Environmental Law Caucus

Our Mission

We don’t want environmental law students to forget why they came here. One great beauty of pursuing a career to help affect environmental change is the inherent personal connection to the work. The symbiotic relationship between us—especially as environmental law students—and our natural environmental can provide an incessant source of motivation and should not be lost. Thus, the mission of the Environmental Law Caucus is to provide a forum for law students to connect with the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest and embrace environmentalism on a personal level.

2020-2021 Board Members

President: Sammi Teo (she/her), Class of 2021, sammiteo@lclark.edu

Sammi grew up in NYC and New Jersey. She graduated from Rutgers University, where she concentrated in Political Science, Environmental Law and Policy, and Labor Law. At Lewis & Clark Law, she is the President of Environmental Law Caucus (ELC), a Co-Board Member of Students for Eliminating Environmental Discrimination (SEED), and the 3L Class Representative of Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA). In her free time, you can find her reading (especially science or historical fiction), hiking, watching films, and playing chess.

Vice President: Katy O’Keefe (she/her), Class of 2021, kokeefe@lclark.edu 

Katy started with the club as a 1L representative and have loved every minute of it. She’s from a small town in Central Illinois, did my undergraduate in Southern Illinois, and then came to Lewis & Clark to pursue environmental law. She studied Geography, Environmental Resource and Sustainability at Southern Illinois. Her primary interest is in the Superfund program and general control of hazardous waste, especially its intersection with bankruptcy (…I know…super cool, right?…). She enjoys rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, and playing guitar. My law school career has been advanced greatly by my involvement in ELC. From the great friendships to fun programs and incredible resources, ELC is the right place for anyone interested in environmental law or just getting outside in general. Feel free to ask her about any questions about anything you’d like, and she hopes to see you at our next meeting or event!

Treasurer: Tiffany Hawkins (she/her), Class of 2022, thawkins@lclark.edu 

Tiffany is a 2L interested in all things Environmental! She attended Texas A&M University –
Corpus Christi where she pursued environmental and life sciences, marine and coastal resources,
and policy and regulation. Her studies have become focused on environmental, natural resource,
and energy law and policy. Loving nature, some of her outdoor hobbies include hiking, swimming,
scuba diving, snowboarding, and paddle boarding. ELC is one way Tiffany is able stay involved
with nature while pursuing her law degree in order to better protect the environment and
preserve its treasures.

Community Outreach Coordinator: Amanda Burgess (she/her), Class of 2022, aburgess@lclark.edu 

Northern CA born and raised. Pursuing environmental law with specific interest in Clean Water Act and administrative law. Other interests include hiking, camping/backpacking, cooking, travel, fly fishing, hot yoga, and exploring the PNW with friends and family. Photo: with my best friend’s dog Goose at Avenue of the Giants, CA.

Leadership

Four board members, with the assistance of two 1L representatives to the student body, govern the Environmental Law Caucus. The leadership of ELC aims to embody good stewardship and an appreciation of our environment in every activity we do. Please contact us if you are interested in leadership opportunities with ELC.

Annual Events 

• Swift Watch at Chapman School - September
• Mushaboom! Mushroom Hunt Weekend in Mount Hood National Forest: October - November
• Public Interest Environmental Law Conference at the University of Oregon: Early March
• Hikes, adventures, volunteer projects, and good times throughout the year

Stewardship Projects

The ELC encourages getting dirty with the earthy. We promote events and ideas dedicated to shaping trajectories of social-ecological change at local-to-global scales. Projects include:

• Ivy pulls
• Responsible food choices
• Tree planting
• Edible garden/composting
• Seed swap and planting

Please contact us with your own ideas and suggestions!

Sustainability at Lewis & Clark

Defining and achieving “sustainability” is a work in progress at Lewis & Clark. All three campuses work together to form the Sustainability Council. Members of the Lewis & Clark law school community work to ensure that we have a voice in this initiative. More information here.