As we reflect on the past year's successes, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our legal interns, whose dedication and expertise have played a pivotal role in shaping our 2023 efforts. From researching the ramifications of Sackett v. EPA to exploring the harmful impacts of ship anchoring on the seafloor, the strides we've made in the past year wouldn't have been possible without their collaborative efforts. Thank you, Carus, Kendall, and Davina, for being indispensable contributors to LA Waterkeeper's journey.

Read on to hear from them about their experiences at LA Waterkeeper.

“This internship has confirmed for me that working for an organization that has a mission that I align with, and one that is fighting to make the world a better place is something that I value and will seek out. ”

- Carus Newman, legal intern

Meet Carus Newman, USC Gould School of Law

Tell us about a project you worked on during your internship.

At the very beginning of the summer, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that basically removed protections from the Clean Water Act for many waterbodies throughout the United States. This was a huge blow to those of us who want to protect our water and keep it clean, rich in bio-diversity, and beautiful for generations to come.

To help navigate this new world with less protections from the Clean Water Act, with the help of Barak, I conducted research into other laws that could be used to ensure that we protect as many waterbodies as we could, and to come up with a potential strategy to re-establish those Clean Water Act Protections. It was challenging, but extremely rewarding to put my legal research and writing skills to use.  

How has this internship shaped your career goals?

It has definitely shown me a lot about what it takes to be an environmental lawyer. Being so early in my career, it is hard to know what type of law I want to practice long-term, but this internship has confirmed for me that working for an organization that has a mission that I align with, and one that is fighting to make the world a better place is something that I value and will seek out.

What's next for you?

I will begin my 2nd year of law school and hopefully take a few environmental law classes. I’m not sure what next summer or post-graduation will look like, but I’m hoping that I can find an organization to work for that cares about the environment and the future as much as LAW does.

“I really enjoyed the opportunities we had to apply our work to real-life situations. […] Even just going to the beach over the weekend and seeing a water body we analyzed under the Clean Water Act has reminded me of the Waterkeeper's real impact and the reasons I am so passionate about environmental law.”

-Kendall Chappell, legal intern

Meet Kendall Chappell, UCLA School of Law

What attracted you to LA Waterkeeper for a legal internship?

Entering law school, I knew I wanted to pursue environmental law. I have been very interested in water quality and marine life due to the negative impacts poor water quality and anthropogenic pollution have on human life and marine ecosystems. LA Waterkeeper seemed like the perfect organization to explore the aquatic side of environmental law.

Tell us about a project you worked on during your internship.

I wrote a memorandum addressing the harmful impacts of ship anchoring on the seafloor and how anchoring regulations could be strengthened. My goal was to determine if any current environmental laws could be used to strengthen regulations around anchoring. It was really interesting to learn about various environmental laws meant to protect the marine environment and explore how they could be applied to contemporary issues.

What was your favorite part of this internship?

I really enjoyed the opportunities we had to apply our work to real-life situations. We went on a MPA Watch boat tour and it was incredible to see dolphins and sea lions, particularly near regions I had researched for my anchoring project. Even just going to the beach over the weekend and seeing a water body we analyzed under the Clean Water Act has reminded me of the Waterkeeper's real impact and the reasons I am so passionate about environmental law.

“Prior to this internship, I did not think I wanted to work on issues surrounding water nor did I know much about water laws like the Clean Water Act. However, I can confidently say that this internship broadened my horizons regarding career paths and sparked my interest in working on water issues in Los Angeles.”

-Davina Shoumer, legal intern

Meet Davina Shoumer, Loyola Law School

Tell us about a project you worked on during your internship.

One project I worked on this fall was writing a memo on safe drinking water and the implied warranty of habitability. The goal of this memo was to determine whether a lack of safe drinking water violated the implied warranty of habitability. To do so, I researched case law and statutes in each of the fifty states that related to the implied warranty of habitability and concluded whether or not there was an implied or explicit right to safe drinking water in the documents.

What was your favorite part of this internship? 

I think my favorite part about this internship was being so welcomed by the staff and feeling like a part of the community at LA Waterkeeper. Because this was an internship during the school year, I was able to come into the office before and after my classes. This arguably was the best part about my internship because being in the office allowed me to feel more connected to my work, the staff, and the organization as a whole.

How has this internship shaped your career goals? 

This internship truly reminded me of why I came to law school and furthered my interest in environmental policy. Prior to this internship, I did not think I wanted to work on issues surrounding water nor did I know much about water laws like the Clean Water Act. However, I can confidently say that this internship broadened my horizons regarding career paths and sparked my interest in working on water issues in Los Angeles.

There is a reason our acronym is LAW; legal work is the backbone to all we do here at LA Waterkeeper! Thanks to our interns, we can continue to fight for the health of the region’s waterways, and for sustainable, equitable, and climate-friendly water supplies.

Interested in getting involved? Check out our employment and volunteer pages, or donate to support this incredible work.