movements, Minor in Creative Writing
- Phi Beta Kappa
- High Distinction in General Scholarship
- American Studies Highest Honors
- Honors Thesis
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Juris Doctor
- Public Interest Scholar
- Honors, Loyola of Los Angeles Public Interest Concentration
Serafina Chavez
she / her / hers
Legal Assistant & Client Services Coordinator
My commitment to social and environmental injustice stems from my lived experiences as an Indigenous Mexican-American woman. As a child in the Bay Area, I spent a lot of time swimming in the Pacific Ocean and running through vast open space preserves filled with mature oak trees and miles of trails. This was in stark contrast to my mother's childhood, who grew up in Los Angeles, California, during the late 1960s. During this time, Los Angeles had some of the worst air quality and smog in state history, with over 200 days per year being impacted heavily by toxic air pollutants. My mother’s lungs and eyes 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 environmental justice.
My childhood and 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 Peoples 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 the Santa Barbara community and bringing about social change.
At Cossart-Daly Law A.P.C., I’ve continued my commitment to equity and environmental justice as a Legal Assistant and Client Services Coordinator. In my free time, I enjoy ocean swimming, creating ceramics, reading, hiking, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Mona Abboud
she / her / hers
Legal Intern
I am currently a law student at the University of Georgia School of Law and the representative for the Middle Eastern Law Student Association. Before beginning my legal education, I double majored in International Affairs and Communication studies with a minor in Spanish at the University of Georgia Honors College. I was Co-President of UGA's Amnesty International, an organization that seeks to spread awareness on human rights injustices. Over the past few years, in addition to speaking English, Spanish, and Lebanese, I have received 3 DELF French language diplomas from France's Ministry of Education.
As a Lebanese-Canadian-American, my life has always been filled with languages, multiculturalism, and the opportunity to witness the stark reality of injustice worldwide. From religious persecution in the Middle East to the glaring racial inequities in France, I have developed a love of advocacy for basic civil rights and against unlawful discrimination. Through my work with Cossart-Daly Law, A.P.C. I am constantly learning and expanding my knowledge of all things justice and humanity. I hope to one day work as an international human rights lawyer to blend my love of internationalism and advocacy. Outside of work and school, I love singing, traveling, cooking, and of course, watching the best shows on Netflix!