Stipend Recipients

2009 Stipend Recipients

Amy Van Saun, Center for Food Safety, San Francisco, CA

Before entering law school, I was already becoming interested in food and agriculture issues, but once I began volunteering with NEDC and the Sustainable Agriculture committee, I realized that I am quite passionate about food production and its consequences.  How we eat affects not only our health and welfare as a society, but also has widespread environmental impacts.  It was through volunteering and learning more about these issues that I learned about the Center for Food Safety, a small nonprofit with only a few attorneys who do amazing and precedent-setting work.  CFS works on a broad range of issues related to industrial food production, and seeks to reduce the harm of industrial agriculture while supporting organic and beyond as a sustainable and healthy method of nourishing our population. 

Receiving a PILP stipend allowed me to do work that I am passionate about, which is why I came to law school.  It is always questionable for those of us eager to work in public interest jobs whether we will be able to survive financially.  Being able to volunteer, which is always rewarding, and then being able to help an amazing organization for the summer because of that work is just about the best thing I could have imagined when I decided on law school.  I am committed to continuing to serve PILP and fundraise for others to have the opportunity I did this summer.  Not only did I improve my research and writing skills in a real world setting, but I also discovered what it would be like to work for an environmental nonprofit.  I found a great office environment, supportive attorneys, and an all-around energizing experience.  It is always great to remember why I came to law school, and what I hope to achieve through a career in law, and that is what I found this summer with CFS.  A big thanks to PILP for helping so many students and organizations fight the good fight!  

Andy Newkirk, Columbia Riverkeeper, Hood River, oR

Columbia Riverkeeper (CRK) is a nonprofit organization based out of Hood River, Oregon whose mission is “to restore and protect the water quality of the Columbia River and all life connected to it, from the headwaters to the Pacific Ocean.”  To fulfill this mission, CRK conducts various activities including grassroots community organizing, public education, hands on volunteer involvement, and enforcement of environmental laws. Among CRK’s major initiatives are fighting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility siting along the Columbia River, advocating for toxics reductions in the Columbia River Basin, ensuring public involvement in the Hanford Nuclear site cleanup, and enforcing the provisions of the Clean Water Act.

 As a law clerk, I was able to assist the CRK with ongoing litigation under the Clean Water Act through legal research and memo writing on issues related to enforcement actions brought by CRK.  I was also able to attend site visits and settlement negotiations for various ongoing lawsuits, research possible claims under the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, and conduct file reviews with various state agencies in Washington and Oregon.  I also had the opportunity to research the potential impacts that pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have on receiving waters, and in particular the impacts on the Columbia River.  During my research I was able to speak to EPA scientists and outline some of the practices currently in use to help prevent PPCPs from ending up in sewage treatment facilities.

 My clerkship also provided me with a better understanding of how a small nonprofit groups works.  I conducted water quality monitoring, attended weekly staff meetings and assisted in organizational outreach activities. 

This summer provided an amazing opportunity to get involved with the efforts of CRK and help them work towards their mission of restoration and protection of the Columbia River Basin.  The PILP stipend helped make this amazing opportunity a reality.  

Anzie Nelson, Oceana, Portland, OR

Oceana is a nonprofit that operates internationally to protect our world's oceans.  It arranges quite an impressive team of marine scientists, economists, attorneys, and advocates together to tackle concrete problems impacting marine ecosystems.  Some of their campaigns include combating overfishing, climate change, and ocean acidification.  Oceana has offices in Portland, Washington D.C., Juneau, Los Angeles, and Monterey, as well as the countries of Spain, Belgium, Chile, and Belize.  I was excited that PILP could enable me to work for Oceana's Portland office and participate in such an organized and objective-oriented nonprofit.

I chose to work with Oceana, in part, because I wanted to get some hands-on experience working toward preventing climate change.  I also wanted to learn more about what systems we have in place nationally and internationally to guard against overfishing, what weaknesses there are, and how we can improve them.  With the oversight and guidance of one of Oceana's staff attorneys, I was able to expand my understanding of fisheries management in the United States and what challenges our oceans face in such an uncertain future.  I was also able to glean some of the scientific terminology from one of Oceana's biologists in the Portland office.

My summer consisted of researching and monitoring fishing permits, assessing policies needed to protect international marine habitats, and creating a comprehensive document on the regulation of ocean renewable energy development.  I also participated in writing an amicus brief for a case in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.  My boss was wonderful at letting me navigate through issues on Oceana's agenda and pick topics that I was most interested in.  She also took the time to give me feedback on my writing and make sure that I was enjoying my job.  Although Oceana's Portland office was small, I participated in weekly staff calls and felt I was part of a larger team.  On a few projects, I worked with Alaska's Pacific Senior Counsel and California's Senior Public Relations Manager.  The PILP Stipend gave me the financial ability to contribute to such a great team and to spend a summer working on issues I love.  Without PILP, I would not have been able to assist a such a great organization, taking a small but important step towards protecting the world's oceans.

Brandon McNamee, Legal Aid Services of Oregon - Farmworkers Program, Portland, OR

I am more committed to public interest law because of my work this summer as a law clerk at the Farmworkers Program of Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO).  Coming out of my first year, I wanted to gain practical experience in a law office and to pursue employment in service of the public interest.  My position with LASO satisfied both of those desires.

In the context of farmworkers and the legal issues that affect them, I wrote memoranda, researched and wrote summaries of the law, updated an intra-office outline of Oregon wage claim laws, and drafted client letters and court documents.  In the company of attorneys and community educators, I provided outreach services to labor camps in the Willamette and Columbia River Valleys.

The most gratifying aspect of my work this summer was the sensation of helping the law work to protect farmworkers by informing them of their rights.  Mechanisms exist within the law that guarantee farmworkers’ basic rights as laborers and residents in the U.S.; unfortunately farmworkers often are ignorant of the causes of action and claims available to them when their rights are violated.

The tragedy is that, even knowing they have legal recourse, many farmworkers are so constrained by the need to survive that they often will suffer indignity and dangerous conditions just to stay on a given payroll or in a given camp.  This breakdown in the function of the laws particular to farmworkers underscores the weakness in those laws, and that weakness is part and parcel of working for the farmworker community.  This summer I did not have the experience of seeing a client through from initiating an action to its resolution.  Instead I saw what is much more common: the oppressed shying away from taking action because they are cowed by fear and misinformation.

I would not trade my experience this summer for any other.  I familiarized myself with a particular set of laws, I helped inform farmworkers of their rights under those laws, and at times I witnessed those laws work to protect and provide recourse to our clients.  This brief taste of reality has whetted my appetite for public interest work, and now more than ever I am anxious to sink my teeth in.

Jeff Maslow, BLM Action Center, The Wilderness Society, Denver, CO

With the support of PILP, I had the wonderful opportunity to work as a summer legal intern for the BLM Action Center at the Wilderness Society in Denver, Colorado. The Wilderness Society’s BLM Action Center focuses on tracking federal public land management decisions across the vast acreage of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands and serves the public interest in advocating for greater protection of wilderness values.

 I chose the BLM Action Center for the opportunity to apply my background in Western natural resource policy toward meeting environmental goals in issues confronting our public lands. Working with the talented attorneys and policy experts at the BLM Action Center enabled me to gain practical insight into the challenging array of legal issues on public lands stemming from climate change and ever-increasing demands for recreation, energy, and water.

My work primarily involved legal research to support development of well-planned renewable energy development and transmission that can facilitate clean energy goals without compromising sensitive lands and wildlife. My exposure to litigation and advocacy for ecologically sound natural resource policies helped me familiarize with the major environmental statutes that govern BLM, such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Federal Land Management and Policy Act (FLPMA), which continues to serve as a valuable asset in pursuing the environmental curriculum at Lewis & Clark.

