October 1, 2024

This summer, I had the opportunity of interning at East Coast Environmental Law (ECEL), an organization dedicated to advocating for progressive 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.

During my internship, I researched multiple federal laws that were designed to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Some of these federal laws included the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, the Canadian Net-zero Emissions Accountability Act, and the Clean Fuel Regulations.

With this research, I drafted a series of “backgrounders” that will act as public legal education resources to inform readers, in plain language, about some of the environmental laws that are put in place. During my drafting process, I was able to work closely with ECEL staff to develop valuable skills that will continue to be important to my education and career.

In addition to the series of backgrounders, I was able to create a similar resource that will be focused for a youth audience. I was challenged in different ways to create a resource that would integrate the necessary information regarding climate change, the legal system in Canada, and environmental law. This project helped me lean into my passion for the environment and learn about how the law interacts with environmental discourse.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the people I have and to have the unique experiences from ECEL. The knowledge, skills, and exposure to environmental law have helped me grow as I move into my second year of law school, and I am looking forward to seeking new opportunities to continue working with ECEL and other organizations that strive to create positive change through environmental law.

Chaeyon Lee

JD Student, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University

Chaeyon’s work with us was funded through internship funding granted by the Schulich School of Law, for which we are very grateful.