Adam Friedman

I, Adam Friedman, have a strong interest in environmental policy, regulation, and law. With the assistance of PILP, I was able to accept an internship that meshed perfectly with my interests. For the summer of 2005, I worked in NY for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 2, in the Water and General Law Branch.

As an intern for the EPA, I gained significant practical experience with administrative enforcement actions. I drafted several administrative penalty and compliance orders pertaining to violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA). I also conducted research on issues pertaining to NEPA, mixing zones, and federal statute of limitations.

One of the projects that I worked on was an administrative action against a municipality for violating the CWA. I drafted several administrative penalty orders, compliance orders, and supporting documents alleging the municipality’s participation in the illegal fill of wetlands.

Through my internship, I learned a significant amount about environmental statutes and administrative law. Furthermore, I gained practical experience applying the law to real world issues. This rewarding experience, made possible by the PILP stipend, has further increased my commitment to practice environmental law in the public interest sector.