This summer I had the opportunity to work with East Coast Environmental Law as a Legal Research Intern. I was heavily motivated to pursue a career in law by my lifelong goal to help foster a more healthy and sustainable relationship between Canadians and the ecosystems they live in. I wanted to experience work that was meaningful, challenging, and a benefit to our lived environment. As an organisation comprised of steadfast advocates for environmental justice, I could not have been more excited than when I was awarded funding to work for East Coast Environmental Law.

As a placement student with East Coast Environmental Law this summer, I conducted legal research and analysis on legal and policy issues related to the protection of coastal environmental in the Atlantic region. As part of my work, I looked at the issue of infilling of private water lots in coastal areas.

This winter, East Coast Environmental Law published a report entitled Simply Not Protected: An Evaluation of Prince Edward Island’s Legal Framework to Protect Species at Risk. This blog post offers some updates and reflections on the conversations that have happened since.

In March 2021, I wrote a blog post on Nova Scotia’s Bill 4, An Act to Provide for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Nova Scotia. The Bill had just passed second reading in the Nova Scotia Legislature and was on its way to the Law Amendments Committee for a mandated public review before it would return to the Legislature for its third and final reading. The text of the Bill that I considered, and wrote about, on March 17 was much different from that of the Bill that ultimately passed third reading on April 13, 2021.

This summer I had the opportunity to work as an intern with East Coast Environmental Law. I applied for the position because I have a background in science, an interest in species protection, and an overall fondness for research. These interests and skills were developed, in part, while I completed an undergraduate degree in Science with an Honours in Biology prior to entering law school at the University of New Brunswick. Reflecting on my time as a summer student, I realize what a phenomenal opportunity I had, working on meaningful projects that affect everyday people throughout the Atlantic provinces. I entered law school because of a desire to help, and this summer I had the privilege of working with an organization that does just that, so I am very grateful.

I was fortunate to be accepted for an internship with East Coast Environmental Law this summer. It has been an impactful learning experience observing the team’s contribution to promoting environmental protection and sustainability.

This summer, I remotely completed a 12-week internship with East Coast Environmental Law, funded by the Schulich Academic Excellence Fund for Internships. I approached East Coast Environmental Law with the hope of learning more about environmental law and furthering my interest in public legal education. Under the supervision of Lisa Mitchell and the assistance of recent Schulich graduate Dan White, I developed a youth workshop on rights of nature.

More than ever, the public needs to know how the law works (or does not work) to protect the environment. My goal for summer 2021 was to work with an organization that recognizes the need for public legal education about environmental law and environmental issues. As such, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to intern with East Coast Environmental Law.