Meet the Class of 2025 Fellows
Matthew Bersin, now employed at Harrison, Temblador, Hungerford & Guernsey
LLP, completed a fellowship with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) under the supervision of Laura Peterson ’11, staff attorney. During his fellowship, Matthew worked on complex public lands litigation matters, analyzed obligations under the Endangered Species Act as they apply to public lands in Utah, and prepared materials to support future FOIA and GRAMA requests. Matthew also successfully passed the California Bar Exam.
Katie
Charlebois, now
employed at the Law Office of Robert B.
Jobe, completed a fellowship with Peregrine Environmental Consulting under the guidance of David Hunter, AUWCL professor emeritus. During her fellowship, Katie’s research supported efforts to expand the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Exclusion List to align with global environmental treaties and standards, including the Minamata and Basel Conventions, helping ensure that international development financing was consistent with climate and environmental law. The project also advocated for stronger IFC Performance Standards. Katie also successfully passed the D.C. Bar Exam.
Jake Helfant completed a fellowship with the American Forest & Paper
Association (AF&PA) under the supervision of Jesse Levine ’10, senior director of energy and environmental policy. During his fellowship, his research supported the association’s legal and policy work on federal energy and environmental regulations, including pipeline safety, biomass incentives, and evolving federal frameworks affecting the pulp and paper industries. AF&PA subsequently hired him, and he is now a public policy analyst with the organization. Jake also successfully passed the D.C. Bar Exam.
David Kimelman, now
employed at Armstrong, Donohue, Ceppos,
Vaughan & Rhoades, Chtd., completed a fellowship with Patuxent Riverkeeper under the supervision of Riverkeeper Fred Tutman and Bill Snape, PEEL director and professor. During his fellowship, David conducted research to inform litigation strategies concerning a proposed plastic waste facility. He performed in-depth statutory, case law, and factual research to help develop additional legal strategies in collaboration with community advocates. David also successfully passed the North Carolina Bar Exam.
Elizabeth Ross, now a staff attorney with Summit Legal Aid in Greensburg,
Pennsylvania, completed a fellowship with the Center for Biological Diversity under the supervision of Stephanie Kurose ’15, deputy director of Government Affairs. During her fellowship, Elizabeth focused on government transparency and environmental protection through research on the Freedom of Information Act and Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting and litigation. Elizabeth also successfully passed the Pennsylvania Bar Exam.
Amanda Scheichet, now
employed at Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea &
BenMaier PLLC in Chicago, completed a fellowship with Pfizer, Inc. under the supervision of Sally Fisk ’01, vice president and chief counsel for Environmental & Sustainability Law. During her fellowship, Amanda supported the company’s Environmental, Health, and Safety team on a range of regulatory matters, including researching emerging environmental laws, reviewing contract provisions, and contributing to sustainability reporting and compliance efforts. Following the fellowship, Amanda initiated the process of waiving into the Illinois Bar after successfully passing the D.C. Bar Exam.
Kimly
Nguyen Tran contributed to the Environ- mental Justice
State-by-State Project under the supervision of Karim Marshal ’08, AUWCL adjunct associate law professor for Environmental Justice. Kimly also completed a fellowship with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). During her fellowship, Kimly researched Massachusetts civil litigation procedures and FOIA administrative appeals processes, investigated agency FOIA exemption responses in Maryland and Massachusetts, and drafted a Massachusetts Public Records Law violation complaint. Kimly also successfully passed the New York Bar Exam.
Yonah Wasik, now an associate at Reeves Immigration Law Group in San
Francisco, completed a fellowship with the American Composites Manufacturers Association under the supervision of Cindy Squire ’01, CEO of the association. During his fellowship, Yonah prepared a comprehensive research memorandum analyzing microplastics legislation in all 50 states and assessing its implications for composite manufacturing. He also provided the association’s members with guidance on how to best comply with Clean Air Act Title V permitting requirements. Yonah also successfully passed the D.C. Bar Exam.
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW 13
Bersin: Eleakis & Elder Photography
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