The Environmental Integrity Project launched its “Diversity Scholarship” grant program in partnership with the University of Maryland’s Francis King Carey School of Law in Baltimore in 2020 and the University of Texas School of Law in 2021. Our goal was to encourage law students from diverse backgrounds – in particular, people of color – to pursue careers in public interest law and with a focus on environmental justice. We’ve invested $60,000 over two years at each university.
Following his first year of law school, EIP’s inaugural Environmental Diversity Scholar Rob Velazquez interned at Ike Jim Federation, where he researched and drafted a memorandum on why the U.S. fishing industry lacks meaningful standards in slaughtering, storing, and distributing fish. Using his past experiences as a professional chef and sportfisherman, he developed proposed language for existing regulations in the industry.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and practice in such a profoundly important yet overlooked sector of law.” – Rob Velazquez, EIP’s inaugural Environmental Diversity Scholar
Read more about the summer experience described by him as, “educational and rewarding beyond my expectations.”
For fall 2022, Marcus Jones (2L) and April Banks (2E) are EIP’s diversity scholarship recipients in the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, Environmental Law Program. Click here to read more about Marcus’ and April’s career interests.
Learn more about Janelle Smith, an incoming student at the University of Texas School of Law who has been awarded the EIP’s Scholarship in Environmental Justice Law for the fall of 2022.