 I owe many thanks to PILP and its dedicated members, volunteers, and contributors, for helping make my summer work experience at the BLM Action Center inspire me to pursue a career path where I can work with public interest dimensions of environmental and natural resource law. 

Jennifer O'Brien, Crag Law Center, Portland, OR

The PILP stipend program made it possible for me to spend my summer working at Crag Law Center as a Summer Associate.  Crag Law Center is a small client-focused, nonprofit law center that supports community efforts to protect the natural environment of the Pacific Northwest.  Crag provides legal representation to community groups, conservation groups, and local residents on issues that promote environmental conservation and sustainable natural resource management. 

At Crag, I was fortunate to able to focus primarily on issues relating to land use and public lands—two areas of law I am very interested in.  I had the uncommon opportunity to work on litigation related to former Measure 37 and Measure 49, land use laws which are unique to Oregon and present unusual questions of vested rights and takings.  Under the skilled guidance of Crag’s attorneys, I conducted research, discussed litigation strategy, and prepared various documents, including briefs, motions, petitions, and more.  But my work was not solely limited to office work.  I had the opportunity to observe a number of hearings in courts across Northwestern Oregon, attend meetings with clients, and sit in on settlement negotiations.  I was also able to visit the site of the Hemlock Dam removal, view the progress, and learn about the project from engineers, attorneys, and other specialists.  Additionally, I was able to observe many aspects of the management of a well-functioning nonprofit law center, ranging from case management to fundraising to member outreach. 

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend a summer working at Crag.  I was able to learn from extremely talented attorneys who were committed to challenging me on a daily basis and helping me improve my skills whenever possible.  The skills and practical knowledge I gained will carry with me through the rest of my career.  The overall experience was overwhelmingly positive, and the assistance I received from PILP made it possible.

Julien Roohani, Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services, Portland, OR

Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services provides legal representation in most areas of immigration law, including asylum, family based immigration, removal defense, representation of victims of domestic violence, and naturalization.  The organization furthers the public interest by providing direct legal assistance to immigrants—particularly those who are most vulnerable, including victims of violence and persecution. 

Receiving a stipend allowed me to work for an organization whose mission I firmly believe in—to promote social justice for newcomers to our country by providing immigration legal services to immigrants and refugees.  I chose to work with Catholic Charities because of my commitment to advocating for the rights of an often maligned and overlooked sector of society.  As a child of immigrants, I feel a sense of duty to work on behalf of people who may not have the financial means or the knowledge of the complex immigration laws of our country to do so for themselves. 

As a summer clerk I assisted in the general immigration caseload of the attorneys and helped to present pro-bono trainings on immigration benefits available to survivors of domestic violence.  I spent a majority of the summer preparing U visa applications.  The U visa is a benefit that was created in 2000 by Congress to help victims of violent crime.  Catholic Charity U visa clients are mostly survivors of domestic violence, many times with children who also will derive legal status from their parent’s application.  In most cases, the U status application is the client’s only avenue for legalizing their status here.

From the first day I began work at Catholic Charities, I had direct client contact.  In the short time I was there I was able to see how the work I was doing affected peoples’ lives.  If it were not for the assistance of a PILP stipend I would not have been able to spend my summer working at Catholic Charities.

Karen Long, Waterwatch of Oregon, Portland, OR

WaterWatch of Oregon is an environmental nonprofit located in Portland that seeks to protect and restore natural stream flows in Oregon rivers in order to sustain the native fish, wildlife, and people who depend on healthy rivers.  WaterWatch works in the legislature, the courts, and with state and federal agencies to protect Oregon’s rivers. 

I worked directly with WaterWatch’s attorneys on various projects that dealt with state water law and policy, as well as Oregon administrative law.  I helped work on two contested cases by performing research related to the cases, preparing exhibits, and writing public records requests.  I also traveled to Salem to attend prehearing conferences and issues meetings with opposing counsel, and had the opportunity to attend the trial in Salem and assist the attorney working on the case. 

