Past interns
Stories and experiences
FIELD hosts several interns every year - and over the course of time this has created a valuable network of past colleagues and friends. Meet them here and learn about their past experiences and current whereabouts.
Nora Müller (Spring 2010)
David Wei (Autumn 2009)
Gloria Odiri (Autumn 2009)
Fabio Stevanato (Summer 2009)
Nick Doyle (Summer 2009)
Lorna Püschel (Spring 2009)
Rebecca Kramer (Spring 2009)
Will Francis (Autumn 2008)
Omojo Okala (Autumn 2008)
Bryce Rudyk (Summer 2008)
Lai-Lynn Angelica B. Barcenas (Summer 2008)
Fiona Kunihira (Summer 2008)
2011
Steve joined FIELD in June 2011 whilst he was completing an LL.M in Environmental Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Steve’s primary role at FIELD was to utilise his experience in environmental and international maritime law to assist in writing FIELD’s guide on marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
“Working at FIELD is a fantastic opportunity to develop your career. You gain significant practical experience of how an internationally focused NGO operates and also get to work closely with lawyers with established expertise in international environmental law.”
Steve qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales in 2002 and previously worked as a senior associate in a city law firm. He has also worked for an environmental charity.
Josh joined FIELD in January 2011 as his studies at the University College London for an LLM in Environmental Law and Policy were coming to an end. To combine the theoretical knowledge with some more practical insights, he applied for an Internship at FIELD.
"I have always wanted to work advocating for the public interest in the form of environmental protection and social justice, and an internship position at FIELD would help me to take steps towards that goal."
While at FIELD, Josh worked on many issues related to international environmental law. He analysed case law relating to the right to food and environmental damage caused by transnational corporations. He researched how the consensus rule and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities have been applied in the climate regime.
Josh also completed research and drafting on international mechanisms to promote accountability for transnational corporations. This covered public international law, mechanisms established by international financial institutions, and ongoing efforts to develop a framework on human rights and transnational corporations.
Josh also holds a J.D. from McGeorge School of Law.
Ruth is an Australian solicitor who joined FIELD in January 2011 to develop her experience in international environmental law. Prior to joining FIELD, Ruth completed a Master of Laws in Environmental Law and Policy at UCL and before that had practised in domestic environmental and planning law in Sydney.
During her time at FIELD, Ruth contributed to a paper on the gaps in international law to address the consequences of sea level rise. Ruth also worked on a range of matters in the context of MEA negotiations, biodiversity and climate change.
"I am indebted to FIELD for the experiences I have gained in international environmental law. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from the different areas of expertise of FIELD's lawyers."
Ruth also has an LL.B and a B.Comm from the University of Sydney.
2010
After a several year long career at a leading international law firm, Iain wanted to explore alternative routes for his career and wished to investigate roles where he could deploy the experience and knowledge he’s gained in another environment – the non- profit one.
Iain had for the last ten years already done pro bono work, for example for a clinic in Whitechapel in East London and an Oxfam/ WWF Legal Resource Initiative where legal advice was provided to NGO delegations during the UNFCCC negotiations in Barcelona and Copenhagen. He had also become interested in climate change and the possible ways to deal with it.
“I am interested in what steps the international community can take to address climate change and international law is I believe a key element in this.”
Ian was mostly interested in FIELD’s work on Multilateral Environmental Agreements and how different areas of the increasingly complex network of international laws and obligations interact – environmental protection, international investment law and world trade law.
While at FIELD, Iain contributed to preparations for CARICOM (Caribbean Community) climate negotiators workshop and prepared a summary of the current status of International Environmental Governance discussions in the lead up to the Rio +20 conference. Ian carried out research on the history of 1986 United Nations Convention on Conditions for Registration of Ships. He also prepared various notes for and answers to queries from Groups and NGOs involved in climate negotiations. Iain also helped to draft an article on the possible extinction of island states following their expected physical disappearance as a result of climate change.
Ruth completed her internship at FIELD in the fall of 2010. Before joining FIELD, Ruth had gained experience over the last few years at a major law firm in London. Her professional experience to date had been in the field of international disputes, generally acting for large multi-national corporations, often in the energy sector.
