With an assist from the law school's Experiential Learning program, our environmental law students work in a number of settings every summer.
Anthony Cooper, 3L
I spent this summer as a legal intern with the center for international environmental law. Focusing on the intersection of human rights and the environment, I spent time reviewing citizen submission mechanisms in multilateral trade deals such as the U.S.-Peru TPA, NAFTA, and D.R.-CAFTA. A significant portion of my summer consisted of drafting CIEL's comment to the USTR responding to the request for NAFTA negotiating objectives. The highlight of my summer involved getting to draft CIEL's comment on the UNDP's stakeholder engagement guidance document.
Catherine Crawford, 3L
I was the legal intern for the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a consumer advocacy group promoting energy efficiency throughout New Orleans. I researched many topics including the best models for energy reliability; various jurisdictions imposed rulemaking for plant retirement; and the top solar producing states. I also summarized many New Orleans City Council Utility dockets on proposed plants and energy efficiency. I was given the opportunity to help run the Louisiana Energy Democracy Coalition Meeting. The highlight was writing a memo on managerial prerogative and how it affects a Public Service Commission’s authority when regulating utilities.
Jamie Futral, 3L
This past summer, I worked as a legal intern for the Gulf Restoration Network in New Orleans, La. I reviewed and drafted comments on draft water discharge permits submitted through the Louisiana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. I also worked on a research project geared toward uncovering federal and state funding programs that will assist communities in rebuilding, improving, and restoring their water and wastewater treatment plants.
Denman Mims, 2L
I joined NOAA’s Sea Grant Legal Program in Mississippi and Alabama, a collaboration between universities and NOAA to perform research across the board, including marine drones. On the side, I wrote articles for NOAH's legal reporter, The Sandfly, and a statewide publication The Waterlog. My main project was a sweep of ground-water contamination at seven Superfund sites in Mississippi, only three of which had been remediated. Message: cleanup is long, and hard. I was also lead intern on stormwater management in towns along the Gulf, for which I designed a checklist including compliance with EPA MS4 regulation, living coastline guidelines, and wetland setback requirements, leading to a score as adequate, ambiguous, or flat-out lacking. In the end, we gave these communities a structure to shoot for. In addition, NOAA gave me responsibilities I feel lucky to have had.
Talia Nimmer, 3L
I worked at Angel Law in Los Angeles, a small firm that specializes in environmental litigation. I worked primarily on a case opposing a waterfront development in Redondo Beach, but also on a handful of CEQA and Brown Act cases. For example, we presented oral argument in front of the Court of Appeals opposing a City of Malibu exchange of two parks, one at sea level (in order to build a mega-sports complex) and one in the mountains. We claimed that several (unlawful) secret meetings occurred in the process of the exchange.