In addition to writing memos and working on the contested cases, I traveled to Salem to attend the Water Resources Commission meeting which provided a new perspective on Oregon water law.  I also wrote an appeal to a Water Management and Conservation Plan (WMCP), which is a plan required by the Oregon Administrative Rules for major water users.  The appeal produced real results when the entity decided to change its WMCP based on my comments.  Further, I had the opportunity to attend various internal meetings, which allowed me to learn more about how a nonprofit law firm functions.

I am thankful to PILP and WaterWatch for this tremendous opportunity and learning experience. The work WaterWatch directly affects all of us in Oregon, and I am fortunate for the chance to work alongside its wonderful attorneys and staff.

Katherine Edwards, The Defender Association (TDA), Seattle, WA

This summer I worked for one of the most incredible public defender organizations on the planet!  I worked as Rule 9 Legal intern (Washington’s equivalent to a certified law student) in the organization’s misdemeanor division.   As one of seven interns, we each received a misdemeanor caseload that included assaults, thefts, obstruction, property destruction, driving while license suspended, and prostitution.  We worked in teams of two on each misdemeanor case, and completed all the various tasks associated with trial work.  I was able to try a case before a Seattle jury, argue suppression motions, and completed a general motions practice.  I also was able to work on a murder case with two other attorneys in the office, as well as conduct research for a sexually violent predator case.  

Overall, this experience was absolutely amazing.  TDA and our supervisor, Theresa Allman, did a marvelous job teaching us the nuances of practicing as a public defender.  Despite overwhelming caseloads, each attorney exemplified passion and dedication to this work.  It was inspiring to see this commitment in action.  In the end, it was an absolute privilege to represent indigent defendants throughout the summer, and I look forward to a future doing similar work.  

Laura Muranaka, Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO), Portland, OR

Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) is a statewide nonprofit law firm that provides legal services to low-income people and other special populations.  LASO provides free legal services to clients who meet our financial eligibility guidelines.  We believe that the low income people of Oregon should have equal access to justice.  We attempt to provide services to those clients who are most vulnerable or who are unable to assist themselves due to language barriers or disabilities. 

As a nonprofit office, LASO has a tight budget and does not have funding to hire summer law students.  Law students are able to provide needed assistance to advocates in the office, and make an impact on the case to improve the life of the client.  I had the opportunity to assist with client representation, conduct client and witness interviews, speak with interpreters at Multnomah County Courthouse, organize discovery documents, prepare trial notebooks, conduct legal research and writing, draft pleadings, and speak with clients in Spanish.  I also assisted LASO with staffing the Bankruptcy Clinic and the Night Clinic at Stoel Rives, and I created and updated community education materials.  One of LASO’s most important projects in the community is operating the Domestic Violence Project.  Over the course of the summer, I conducted intake, offered advice on restraining order hearings in English and Spanish, and placed clients with pro bono attorneys.  LASO provides law students with amazing client contact.  Thank you, PILP!

Lynsdey Burrows, Oregon Law Center, Hillsboro, OR

My PILP stipend allowed me to spend my summer working for the Oregon Law Center’s (OLC) Hillsboro office.  OLC’s Hillsboro office is dedicated to working with indigenous farmworkers on legal issues ranging from wage claims to landlord/tenant law. 

My work this summer affirmed my desire to pursue a career in public interest law in a variety of ways.  One of the most rewarding experiences that I had was doing weekly outreach at farm labor camps.  At the camps, we discussed issues important to workers—for example, problems with pesticides, field sanitation, housing conditions, and wage issues.  While I visited a number of camps over the course of the summer, I was able to return to four camps.  On return visits, workers recognized my outreach team, and we could tell that they began to trust us more and more.  It was truly incredible to be able to take the time to talk to people one-on-one about their concerns and to build relationships with people. 

Weekly outreach greatly enriched my experience in the office, as the issues that I was able to research and discuss with attorneys were often brought about by a team’s outreach efforts.  I am definitely grateful for the opportunity to improve my research and writing skills while working on projects that I felt connected to. 

I was also given the incredible opportunity to work closely with OLC’s Project Against Sexual Assault of Indigenous Farmworkers.  For the project, I developed a brochure for sexual assault community advocates about the problems facing indigenous farmworkers with regard to sexual assault in the workplace and about our services.  One particularly memorable activity was the chance to participate in the effort to inform the indigenous farmworker community about the services provided by the project.  Because many indigenous languages have no commonly understood written form, radio is a critical means of outreach to the community.  The Project Against Sexual Assault of Indigenous Farmworkers creates “sociodramas” targeted toward radio listeners on topics like sexual harassment and assault.  This summer I was able to play a small role in one of the programs that will reach farmworkers around the state over the radio, which was incredibly fun and rewarding.

Overall, I had an extraordinary experience at OLC.  I wouldn’t have had this experience had I not received a PILP stipend, and so I am entirely grateful to both OLC and PILP for this opportunity.  

Megan Lemire, Oregon Natural Desert Association

This summer I worked for the Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA).  ONDA’s legal team takes on an array of legal issues relating to the protection and restoration of eastern Oregon’s high desert, focusing on 1) the widespread degradation caused by poorly managed livestock grazing on Oregon’s public lands, especially lands containing endangered species, 2) protection of wilderness values on the public lands and establishment of designated wilderness areas, and 3) the responsible development of industrial-scale energy projects in eastern Oregon. ONDA has many active legal actions, ranging from projects in the earliest stages of research and development to active litigation in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Their cases are unique, as no other nonprofit or law firm focuses on litigating grazing, wilderness, and energy development issues in eastern Oregon.

I chose this organization because of my interest in wilderness conservation, especially as achieved through the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  During the summer, I helped ONDA with its lawsuit against the Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service for failure to protect threatened steelhead and bull trout from livestock grazing damage, such as trampling banks and removing riparian vegetation. This case challenges the wildlife agencies’ grazing authorizations and ESA consultation decisions for 2007 to 2011.  After a preliminary injunction and motion to vacate hearing, I helped draft a proposed order submitted to the Oregon District Court.  I also researched case law under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  I found exposure to these issues enlightening and am truly grateful for the opportunity to work at ONDA. 

Nate Hausman, Center for Food Safety, San Francisco, CA

Thanks to PILP, I worked at the Center for Food Safety (CFS) in San Francisco this past summer.  A nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental and public interest advocacy, CFS challenges harmful food production technologies and promotes sustainable alternatives such as organic. CFS uses multiple strategies to pursue its goals, which exposed me to a variety of legal skills and tools. I conducted research, wrote internal memos, composed comments, and drafted Freedom of Information Act requests. In the process, I learned about legal strategy, experienced the inner workings of a public interest law organization, and improved my legal writing skills. I came away with a deeper understanding of administrative and environmental law, as well as the regulation of and risks associated with industrial food production system. In addition, I forged valuable connections with dedicated and talented attorneys in the field.

Because CFS has a relatively small legal team, I worked very closely with staff attorneys. One project I particularly enjoyed involved challenging a proposal for the extensive field trial of genetically engineered (GE) eucalyptus trees. In exploring the various legal issues involved with the proposal, I communicated with other attorneys and activists in the larger community to organize a coordinated approach to our campaign. In conjunction with CFS attorneys, I helped develop and assess the strength of our legal arguments and eventually helped draft comments challenging the adequacy of the proposal’s environmental assessment. Now, with my second year of law school underway, I already see the benefits a hands-on legal experience like this one in preparing me to enter the field of environmental law.

In part, I came to law school to acquire the legal skills to advocate effectively for a healthy, sustainable, and just food system. CFS was a perfect fit for a summer internship for me, one that would not have been possible for me without a PILP stipend. I am grateful to PILP and all its volunteers for enabling me to have such a rewarding experience! 

Rochelle Martinsson, Juvenile Rights Project, Portland, OR

Juvenile Rights Project, Inc. (JRP) serves children and youth who are abused, neglected, involved with the criminal justice system, or otherwise vulnerable; students facing challenges at school; and parents in need of help with regard to family matters. JRP seeks to support and improve the lives of such individuals through legal representation and advocacy, as well as ensure that these individuals have the opportunity to be safe and successful members of the community.

