Next Generation Communications Initiative Awards Summer 2017

One of the Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice’s Next Generation Communications Initiative awards is to the University of Arizona’s (UA) James E. Rogers College of Law’s Environmental Law Society (ELS). The student-led ELS is working to establish funding for social justice, public interest internships. The Haury Program award supports four law students who are interning during Summer 2017 with social justice and environmental organizations. The students want to advocate for a cause they are passionate about as well as build new skills they will use throughout their careers dedicated to this work.

Alex Erwin, Earthjustice.

Alex Erwin is a third-year law student and fifth-year PhD candidate in the UA Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program. Erwin hopes to pursue a career at the intersection of science, policy and law. He says, “environmental  social justice is an often overlooked aspect of the science, policy, and law equation, where environment protection can disproportionately marginalize poor, rural, or minority communities.” 

Erwin hopes to establish a career to promote a more sustainable system for the environment and wildlife. This summer he is working with Earthjustice in Anchorage, Alaska. Earthjustice is a non-profit law firm dedicated to enforcing and strengthening environmental laws to help protect wildlife, the environment and ensure healthy communities. 

Zach Forman, Arizona Capital Representation Project

Zach Forman is a third-year law student originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Growing up, Forman developed a great esteem for other communities and empathy for their struggles. He has a special interest in criminal law reform and indigenous peoples’ law. Forman is working with the Arizona Capital Representation Project this summer. His group specializes in working with juveniles sentenced to life in prison without parole. 

Roberta “Bobbie” Lentz, Tucson Family Advocacy Center

Bobbie Lentz is a second-year law student originally from Rolla, North Dakota, and has a special interest in health law. Lentz hopes to become an advocate for improved health care for individuals and communities. Growing up in a rural area, she developed an understanding of how limited community services can be, “ I think it is important to advance the goals of social justice by working to improve services available to underserved populations.” Lentz is working with the Tucson Family Advocacy Center in summer 2017. This center aims to improve the health of low-income families in Arizona by coordinating legal, medical, and social work throughout the healthcare setting. 

Drew Warner, Southern Legal Aid

Drew Warner, a second-year law student, grew up in Durango, Colorado and is an avid outdoor enthusiast and traveler. His upbringing in a working class family and his experiences traveling in Chihuahua, Mexico helped to establish a desire to serve others with empathy and compassion. He wishes to pursue a career practicing immigration or public interest law. This summer Warner is working with Southern Arizona Legal Aid. Southern Arizona Legal Aid is a  non-profit public interest law firm that delivers legal services focused on legal, social, and economic justice to families and communities. 

Learn more about the Next Generation Communication Initiative.