ACLC’s staff includes several experienced attorneys and also serves as a training ground for those interested in public interest law.

Persons interested in working for ACLC should contact us about openings or fellowship opportunities. There are also summer internship possibilities for law students interested in environmental and worker health and safety problems associated with coal mining in Central Appalachia.

Stephen A. Sanders, Director

Steve has more than 20 years of experience as a public interest lawyer in Eastern Kentucky. He joined Appalred in 1978 as a staff attorney and later directed the organization’s Prestonsburg office. Steve has represented miners in 105(c) discrimination cases as well as black lung benefits cases. He left Appalred in 2001 to start ACLC. Steve earned degrees from the University of Cincinnati and Vanderbilt Law School.

Wes Addington, Deputy Director

Wes received a 2004 Equal Justice Works Fellowship to revive the Mine Safety Project. Wes earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kentucky.

Mary Varson Cromer, Staff Attorney

Mary joined ACLC’s staff in October 2008 to work primarily on environmental issues. Mary received her JD from Washington & Lee University School of Law. Prior to joining ACLC, Mary clerked for the Honorable Glen Conrad of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia and worked as an Associate Attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.

Tara Damron, Administrative Assistant

Tara joined ACLC’s staff in June 2010 to help with administrative tasks and special projects. 

John Rosenberg

John is president of ACLC’s board of directors. He has practiced law for more than 40 years. Starting at the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division during the Civil Rights movement, John later moved to Eastern Kentucky to work with low-income people in Appalachia who might not have access to quality legal representation. John founded the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky, Inc. (Appalred), in 1971, and retired as its director 30 years later. John graduated from Duke University and the law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.