While at JRP, I was able to gain considerable experience in a variety of capacities. One of my responsibilities was to take calls to the Helpline, staff the calls with JRP attorneys, and then serve the Helpline clients in whatever way was appropriate. Assisting Helpline clients involved, for example, writing letters on their behalf, helping them draft and file motions or petitions with the court, providing them with advice from JRP attorneys, and giving them information or materials pertinent to the legal issues of interest to them. 

Another of my responsibilities at JRP was to participate in the Detention Alternatives program. Through Detention Alternatives, JRP identifies youth threatened with unnecessary or inappropriate detention in juvenile detention, based on their level of risk and the availability of suitable alternatives. Wherever possible, JRP attempts to move its juvenile delinquency clients from juvenile detention to a more nurturing and healthy environment, so that its clients may stabilize and focus on how to resolve their delinquency matters and other troubles. I interviewed new and returning clients scheduled for a preliminary hearing to determine placement pre-adjudication, and investigated alternative placements for the attorneys assigned to represent them. As part of this process, I attended regular meetings with members of the juvenile court system to discuss the viability of such alternatives.

While at JRP I also contributed content to and edited content for the Juvenile Reader, which is a regular publication provided by JRP to Oregon Juvenile Court practitioners. The Juvenile Reader contains, among other things, important news briefs, practice tips, recent case law updates, resources, and discussions of law and policy.

I chose to work at JRP because I believe in JRP’s goals and vision, and because I wanted to contribute to the positive results felt by the community as a result of JRP’s efforts. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work at JRP, and for being awarded a PILP stipend, which made my summer employment with JRP possible.

Stephanie Short, The Gulf Restoration Network, New Orleans, LA

 

This summer I received a stipend to work for the Gulf Restoration Network (GRN) in New Orleans, Louisiana. The GRN is a conservation advocacy group that focuses on environmental issues affecting the gulf coast. The organization advocates for the conservation and restoration of wetlands, sustainable fisheries management in the Gulf, and enforcement of water quality standards. Its successes include moving Congress to close the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, which funneled storm surge into New Orleans during Katrina, and convincing ex-Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco to veto the proposal for an open-loop liquid natural gas system in the Gulf of Mexico.

My position at the GRN was as the Fisheries Legal Intern.  Most of my work revolved around the Gulf Menhaden fishery, which is the second largest fishery by mass in the United States and is largely unregulated. This is particularly important because menhaden are at the base of the Gulf food chain, so many commercial fisheries rely on them for food. So if the menhaden population is unhealthy many other fisheries will be unhealthy as well. I spent most of my time researching the legal means of getting the various state agencies that oversee the fishery to properly regulate it.  This meant I researched several different environmental statutes, ranging from the Endangered Species Act to the Marine Protection, Resources, and Sanctuaries Act. My biggest accomplishment was researching Menhaden processing plants that had habitually violated the  Clean Water Act. This research may ultimately result in litigation against that corporation. I also had the opportunity to attend meetings of the Mississippi Marine Resources Commission, lobby Louisiana congressmen to support environmental legislation, and canvass for the GRN at Bonnaroo! Ultimately, my work with GRN was rewarding, interesting and diverse—I was able to meet wonderful people and learn a tremendous amount about environmental advocacy in the state I want to practice in!

2009 Stipend Application (pdf)

At the conclusion of the summer, each stipend recipient prepares a summary of his or her summer work experience. Browse the summaries below to learn more about the work students do with PILP Summer Stipends. Learn more about the experience of receiving a PILP summer stipend by reading summer summaries prepared by previous stipend recipients.

2008 Stipend Recipients

2007 Stipend Recipients (2007 and before will be added soon)

2006 Stipend Recipients

2005 Stipend Recipients

2004 Stipend Recipients

2003 Stipend Recipients