From left to right: Jackson Kusiak, Gabrielle Lemonier, and Nour Elkassabany.
Environmental threats are rapidly evolving every day. The proliferation of generative AI is causing unprecedented demands on the energy grid and the data centers that power them are often powered by fossil fuels. Against the backdrop of a second Trump administration, federal regulations and programs established to protect the environment are being rapidly dismantled. The Environment, Energy, and Climate Justice community at Temple Law continues to examine these new challenges.
Last year, the inaugural cohort of EECJ Fellows made great strides in understanding what students, faculty, and graduates at Temple Law want out of a strong environmental law program. They devoted their time to building connections with students, academics, and professionals both in and outside the Temple community and to understanding how others practice EECJ and the kinds of programming to best support that. The year culminated with the Annual Environmental Justice Week in April, which featured career panels, speaking events that highlight what Environmental, Energy, and Climate Justice looks like in the greater Philadelphia area, and a CLE event that discussed the intersection of environmental work with human rights and civil rights.
This year, the new cohort of EECJ Fellows looks to continue building and strengthening the EECJ community in and out of Temple. Anticipated programming will highlight the intersections between environmental issues and other practice areas like immigration and criminal law and underscore the variety of diverse career options within the field.
Meet the 2025 Fellows
Jackson Kusiak, 3L, grew up enjoying the woods, lakes, and mountains of New England. His interest in environmental work grew out of learning about the destructive practices used in fossil fuel extraction during his time doing environmental studies at Oberlin College. After traveling to West Virginia and witnessing mountains leveled by strip mining for coal, he became involved in grassroots organizing against mountain top removal mining and fracking. This work showed him how the legal system was used to protect corporations and punish people who pushed back against fossil fuels. He came to law school wanting to advance legal strategies to defend water protectors facing prosecution, empower communities to close prisons built on toxic waste sites, and partner with incarcerated people fighting against unsafe prison conditions and negligent healthcare. He joined the EECJ Fellowship to bring other students into this work and contribute to the Just Transition away from fossil fuels.
Gabrielle Lemonier, 2L, grew up outside of New Orleans and studied political science at Columbia University. After reading The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert, she felt a sense of urgency around climate change and started volunteering with environmental groups outside of her work as a writer and editor. Through the Fellowship, Gabrielle wants to collaborate with other student groups to highlight how environmental law intersects with so many other areas of law. She also wants to play to Temple’s strengths as a leader in public interest, garnering wider support for the movement to advance climate justice.
Nour Elkassabany, 2L, grew up outside of Philadelphia and studied Health and Societies at the University of Pennsylvania. Her interest in EECJ work grew out of taking an environmental health class, which was a case study exploring the legacy of asbestos manufacturing in Ambler through oral histories, local archives, and community theater. This interest further developed through months of volunteering at local farms in Chester County and Philadelphia. These experiences highlighted experiential expertise and equitable decision-making, shaping her interest in environmental justice and community development. Through the Fellowship, she wants to show students that their work across many sectors still has a stake in environmental justice and to build a robust set of resources at Temple to make ongoing EECJ work more visible and easily accessible for students.
Continuing the Trend of Environmental Advocacy
The EECJ Fellowship program at Temple Law is more than just an educational opportunity. It is a platform for students to engage deeply with pressing environmental issues, connect with like-minded professionals, and contribute to a legacy of advocacy that extends beyond the law school into the broader community. As these Fellows work to build bridges between students, alumni, and environmental advocates, they are not only shaping their own futures but also the future of environmental justice and sustainability.