Since the beginning of her career, Ruth has actively participated in a variety of pro bono activities at the law firm she was working for, and she was an active member of the Corporate Responsibility team. There came a point though where Ruth felt that participation in the pro bono projects alongside her daily duties was not enough and she wanted to explore the NGO or public sector, working in international environmental law and policy.
Ruth decided to fill this gap and did special training in Law and International Development, and joined her local Friends of the Earth subgroup to get engaged in the local community from a social and environmental perspective. Ruth then applied for an internship at FIELD to gain further experience in questions of international environmental law in practice and to obtain a better understanding of the work of a small NGO such as FIELD.
While at FIELD, Ruth assisted with preparing materials for a multilateral environmental agreements workshop in Trinidad and Tobago, and did research for various FIELD publications, like the Climate Change Litigation and Marine and Coastal Biodiversity in the Convention on Biological Diversity, and International climate change litigation and the negotiation process.
Ruth has successfully graduated from the University College London with an LLM in Public International Law. She also holds a BA in Modern and Medieval Languages from the University of Cambridge and a Post Graduate Diploma in Law from Nottingham Law School.
Amanda joined FIELD for the summer 2010 Internship, having arrived to London from her native Grenada.
‘I first became familiar with FIELD when my island Grenada assumed chairmanship of AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States), one of the many organisations FIELD assists in its advisory capacity’, says Amanda.
She initially came to London to take up studies for an LLM in Environmental law from University College London. ‘My own background is in development and after UCL I intend to return to the Caribbean to continue consultancy work. I am especially interested in Grenada and Barbados’ work with climate change and Grenada’s Biosafety programme, and in general drafting of environmental legislation for Caribbean SIDS (Small Island Developing States).’
Before joining FIELD, Amanda has worked in her home Grenada and Barbados as an environmental consultant and researcher for various organisations. For example, at the University of West Indies Amanda reviewed all education policies to analyse the gap in environmental education in Eastern Caribbean countries. At the Food and Agriculture Organization Subregional Office – Barbados and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Amanda reviewed environmental laws in Barbados within a Forest Management Project.
While at FIELD, Amanda prepared materials for a FIELD training workshop on international environmental law and multilateral environmental agreements, did a background analysis of international climate finance institutions, researched the Mother Earth Declaration and issues related to climate change and the proposed rights for nature, as well as attended NGO meetings on FIELD’s behalf in London.
Danielle is a Jamaican Attorney-at-Law. Before joining FIELD in January 2010, Danielle worked as Legal Director of an environmental, non-government organization in Jamaica. In September 2009 she left Jamaica to pursue a Masters LLM in Environmental Law in London.
“I wanted to do an internship at FIELD because FIELD’s lawyers have a history of working closely with developing countries, in particular with Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and have an expert understanding of Climate Change Law and Policy and the challenges facing these countries. While at FIELD I worked on developing presentations for a capacity building workshop on multilateral environmental agreements for the government of Trinidad and Tobago to assist them in implementing their international obligations. I also did some research on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility in the climate change regime and had the opportunity to participate in a mock UN negotiating session to formulate draft text on climate finance for developing countries. The invaluable knowledge and experience I gained while interning at FIELD will allow me to make a more worthwhile contribution to my country in the field on international environmental law.”
Danielle is currently studying for an LLM in Environmental Law at Queen Mary, University of London.
Nora Müller
Nora joined FIELD in January 2010 to explore international environmental law practice. She previously studied law in The Netherlands, specialising in European and International Law, and completed an LLM at Cambridge in 2009. Having previously undertaken research on the European Emissions Trading scheme and climate change, Nora hoped to extend her grasp of international environmental law issues, particularly in light of developing countries’ perspectives.
“My time at FIELD has been an enormously enriching experience and has provided an excellent platform for the exploration of International Environmental Law. I was involved in a number of areas, conducting research on the legal nature of the Copenhagen Accord, advising on the drafting of an Access and Benefit Sharing Agreement under the Convention on Biodiversity, and conducting preliminary research on renewable energy and Community involvement. Working with FIELD’s experienced lawyers has given me insight into the international negotiation of environmental agreements. In particular the position of developing countries and the importance of their inclusion in the development of international environmental law and policy has inspired me to remain engaged in this area of work in the future. A definite highlight of these past months was the panel discussion FIELD organised, engaging an inspiring audience and culminating in an interesting discussion.”
Nora is currently undertaking a conversion to English law, in order to complete her training as a solicitor in the UK.
2009
David joined FIELD in September 2009 to explore a career in international environmental law and learn how NGOs function. He was previously a corporate litigator in New York and his native Toronto. During his internship, David learned about international water law while helping the Mekong River Commission develop guidelines for transboundary environmental impact assessment. He also assisted with FIELD’s preparations for COP 15 in Copenhagen, which he attended as a FIELD delegate.
“With the support of FIELD’s lawyers, COP 15 became a tremendous educational experience. I learned not only about the structure of international treaty negotiations, but also about many other approaches – local and national, scientific and political – that can help us meet the climate change challenge. My FIELD internship has been a wonderful training ground in international environmental law.”
This year, David is delighted to continue with FIELD as a staff lawyer. He graduated with a LLM in international law from New York University, a JD and MA in international relations from the University of Toronto, and a BA from Yale.
Gloria is a dual qualified Nigerian and UK Lawyer. Before joining FIELD in the fall of 2009, Gloria worked for a private practice as a Commercial Real Estate Lawyer in London. She left the position to pursue a Masters LLM Programme in Oil and Gas Law.
‘My interest to intern in FIELD was spurred on by my desire to learn about the challenges of climate change to African nations in particular and how such challenges can be dealt with effectively. FIELD is involved in various capacity building initiatives for developing countries and I was confident that the internship would be a great platform to build my knowledge in the areas of climate change, capacity building and development.’
‘At my time in FIELD, I worked on research on international/regional conventions which address deforestation, forest degradation, conservation, sustainable forest management and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries. I was also involved in research of oil revenue allocation procedures and legislation in oil producing African countries for a FIELD project aimed at analysing such provisions and recommending practical ways in which African communities may fairly and equitably share the revenue from oil and gas resources to reduce poverty and encourage economic regeneration.’
‘The highlight of my time at FIELD was being part of the FIELD delegation at the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen. The COP 15 was my first International Environmental Law conference and I am thankful to the FIELD team for the opportunity. It was definitely a memorable experience for me.’
‘I hope to use the knowledge gained from this experience in my country Nigeria, where I hope to be involved in capacity building in International Environmental Law.’
Gloria graduated with an LL.B from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and is currently studying for an LLM at the Robert Gordon University, Scotland.
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Fabio graduated in Italy in Law and International studies in 2007. Right after graduation, Fabio moved to London to take up further studies and obtain a Master's degree in International Environmental Law at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies). Before joining FIELD in London, Fabio worked as a legal adviser for the Charities Advisory Trust, a fundraising NGO engaged with projects all around the world and creator of the initiative the "Good Gift Catalogue". Fabio joined FIELD in the summer of 2009.
"During my valuable time at FIELD I worked on several extremely interesting projects mainly in the energy and climate change programme. I worked on a paper on "Equity and Climate Change" in which I analysed how the concept of "equity and distributive justice" can effectively shape the international legal framework and provide a legal tool for developing countries. Furthermore I worked on another paper on Adaptation and specifically on its financial aspect.
When I finished my internship with FIELD, I moved to Brussels where I took up a position with the European Green Party. Within the party, I was given the challenging position of the head of the delegation of the youth wing of the Green Party to the COP15 in Copenhagen. Both my time at FIELD and the European Green Party has been an extremely exciting experience - giving me a whole new insight into international environmental matters and letting me meet so many interesting people."
Originally from Venice, Italy, Fabio is currently working for the Veneto Regional Office in Brussels as their legal expert on certain environemntal projects and EU regulations.
Nick joined the FIELD internship programme in the summer of 2009, having graduated with an LLB in International Legal Studies from the University of Southampton and the National University of Singapore.
As a former forensic scientist specialising in DNA profiling Nick made the move into law after travelling in developing countries led him to an interest in development and governance. It was in Singapore, and particularly in the context of Indonesian forest fires, that Nick’s interest in international environmental law first began.
"Prior to joining FIELD I completed a brief internship with the Mekong River Commission at the Secretariat in Lao PDR. I was pleased to be able to introduce the problem of trans-boundary environmental impact assessment in the Mekong river basin to the staff lawyers at FIELD where further advisory work was completed on the project."
"Whilst at FIELD I was involved in research work on three projects: the role major international canals and waterways in the regulation of illegal fishing; the legality of aviation sector-level carbon markets trading in Kyoto Protocol Units; and dispute settlement clauses in bilateral investment treaties in Kazakhstan’s oil and gas sector and their implications for equity and sustainable development."
In 2009 Nick received an Inner Temple Scholarship to study for the English Bar for Call in 2010; as he does so he continues his involvement with environmental law with a London-based pro bono scheme advising UK clients with environmental, regulatory and planning complaints.
"I greatly enjoyed my time at FIELD. The work was diverse and challenging, yet the atmosphere was collegial and interns were quickly made to feel included as part of the team."
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Lorna joined FIELD as an intern in January 2009. This was already Lorna's second internship in London - before this, she had worked for six months for the Royal Botanical Garden in Kew. There, Lorna worked on researching the Convention on Biodiversity and Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Agreements.
Lorna comes from Chile and after having obtained a law degree at the Catholic University of Valparaiso, she came to London and graduated from the University College of London, receiving an LLM in Environmental Law.
‘My interest to work with FIELD is based on the desire to gain experience before pursuing a career as an environmental lawyer back in Chile'
Lorna is particularly interested in biodiversity issues, such as benefit-sharing. ‘Chile is one of the few countries that have not implemented the Convention on Biodiversity through national legislation.‘
While with FIELD, Lorna worked on several issues, including research on the use of economic instruments in multilateral environmental agreements; background research on Bolivian legislation on indigenous peoples in relation to potential lithium mining activities; social safeguards for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD); background research on ABS and REDD negotiations with the aim to develop a paper on parallels and lessons to be learned; background research on the Commonwealth's legal framework with the aim to influence policy against IUU fishing.
"Working with FIELD has definitely been an enriching experience. I have not only gained knowledge in international environmental law, but I have also had the chance to directly experience the practical side of how a non-governmental organisation works. "
After completion of the internship, Lorna returned to her home country and is currently working for the Legal Departpment of the National Commission of the Environment in Santiago, Chile (Comisión Nacional del Medio Ambiente/ CONAMA).
Rebecca Kramer, American, joined FIELD as an intern in January 2009. With a background in Marine Biology and Law, Rebecca had been working in environmental matters for many years, especially within the marine and wildlife area.
When Rebecca moved to London last year, she wished to build on her previous experience and get involved in a similar area of work.
‘My passion is to promote and develop policies and practices enabling nations, industries, companies and organisations to integrate sustainable practices and strategies delivering both commercial and environmental benefits; to promote and advocate environmental protection and enhancement through implementation of policies addressing sustainable industry practices and impacts of climate change. I feel that the FIELD internship Programme will provide me with an opportunity to participate in shaping these processes.‘
At FIELD, Rebecca was involved in various research projects. These included research on the Port State Agreement to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; research and analysis of the binding effects and negative impacts of language of the treaty on non-parties to the treaty or third party states; freedom of information in Africa - key aspects and principles, and status of the laws in five target African countries - Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, and Tanzania.
After completing the internship in London, Rebecca has returned back to the United States where she has taken up the duties of Strategic Initiatives Lead at the California based Center for Natural Lands Management.
2008
Will joined FIELD in September 2008 to gain experience in international environmental law, and to gain a greater understanding of working in an NGO environment.
"FIELD has been an incredible experience for me. Not only have I worked on some extremely interesting pieces of work, but have gained invaluable experience at what it is like to work in an NGO environment and have learnt many skills and knowledge that I can take away with me."
"The experience has been instrumental in helping me shape my future career path, and giving me insight into the realities of international law and policy. I have met extremely interesting people and been able to work on subjects that I find both interesting and crucial."
"The experience has taught me about the invaluable contribution that organisations such as FIELD make to developing countries and in the formulation of equitable international law, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunities and exposure that have been given to me on the internship."
