NEWS


PEEL Fellowship Bridges the Gap for New Environmental Lawyers


Paid Legal Experience, Critical Mentorship and Real-World Placements for 2025 Graduates


Recognizing the challenges confronting new graduates in today’s job market, the Program on Environmental and Energy Law (PEEL) at American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) established the PEEL Postgraduate Fellowship Program to help graduates transition from law school to full- time legal employment.


To create these fellowship opportunities, PEEL faculty and staff reached out to alumni and friends of the program, asking those in a position to do so to establish fellowship placements within their organizations. Many members of the PEEL community stepped up and answered the call. Thanks to this strong network of support, PEEL launched the PEEL Postgraduate Fellowship Program, which provided 2025 PEEL graduates with meaningful legal experience, professional mentorship and supervision, and paid fellowship opportunities as they pursued permanent legal employment and built the foundation for successful careers in environmental and energy law.


“Many talented new lawyers are graduating into a difficult employment landscape,” said PEEL Director Professor Bill Snape. “This fellowship program ensures they can continue developing their skills, expanding their professional networks and contributing to the public good during this transition period.”


Eight members of the Class of 2025 were part of the inaugural fellowship cohort, with placements that span environmental protection, corporate sustainability, international environmental law, wildlife conservation, and environmental justice. Each fellow worked under the supervision of a licensed attorney, many of them AUWCL alumni, on a defined legal project resulting in a tangible work product. Seeing alumni guide and support new lawyers demonstrates the strength of the AU Law community and its shared commitment to advancing environmental and energy law.


Throughout their fellowships, graduates continued to apply for positions and participate in interviews while gaining valuable


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legal experience, allowing them to maintain professional momentum and avoid gaps in their resumes. Several ultimately secured full-time employment and transitioned from the fellowship early to begin their new roles, demonstrating the fellowship’s effectiveness as a bridge between law school and full-time employment.


The PEEL Postgraduate Fellowship has not only provided employment opportunities for 2025 graduates but has also strengthened connections between AUWCL alumni and the next generation of environmental lawyers. Alumni supervisors offered mentorship, substantive feedback, and meaningful professional guidance while engaging fellows in high-impact legal work.


Through this first cohort, the PEEL Postgraduate Fellowship is demonstrating how law schools can creatively respond to challenging employment trends while staying true to their mission of preparing lawyers to serve the public good. The program’s success reflects the resilience, talent, and dedication of AUWCL’s environmental law community, and the enduring impact of alumni mentorship. — By Ingrid Lesemann ’18


How You Can Help


This program has been made possible through the generous support of AUWCL alumni, friends of the Program on Environmental and Energy Law, and PEEL’s endowed funds. Their contributions have directly supported PEEL graduates in gaining meaningful, hands-on legal experience at a critical moment in their professional development.


If you would like to make a gift in support of the PEEL Postgraduate Fellowship Program, please contact alumni@wcl.american.edu.


Interested in partnering as a supervising mentor?


PEEL hopes to continue and expand the Fellowship Program for the Class of 2026 graduates. To learn more about participating as a supervising attorney or organizational partner, please contact PEEL Coordinator Ingrid Lesemann at lesemann@wcl.american.edu.


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