Join Us in Welcoming Our 2026 Summer Law Clerks and Intern!

Josepine Blatny

Summer Law Clerk

Josephine (she/her) is a rising third year law student at Lewis and Clark Law School. After her first year of law school, she clerked with California Coastkeeper Alliance where she assisted the organization in enforcing the Clean Water Act through industrial stormwater pollution litigation. This past year she was involved with Animal Law Review, Students for International Environmental Law, Student Bar Association, and Disability Allied Law Students Association. She was named a NEXUS Scholar in 2025 for her commitment to working on both natural resources and animal welfare issues. Prior to law school, Josephine attended college at Nebraska Wesleyan University and majored in Political Science and English. In her free time, Josephine enjoys hiking, camping, baking, and reading for fun.

Mitch Cutter

Summer Law Clerk

Mitch (he/him) is a rising second year student at Harvard Law School. During his first year, he worked as a Research Assistant with the Environmental and Energy Law Program, tracking regulatory and legal developments related to the Endangered Species Act, National Monuments, National Marine Sanctuaries, and oil and gas drilling on U.S. Forest Service lands. Mitch is also involved with the Harvard Environmental Law Review, the Environmental Law Society, the Native American Law Students Association, and the Harvard Mediation Program. Prior to law school, Mitch worked for the Idaho Conservation League as a Salmon & Energy Strategist, frequently collaborating with Advocates on litigation efforts to protect and restore wild salmon and steelhead to the Pacific Northwest. Mitch attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA and majored in Biology. Outside of work, Mitch loves river trips, skiing, small venue concerts, looking at maps, and doing the NYT crossword puzzles every day. 

Andrew Hayden

Summer Law Clerk

Andrew (he/him) is a rising second year law student at UCLA School of Law. During his first year, he served as a representative board member for the Environmental Law Society and contributed to the Veterans’ Justice Project through the El Centro Pro Bono Program. Prior to law school, Andrew studied biology at Stanford University, where his coursework deepened his commitment to environmental advocacy. He interned at the Conservation Law Foundation and the Marine Conservation Institute, and worked as a shorebird technician for the Massachusetts Audubon Society. These experiences shaped his interest in pursuing a career in environmental law. Andrew enjoys hiking, surfing, and reading about wildlife and public lands.

Nina Leiman

Summer Law Clerk

Nina (she/her) is a rising second-year student at the University of Virginia School of Law. Nina is president of UVA’s Lambda Law Alliance and serves on the Virginia Environmental Law Forum executive board. She is a member of the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law’s editorial board and a Law & Public Service Fellow. During her first year of law school, Nina completed pro bono projects with the Chesapeake Legal Alliance and the ACLU of Delaware. Nina holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where she majored in global studies with a concentration in human rights & social justice and minored in studio art. Nina spent three years between college and law school living in Northern California and working at a healthcare-focused investment firm. In her free time, Nina enjoys backcountry skiing, ambitious hikes, printmaking, and finding new places to set up her hammock.

Claire Sallee

Andrus Scholar Summer Intern

Claire (she/her) is a rising senior at Boise State University, majoring in Environmental Studies with minors in Legal Studies and Criminal Justice. She is originally from Omaha, Nebraska, and loves to spend time outside trying new things. Her love for the environment was cultivated from a young age as she grew up in Northern California and moved to the Midwest, providing the opportunity to appreciate and live in diverse landscapes. Nebraska offered unique environmental experiences with its sandhills and vast cropland. Claire spent her spring semester interning in Washington, D.C., through the Boise State School of Public Service Program. Claire is excited and honored to work with the Advocates for the West this summer, and is looking forward to hands-on environmental advocacy and experience litigation firsthand. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career centered around the environment, its intersection with people, and their fundamental rights.