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2023-05-09
Job Posting: Summer Student Positions
Summer Student Positions 2023 Legal Research Assistants East Coast Environmental Law invites applications to join our summer student team as a Legal Research Assistant. There are two positions available, funded by the Canada Summer Jobs program. About the Positions East Coast Environmental Law is an environmental law charity that delivers public-interest environmental law services throughout Atlantic Canada. We envision a future in which laws and legal systems protect ecological health and promote environmental and climate justice in our region. To that end, we advocate for progressive environmental laws and policies, provide public legal education on environmental laws, and share our legal skills to support individuals, communities, and organizations that are working to prevent or redress environmental harms. Legal Research Assistants will work with East Coast Environmental Law staff to conduct legal research, analysis, and writing on environmental law issues that staff will be addressing throughout the summer. Research topics may include laws pertaining to biodiversity protection, climate change and renewable energies, Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, municipal land-use planning, and rights of nature. Research topics will be chosen and adjusted as needs arise. Applicant Qualifications and Job Requirements The Legal Research Assistant positions require legal research training. Applicants must have…
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Blog

2023-09-12
Summer Student Series 2023: Cat MacKinnon
September 12, 2023 This summer I had the opportunity to join East Coast Environmental Law as a Legal Research Assistant. My interest in environmental law stems from a dedication to protecting the environment, which grew from my academic experience at the University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Law. Courses such as “Environmental Law” and “Global Climate Change and Governance” provided me with an understanding of analytical law and policy frameworks for evaluating environmental issues, which helped me in my research at East Coast Environmental Law. As a Legal Research Assistant, I have had an impactful learning experience being part of a team that advocates for environmental and climate justice. Under the supervision of Lisa Mitchell, Executive Director and Senior Lawyer at East Coast Environmental Law, I conducted legal research and analysis on environmental law issues, including a jurisdictional review of national biodiversity legislation and biodiversity policy in Canada. The purpose of this research project was to provide information on biodiversity legislation in jurisdictions compatible with Nova Scotia and identify policy directions for biodiversity protection. Although there is a growing number of national biodiversity laws around the world, Canada does not have any national, provincial, or territorial biodiversity legislation outside of…
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