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From left to right: Robyn Raymond, Margot Liechti, Tosh Weyman, Catherine Musekamp, Ana Chamgoulova, Elizabeth Zarpa. |
The West Coast Environmental Law summer law student volunteers want to thank our amazing mentors at West Coast Environmental Law for the wonderful educational experiences they provided this summer. We have laughed and learned with the West Coast staff and, to wrap up our work term, would like to share the highlights of our summer with West Coast’s readership. Here’s what we each have been up to:
Ana Chamgoulova
I am grateful for the diverse range of experiences I have had at West Coast Environmental Law, legal and otherwise. I have assisted staff lawyers with drafting such documents as a Freedom of Information request regarding enforcement of environmental laws and a memo on the judicial review applications filed by First Nations and environmental NGO’s in the wake of the government’s approval of the Northern Gateway pipeline. The highlight of my summer has definitely been going on trips to First Nations communities affected by resource extraction industries: the Lummi Nation Stommish Sacred Summit in Washington State and the Tar Sands Healing Walk in northern Alberta. Both were thought-provoking and will keep me inspired beyond my time at West Coast.
Catherine Musekamp
After completing my first year of law school in Ontario, I was very excited for the chance to come home to BC and volunteer at West Coast Environmental Law. I have had opportunities to learn about and contribute to important projects dedicated to protecting our natural resources, fighting climate change and defending Indigenous land rights. I also feel lucky to have taken part in public outreach events, such as “Car Free Day,” which highlight how important West Coast’s work is to BC residents, both in terms of public education and representing public values. Above all, in my short time at West Coast, the lawyers and staff have made all the legal volunteers feel like valued members of this organization, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a part of the West Coast team.
Elizabeth Zarpa
I decided to pursue a position with West Coast Environmental Law because I wanted to deepen my understanding as to how aboriginal law, environmental law and Indigenous legal traditions intersect to protect the land, water, fish, animals and other living-beings throughout BC. My decision was fruitful, considering the climate around pipelines in the province, and lead me to work on research projects related to environmental issues surrounding the Kinder Morgan expansion, and the federal Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline approval. I also had the wonderful opportunity to work with great people, on relevant and interesting legal issues as it relates to Indigenous legal traditions. Through these experiences, I have developed a keen interest in deepening my understanding as to how the law can effectively be used to protect the environment. Nukomiik to West Coast, the staff lawyers, fellow student volunteers!
Margot Liechti
My summer started out with visiting the Federal Court of Appeal to witness the Hupacasath’s important challenge of the Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement brought on the behalf of all Canadians. Since then, the primary focus of my work this summer has been researching Canada’s fish protection laws. As a fish lover and a member of a Community Supported Fishery, I am very appreciative of all the hard work West Coast Environmental Law does to protect fish and the “water[s] frequented by fish.” And above all, thank you West Coast for your invaluable mentorship and support this summer.
Robyn Raymond
My summer at West Coast Environmental Law has been a great experience. Not only did I get to meet and work with some great people, but I also got involved with the most cutting edge legal work of our time. Nothing is more satisfying than performing research and writing up documents that contribute to the ever evolving realm of environmental law, especially when it is entangled with Indigenous rights and title issues! My involvement at West Coast this summer has exposed me to complexities of this legal path, which has only made it that more appealing to me. I love the fact that while my assignments involved researching environmental and Indigenous issues, they were also intrinsically tied to other areas of law such as motions, nuisance, contracts, the duty to consult, and, last but certainly not least, corporations. It was great meeting and working with the other summer law student volunteers; and I would like to thank the lawyers and staff at West Coast for making us all feel so welcome.
Tosh Weyman
This summer I was fortunate to gain exposure to the wide variety of legal work that is undertaken at small, public interest legal organizations such as West Coast Environmental Law, and at larger business law firms such as the one where I worked for the first half of the summer. These experiences were complementary, highlighting similarities and differences in the types of legal work these organizations and firms perform, and the types of clients that they work for. While at West Coast, I worked with Deborah Carlson on several projects related to West Coast’s Green Communities program. In particular, I examined regulatory and organizational models for funding and building green infrastructure to mitigate impacts of sea level rise. I also helped organize an upcoming design charrette focused on developing urban design and green infrastructure responses to sea level rise in BC’s lower mainland. I’d like to thank the staff at West Coast for providing me with the opportunity to experience first-hand the importance of practicing environmental law for the public interest.
Thanks again for everything!
Best wishes,
The West Coast Environmental Law Summer Law Student Volunteer Team