GLA Summer Law Clerks Gain Hands-On International Law Experience at Basel Convention Meeting

Nikki Smith, JD ’28, Amy Youngman, JD ’20, and Hannah Theriault, JD ’28 in Geneva at the OEWG.

This summer, two Lewis & Clark Law students took their classroom learning to the international stage through the Global Law Alliance for Animals and the Environment (GLA).

As summer law clerks with GLA, rising second-year students Nikki Smith, JD ’28, and Hannah Theriault, JD ’28 traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to attend the 15th Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) of the Basel Convention, the international treaty governing the transboundary movement and disposal of hazardous wastes. GLA sent the students to the meeting to support the work of Lewis & Clark Law alum Amy Youngman, JD ’20, who works for the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), on waste trade and the growing global challenge of textiles.

(Left to Right) Nikki Smith, JD ’28, Amy Youngman, JD ’20, and Hannah Theriault, JD ’28 in Geneva.Before traveling to Geneva, Smith and Theriault conducted extensive research on legislation addressing post-consumer textile waste around the world. They compiled their findings into a practical reference guide demonstrating that many Basel Convention parties have already begun addressing textile waste through domestic laws and policies. Their research informed EIA’s advocacy during the meeting, including a side event focused on the transboundary movement and disposal of textile waste.

When asked what they learned most from the experience, Smith emphasized both the value of interdisciplinary research and the importance of language skills in environmental law. “I learned so much about researching international treaties and foreign legislation,” Smith said. “It was also interesting to see the breadth of issues that one international treaty can cover. On the same day that we addressed fast fashion waste, we also discussed ship breaking and electronic waste. There’s also so much overlap with human rights issues and business law. Going into law school, everyone told me how useful Spanish would be for criminal law and immigration law. But because so many environmental issues affect Latin America and South America, I was constantly using my Spanish skills this summer to read and translate interviews and legislation and to talk to delegates at the OEWG. I would love for other Spanish speakers to know that their language skills are needed in environmental law.” 

The experience also reinforced Smith’s growing interest in hazardous waste regulation and environmental restoration. Having previously researched Superfund sites in the United States, she expanded her work to examine clothing dumps in Argentina and Kenya as part of the GLA project.

“Fast fashion waste is a topic that I care a lot about,” Smith said. “It’s very interdisciplinary and touches on so many issues. It was amazing to sit down and talk to the people who are impacted by it.”

Nikki Smith, JD ’28 and Hannah Theriault, JD ’28 in GenevaBoth students mentioned how participating in the OEWG provided an invaluable look at how international law functions in practice. In addition to observing plenary sessions, they participated in side meetings and contact groups with nongovernmental organizations and representatives from member and non-member states.

“One of my biggest takeaways was learning how an international convention actually operates,” Theriault said. “I was able to see firsthand how so much of the work gets accomplished outside of plenary sessions in contact groups and even in unofficial conversations. It made me realize how important interpersonal communication skills are in an international law space, particularly because there are often language barriers and cultural differences that can influence a conversation.”

The research the students completed before traveling also deepened their understanding of the relationship between plastic and textile waste, an increasingly important issue as many modern textiles are made from synthetic, plastic-based materials.

The Geneva experience also helped Theriault refine her career goals.

“Between working on this project and another GLA project with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to help build the World Wildlife Crime Report, I’ve realized this is the exact intersection of law that I’m most interested in working in,” she said.

As summer law clerks, Smith and Theriault experienced firsthand how legal research can inform international policymaking and environmental advocacy. Through opportunities like the Basel Convention meeting, GLA gives Lewis & Clark Law students practical experience working alongside leading advocates and policymakers while contributing to solutions for complex global environmental challenges.

EIA was also impressed by how quickly both students stepped into a complicated multilateral policy process. “Nikki and Hannah jumped right in and produced high-quality research that directly supported our advocacy to end waste colonialism through more controlled textile waste trade,” Youngman said. “At a time when multilateralism faces real challenges, it is more important than ever to bring strong research and thoughtful advocacy to the table. The support we received from GLA and the students helped strengthen our engagement during the OEWG and contribute to policy discussions that will ultimately drive meaningful change. As someone whose own career in international environmental law and policy began through clinics at Lewis & Clark, I’m happy to see today’s students getting that same chance to make an impact.”

GLA is a collaboration of Lewis & Clark Law School’s Center for Animal Law Studies and the Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law Program. Law students at Lewis & Clark Law School actively participate in GLA’s work for academic credit.