Will has a LLM in Environmental Law from Nottingham University, and since has been working for a government agency looking at social inclusion and justice. He has worked in managing the provision of direct services, including telephone support and legal publications, and organisational change.
Prior to his LLM, Will graduated with a LLB in Law from the University of Bristol. He hopes to continue working in international environmental law and policy, and to build upon his experiences at FIELD.
Nigerian Okala Omojo Gloria joined FIELD as an intern in September 2008 to experience the realities of practicing international environmental law.
"I have always wanted to be involved in research on sustainable development and environmental issues. This was one of the reasons I applied for the FIELD Internship programme. Furthermore, there are a lot of environmental abuses in Nigeria and I knew that working with an organisation like FIELD would give me a better understanding of how these abuses can be addressed adequately."
"The different projects I worked on while at FIELD have allowed to broaden my views significantly. I was involved in projects such as Capacity building for Climate Change and Women in Africa, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest degradation (REDD) in Indonesia and Malaysia, and Freedom of Information Legislation in Africa."
"The entire internship has been very inspiring and I hope to return to Nigeria with my new knowledge to either work for the Ministry of Justice or an environmental charity."
Omojo holds a LLB degree in Public and International Law at the University of Abuja, Nigeria, and a LLM in International and European Business law at the Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge.
Canadian Bryce Rudyk joined FIELD as an intern in June 2008 to experience the realities of practicing international environmental law.
"During my time at FIELD, I have had the opportunity to become involved in a number of timely and important environmental issues. FIELD's work on climate change, environment and development issues are a great extension of my academic studies and have helped me think about my academic learning in new and interesting ways."
Bryce has worked with NGOs on legal and educational capacity building in the past and his experience with FIELD allowed him to expand this experience.
"The work that FIELD is doing on these issues with small island nations is just incredible."
Bryce has a Master's Degree in International Law from New York University and a J.D. degree from the University of Toronto in Canada. Before his masters, he practiced transnational law in Toronto and was national coordinator of Pro Bono Students Canada, the largest pro bono organisation in the world.
"I want to assist developing countries in coping with the new trends of globalisation and threats to the environment."
Lai-Lynn Barcenas is a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) degree program of The Fletcher School at Tufts University in the United States and hopes to develop a career in international sustainable development law.
"My summer at FIELD complemented my studies at Fletcher, where I am focusing on the relationship between international trade and investment law and the goals of sustainable development. I'm particularly interested in how reconciling these sometimes conflicting fields can facilitate the development of countries like the Philippines."
While interning at FIELD, Lai-Lynn worked on a strategic paper on climate change for indigenous peoples, international remedies for pollution within India, the relationship of climate change and human rights obligations for the UNCHR, and conducted preliminary research on issues on access and benefit sharing.
"Working on these projects at FIELD provided me with valuable insight on the current issues in climate change, biodiversity, and other related environmental issues. In the future, I hope to assist developing countries understand the challenges that the new trends in environmental change and globalisation pose, and how they can best maximise its potential and avoid its pitfalls."
"Coming from a developing country myself, I completely understand their challenges."
Fiona Kunihira is from Uganda and joined FIELD as an intern in May 2008. Fiona saw joining FIELD as an opportunity to become more actively engaged in the area of fair international trade.
"I want to become a trade law consultant in the future, specialising in the participation of developing countries in the global trade. Having grown up in a developing country, the challenges they face are more than familiar to me."
During her internship, Fiona has worked on several projects that address trade and the environmental challenges of developing nations, including Access to Environmental Information in Uganda, Forestry and Oil Exploitation, Environmental decision making in Ethiopia and Corporate Social Responsibility for Environmental Damage.
"Working with FIELD has not only allowed me to actively engage in research projects in this area, but also to experience FIELD's professional approach to international environmental law. It is an excellent way for me to prepare for the role of a trade consultant."
My internship has been an excellent opportunity for me to participate in addressing issues surrounding legal and institutional reform in sub-Saharan Africa. I will be leaving FIELD with a deeper understanding of the role of law in sustainable development and l hope to continue to be actively involved in developing country concerns. The opportunity to work at FIELD will always be a treasured experience in my career."
Fiona holds a Master's degree in International Commercial Law from the University of Kent Canterbury, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Law from Makerere University in Uganda.
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