Welcome aboard, 2023 summer clerks

Summer clerks Zach Nacev, Jamie Johnson, Julia Taylor, Evelyn Mailander, and Drew Baloga (left to right). 

Without full-time summer clerks, Earthrise would not be able to offer the excellent year-round legal representation our clients expect. The environmental community also benefits from increasing the pool of law school graduates with substantial real-world experience and training. Earthrise students are tomorrow’s advocates for our natural heritage. We asked our clerks to share with us what made them want to clerk with Earthrise and what they will be working on this summer. Their responses are below. 

Drew Baloga

“I became interested in clerking with Earthrise after participating in the school year clinic and seeing how the organization’s work aligns with my interest in ensuring the sustainable use of our public lands and promoting good government. This summer I have been working on two challenges to logging projects in Eastern Oregon and Eastern California, both of which focus on the increasingly relevant issues of wildfire management, ecosystem health, and resource extraction. I cannot overstate how beneficial it has been to learn by working alongside incredible attorneys on these meaningful issues.”

Zach Nacev

“I’m excited to clerk for Earthrise because I’m excited to use some of the knowledge and skills I’ve acquired in law school (and prior) doing what I came to law school to do: protect the environment for generations to come. I decided to pursue a career in environmental law following my career as a high school teacher, recognizing that the future of my students depended on a livable planet. To me, both kinds of work are work dedicated to service and the future; I came to Earthrise because it is a way for me to continue my (still young!) life’s work in my new field.”

Evelyn Mailander

“I am looking forward to gaining experience with environmental litigation through my clerkship at Earthrise this summer. So far, I am working on a NEPA violation by the USFS in Arkansas and helping with some potential litigation in Massachusetts. Earthrise has an unmatched reputation as an environmental legal clinic, and I am excited to work with knowledgeable and passionate attorneys on addressing environmental injustices.”

Julia Taylor

“I wanted to work at Earthrise because some of the best attorneys I know work at or have been involved with this program, which provides unparalleled mentorship to students. Further, I wanted to contribute to cases that are actively combatting the environmental crisis at hand. I am ecstatic to be involved in litigation pertaining to climate change-induced droughts along the Colorado River, which supplies water to 40 million people and flows through seven states. We hope this case will lead to the preservation of limited water supplies and set an important precedent in terms of how climate change is evaluated by governmental bodies in major federal actions.”

Jamie Johnson

“I wanted to work for Earthrise this summer because I was excited to work under the guidance and mentorship of accomplished attorneys while contributing to real-life environmental litigation for the foremost environmental law clinic in the country. I’ve known I want to practice public interest environmental law to protect the environment and combat climate and look forward to gaining practical experience working with a small but mighty team of co-clerks and attorneys. This summer I will be largely involved with forestry cases, holding government agencies accountable to environmental regulations and standards when it comes to protecting our beloved forests and natural areas, particularly here in the Northwest and West.”