Inspired by a Lifelong Connection to Nature

This past summer, Megan Gaddy ’23, worked as a law clerk with the Department of Justice in the Environment and Natural Resources Division, specifically in the Environmental Enforcement Section. For Megan, this was an ideal opportunity as she finishes her studies at Haub Law, pursuing the Advanced Certificate in Environmental Law. Megan notes that, “Through my experience this past summer, I was able to witness a truly collaborative work environment. Significantly, I also got a glimpse into the breadth of issues involved in litigating environmental cases from start to finish.”

Megan applied to Haub Law with a laser focus on the environmental law program. With an eye towards nature from a young age, Megan knew her passions were with the environment. “Every summer, my parents sent me to Nature Camp and let me play outside to my heart’s content. It was through these experiences that I felt a calling to try to mend the disconnect I saw between man and nature. Over time, I witnessed the small patches of prairie lands and forests that I once played in as a child in Illinois being swallowed up by massive cornfields. Every day on my way to school, I passed the chemical processing plant where my dad worked fill the sky with grey, sulfur fumes. I knew that I wanted to work to change this and I felt Haub Law was a place that could set me on that path.”

“Every summer, my parents sent me to Nature Camp and let me play outside to my heart’s content. It was through these experiences that I felt a calling to try to mend the disconnect I saw between man and nature."

The summer after Megan’s 1L year, she participated in the DC Summer Externship Program. Due to the pandemic, she was remote and was able to be placed outside of the DC area. “I worked for a wonderful non-profit organization on the Navajo Nation called Indian Country Grassroots Support.” During her 2L year, Megan had the opportunity to work in the Honorable Cathy Seibel's chambers in the SDNY through the Federal Judicial Honors Program. Now, a 3L Megan is capping off her Haub Law experience as a student intern with Pace's Environmental Litigation Clinic.

“I have loved my time at Haub Law. I love the small, tight-knit culture of the School, especially within the environmental law community. Having come from a massive university with over 40,000 students, I love signing up for a class and being able to recognize almost every name on the roster. I hope that my career path leads me to a position that aligns with the protective, justice-centered values I developed as a child. Whether that is a position in government or at a non-profit, I am open to wherever that path leads me and feel Haub Law has prepared me well.”