Since its inception in 1998, PennFuture has emphasized the importance of using the law to protect Pennsylvania’s environment and “create a just future where nature, communities, and the economy thrive.”

Over the past two decades, we have achieved significant legal and policy victories that reduce pollution and protect the environment and our communities. We have provided millions of dollars in pro bono legal services while setting critical precedents and enforcing environmental laws across the Commonwealth.

But as PennFuture looks forward to the next 25 years, we recognize that we need to be more involved with cultivating the people that will continue to support our mission. Our staff have a long history of mentoring interns, externs, and fellows, and we wanted to create a more formal program to inspire the next generation. 

With the generous support of the George and Miriam Martin Foundation and the Otto Haas Charitable Trust, PennFuture created a paid legal internship program to inspire and mentor students interested in making a difference for our environment. 

Ultimately, the goal of this program is to provide the organization a cadre of young legal and policy minds interested in taking on the myriad challenges impacting Pennsylvania as well as to further their potential environmental careers. We’ve seen success on this front as many of our legal interns have found work in the Pennsylvania environmental legal space. We also hope that providing for a funded internship will help to bring more diversity and inclusivity into the non-profit environmental advocacy sphere. 

Our interns have made it possible for PennFuture’s legal team to do more, faster, and better! They have supported our litigation efforts against water polluters and fracked-gas facilities, they have drafted comments in support of stronger regulatory protections across the Commonwealth, and they have helped our attorneys strategize and execute impactful legal actions. We are grateful for all of the hard work, passion, and dedication of our legal interns. 

This spring, we are joined by a fantastic law student who brings his unique background and experience to our mission. We’ve asked our new intern to explain, in his own words, what environmental law and PennFuture’s mission means to them:

Austin Davis, Second Year Student at Penn State Dickinson Law

Growing up in Southeast Pennsylvania, I came to appreciate the natural beauty that the Commonwealth has to offer in our state parks and especially the Delaware River. I have always been curious about environmentalism in the shaping of law and policy, and in building a more sustainable future for our communities and the world. I knew that I would be involved in some way to protect and conserve the environment.

At Muhlenberg College, I majored in Political Economy, Public Policy, and Russian Studies, which combined my interests for domestic and international policy and how these policies shape the world we live in. My undergraduate courses and study abroad experience deepened my interest in environmental policy, motivating me to pursue a legal education.

At Penn State Dickinson Law, I have been involved in the Environmental Law Society and taking courses on environmental law topics. I was interested in interning at PennFuture because of its important work in educating Pennsylvanians on environmental issues that directly affect our communities and fighting to protect the same environment I have come to appreciate. Additionally, interning at PennFuture has expanded my knowledge of environmental and energy law; it has given me the empowering opportunity to practice my legal writing and research in protecting Pennsylvania’s environment and communities. 

If you want to support our legal team as we support the future of strong environmental lawyers in Pennsylvania, please donate to PennFuture’s Legal Environmental Advocacy Fund, LEAF, today!