Svitlana Kravchenko, President and Head of the Board of Directors

Professor Svitlana Kravchenko founded EPL and serves as its President since very beginning. Professor Kravchenko has taught environmental law in Ukraine for over 25 years. She has an international reputation for both her academic work and her practical legal work. In recent years she has specialized in public participation in environmental decision making, access to environmental information, and access to justice.
Today she is administrating an international program for environmental human rights and teaching at the University of Oregon (USA). Director of the Oregon LL.M. Program (Master of Law) on Environmental and Natural Resourses Law. Member and a vice-chair of the Compliance Committee of the Aarhus Convention, member of IUCN, former Vice-Chair of CEL IUCN (2000-2004).

Serhiy Lozan, Executive Director and Member of Board of the Directors

Serhiy Lozan has been with EPL since 2002. He holds a bachelor’s degree in History (1998) and is currently completing his law degree at Lviv National University.  Mr. Lozan became deputy chief editor of the social-economic journal “Nova Khvylia,” then pedagogical specialist at the Educational Methodological Center, affiliate of the National Committee on Professional Education. After intensive self-study in computer information techology, Mr. Lozan took a managerial post in IT at the firm “SAMMIT- Lviv 247.” Joining EPL in the same capacity, Mr. Lozan became active in the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (E-LAW), attended a training in Oregon, USA, headquarters of E-LAW, and in 2004 helped organize the Annual International E-Law Conference in Ukraine. In 2005, Mr. Lozan became Executive Director of EPL. His research currently focuses on nuclear power safety and has recently published in the Environmental Advocacy Journal on “Environmental Issues in the Development of the Nuclear Power Industry in Ukraine.

Olya Melen is the 2006 Goldman Environmental Prize winner for Europe and the Head of EPL’s Legal Unit. Ms. Melen won the prestigious Goldman Prize for her work on the Danube – Black Sea Canal case which halted the Ukrainian government’s building of a shipping canal through the heart of the Danube Delta Bilateral Biosphere Reserve, home to 325 bird and 75 fish species, in fact, “the most important wetland area in Europe,” according to the World Wildlife Fund. Ms. Melen took the lead on EPL’s case, making over 40 court appearances in order to pursue the halting of illegal canal construction, which involved lengthy appeal to various national and international bodies. Melen is the author of over a dozen articles on Environmental Law and is currently writing her doctoral dissertation on “Legal Regulation of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve in Ukraine.” Ms. Melen received her diploma in Jurisprudence in 2002 when she joined EPL.

  Yaryna Ostapyk, Senior Lawyer

In 1999 Yaryna Ostapyk graduated from the Law Faculty of the Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko. She is a post-graduate student with specialization in criminal law, criminology and criminal executive law.

Since 1998 she was a student of clinical program of EPL. Since 1999 she works at EPL as a lawyer assistant, and then as a senior lawyer. She provides legal assistance, organizes work on providing the legal services of EPL.

Yelyzaveta Aleksyeyeva, Senior Lawyer

Yelyzaveta graduated from the Law Faculty of Ivan Franko Lviv National University in 2005 and received a diploma of Master of Laws in civil specialization.
She began her activity at EPL as a volunteer in 1997, studying at school.
Since 2003 Yelyzaveta was a student of Clinical program and since March 2005 she worked as a lawyer assistant. Starting September 2005, she worked as a lawyer and provided legal consultations for citizens, represented EPL and citizens in courts, state bodies and local authorities, wrote articles to EPL Journal. Starting September 2006, Yelyzaveta works as first category lawyer and coordinator of EPL Environmental Law Clinical Program for law students.

Maryana Bulgakova, Senior Lawyer

Maryana graduated from the Law Faculty of L’viv National University named after Ivan Franko,  in 2004 and obtained a Diploma of Master of Laws, civil specialization.
After graduating from the University she worked in Legal College of L’viv National University named after Ivan Franko, where she tought constitutional subjects, and in the “Information Centre” of Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, L’viv regional department, as a lawyer.
Between 1999-2002 she studied and worked in Great Britain, where she gained the experience of work as a legal consultant-translator and a teacher of English language for the foreigners.
Since October, 2006 she works as a first category lawyer in EPL. Her main duties and responsibilities include: providing clients with legal consultation, representing the interests of the clients in court, state bodies and local authorities; writing articles to EPL Journal; she studies and works on the problems of climate change.   

Olesya Yanklevych, Lawyer

Olesya graduated from the Law Faculty of Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko, in  2007 and obtained a Diploma of Master of Laws, criminal specialization.
She began her activity at EPL as a student of Clinical program in 2004. Since April 2004 she worked as a lawyer assistant and since July – as a lawyer.
Starting March, 2007 she worked as a first category lawyer. Her main duties and responsibilities include: providing clients with legal consultation, representing the interests of the clients in court, state bodies and local authorities; writing articles to EPL Journal.

Irena Khmilar, Office Manage , Lawyer

In 1994 Irena Khmilar graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko. In 2002 she graduated from the Agrarian College with a master’s degree in law.

She works at Ecopravo-Lvis since 2002 as the office manager. She is responsible for the office’s work, in and out documents and preparation of workshops, conferences, etc.

Iryna Vasylakiy, Accountant

Iryna Vasylakiy graduated from the Financial College. She worked as a cashier, accountant, economist-financier. Since 1989 she works as a chief accountant.

She works at EPL since 1995.