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 20 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. 
Over the past five years, 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 summer, we have three fantastic students joining us who bring their unique backgrounds and experiences to our mission. We’ve asked our new interns to explain, in their own words, what environmental law and PennFuture’s mission means to them:

Liadan Stammler, Rising Third-Year Student at Widener University Delaware Law School
My admiration for our environment began at a young age. Growing up on the Maryland Chesapeake Bay provided me with the opportunity to be immersed in local wildlife and habitat. Observing Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagles, and the notorious Blue Crab was one of my favorite hobbies growing up. This passion inevitably influenced my future.
I pursued law school intending to have a career in environmental law. My interest was solidified through my experiences at Delaware Law. Serving as Treasurer and Co-Founder of the Environmental Law Society and participating as a Clinic Student Attorney in the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic.
PennFuture’s fight for “clean air, pure water, and climate change solutions” encompasses the work I want to be involved in, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to this mission. I’m looking forward to a rewarding summer learning from the environmental legal advocates at PennFuture.  

Lex Steigelman, Rising Third-Year Student at Rutgers Law School (Camden)
Growing up, I have always had a passion for environmentalism. From advocating for the reduction of disposable styrofoam trays at school board meetings to helping organize and operate an e-waste recycling drive, it was always something that I considered my duty as a member of my community.
In college, I majored in chemistry at The College of New Jersey, focusing on sustainable chemistry. I was lucky enough to research solutions to make pharmaceutical storage, transport, and administration more efficient and environmentally conscious. As a rising 3L student at Rutgers Law School in Camden, I have considered environmental law as a career that will enable me to properly serve the public as a whole.
Environmental law is the intersection of many things I enjoy: science, law and policy, and environmentalism. A summer at PennFuture allows me to explore this niche field in a way that is both rewarding and productive!

Josef Novacek, Rising Second-Year Student at Catholic University Columbus School of Law
As a native Pennsylvanian who grew up next to the decommissioned Three Mile Island, I appreciate the balancing of productivity with protecting our environment. I did not enter law school thinking that I would be pursuing Environmental or Energy Law, but their ability to have a direct positive impact on my community by creating a cleaner, safer, and more reliable future makes them a rewarding field.

I am excited to contribute to PennFuture’s mission of improving Pennsylvania’s environment by learning from their esteemed team and helping them tackle the rapidly changing environmental and energy fields. By figuring out how to navigate the shifting regulations, we can make sure that Pennsylvania’s environment and citizens can continue to prosper.
At the Columbus School of Law, I have the pleasure of serving as the Treasurer of both the First Generation Law Student Union and the Law and Technology Student Association, where I hope to be able to leverage the ever-adapting technologies to the preservation and improvement of our environment.