Last week, East Coast Environmental Law launched a campaign to win a right to a healthy environment in Nova Scotia. This law reform advocacy initiative was a long time coming, and it’s the product of many years and many hands. As the staff lawyer leading the initiative now, I am so excited to see it take flight.

A major reason why I decided to pursue a legal education was that it has the potential to open doors to many interesting areas of work.  However, after my first year at the Schulich School of Law, I was left with more questions than answers about what I wanted my career to look like. As someone who has always been environmentally conscious with a love for the natural beauty of Atlantic Canada, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work as a summer student at East Coast Environmental Law (ECEL) , where I delved into the intricate legal frameworks surrounding coastal development in the Atlantic provinces.

I was very fortunate to be sponsored by BoyneClarke LLP, the law firm that hired me for my articles, to work at East Coast Environmental Law for the summer.  As a summer research student at ECEL, I had the opportunity to research what legal and policy tools are available to Nova Scotia’s municipalities to steward wetlands. Working at ECEL this summer made me more hopeful for Nova Scotia’s climate future, as I began to learn about opportunities available to protect our climate and natural areas that were previously unknown to me.

This summer, I had the opportunity of interning at East Coast Environmental Law (ECEL), an organization dedicated to advocating for environmental laws and climate justice in Atlantic Canada. As a first-year law student, I was incredibly grateful to have had this experience where I was able to work with federal environmental laws for my own learning and understanding, as well as gain new skills in communicating laws to the general public.

This summer I had the incredible opportunity to work for East Coast Environmental Law, an organization that is dedicated to environmental protection and education. As a legal research assistant, my work focused on updating the case brief section of their online Resource Library. This library is a publicly accessible resource that provides detailed summaries of legal cases related to environmental law in Atlantic Canada.

This summer, I had the invaluable opportunity to work as a Summer Legal Intern with East Coast Environmental Law (ECEL), funded by the Schulich Academic Excellence Internship Award. With a strong passion for environmental and human rights law, I entered law school eager to develop practical skills for navigating the legal system, implementing policy goals, and advocating for individuals whose rights may be threatened.

Today we released an evaluation of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s performance under its provincial species at risk law, the Endangeed Species Act.

On December 7, 2023, Bill No. 19: An Act Respecting the Right to a Healthy Environment was introduced to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. Tabled as a Private Member Public Bill by David Coon of the provincial Green Party, the Bill proposes to recognize a substantive human right, shared by all persons living in New Brunswick, to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment.