Braden Asper is a born and raised Utahn serving as an Assistant Attorney General in the Environment, Health and Human Services Division. Braden’s practice focuses on environmental regulation and compliance as he represents one of Utah’s executive-branch agencies: the Department of Environmental Quality. Amongst other cases that impact Utah’s land, water and air, Braden primarily represents the Division of Air Quality in its implementation and application of the federal Clean Air Act and State Air Conservation Act. Advocating for Utah’s air quality interests includes coordinating with EPA and engaging with Utah’s industry to assure that it develops in a way that is permissible under applicable law, as well as addressing pressing matters of public concern, such as ozone, inversions and fugitive dust.
Braden also assists the Division in enforcing environmental compliance through both administrative and adjudicate processes when excessive and unlawful sources of pollution are identified by the agency. Braden regularly calls on his experience to both defend and prosecute civil actions before administrative law judges, trial courts, and courts of appeals at both the State and federal level.
Braden attended the University of San Diego, School of Law and graduated with his J.D. in 2018. In addition to earning his degree he received a specialty certification for Environmental and Energy Law, served as the Chief Articles Editor for the Journal on Climate and Energy Law, and placed 1st in the University’s annual intramural mock trial tournament. Braden returned to Utah and joined the Utah Bar and federal Bar in 2018, and later the United States Courts of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and District of Columbia Circuit.
