by Judith Katz
October 2024
Thanks to the generous support of alumni donors, three Berkeley Law students in the Class of 2025 received supplemental summer public interest/public service (PIPS) funding from CLEE this past summer. This funding enabled them to pursue impactful work and further strengthen their commitment to public service.
Cat Chervenak spent her summer at the Center for Biological Diversity, working on issues of pesticide exposure and pollution. Through this experience, she was able to focus on drafting filings, evaluating administrative records, and writing public comments. “One of the best parts of my summer, says Cat, “was getting to know attorneys who work every day to protect all species from toxic exposure. It strengthened my passion to continue working to use the law in the public interest now and after graduation. I’m grateful for programs like the CLEE public interest fellowship that support this work for myself and other law students.”
Liam Chun Hong Gunn worked with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environmental & Natural Resources Division (ENRD), where he gained valuable insight into litigation strategy, particularly from a prosecutor’s and regulator’s perspective. His experience was enriched by meeting dedicated professionals at ENRD and seeing firsthand how seriously they engage with communities across the country. Thanks to the CLEE funding, Liam was able to focus fully on this important work. “Because my summer job was entirely unpaid and in an expensive city, this was able to cover my flights and some of my rent.” Liam is now determined to pursue a public service career. “It’s really meaningful work and why a lot of us originally applied to law school! I want to fully acknowledge the financial challenges of this after paying private school-level tuition at Berkeley—and that’s exactly why supplemental PIPS funding is so important!”
Sara Flinn’s summer was spent in Seattle with Earthjustice, where she worked on environmental litigation and policy advocacy. She tackled a range of complex legal issues, from endangered species protection to air quality reporting and ratepayer advocacy.
Sara says that the most rewarding part of her experience was the people she met through her work. “The extra fellowship funding helped me cover temporary housing, which made it possible for me to attend court, meet regularly with colleagues over lunch or coffee, and get involved in the Seattle environmental justice community.” She left the summer with an even stronger commitment to public interest law, describing it as “deeply fulfilling and energizing.”
The invaluable experiences these students had over the summer were made possible by the generosity of CLEE donors. Their support enabled the students to fully immerse themselves in meaningful work that might otherwise have been financially inaccessible. By contributing to these fellowships, donors play a critical role in helping students pursue their passion for public service and make a real impact in the world.