Introducing PennFuture's New Fall Legal Intern!

Since its inception in 1998, PennFuture has emphasized the importance of using the law to protect Pennsylvania’s environment and “create a just future where nature, communities, and the economy thrive.”

Over the past 25 years, we have achieved significant legal and policy victories that reduce pollution and protect the environment and our communities. We have provided millions of dollars in pro bono legal services while setting critical precedents and enforcing environmental laws across the Commonwealth.

But as PennFuture looks forward to the next 25 years, we recognize that we need to be more involved with cultivating the people that will continue to support our mission. Our staff have a long history of mentoring interns, externs, and fellows, and we wanted to create a more formal program to inspire the next generation of legal minds.

In 2020, with the generous support of the George and Miriam Martin Foundation and the Otto Haas Charitable Trust, PennFuture created a paid legal internship program to inspire and mentor students interested in making a difference for our environment. The program is now funded through PennFuture’s Legal Environmental Advocacy Fund (LEAF), our dedicated legal fund supported through individual donations.

Ultimately, the goal of this program is to provide the organization a cadre of young legal and policy minds interested in taking on the myriad challenges impacting Pennsylvania as well as to further their potential environmental careers. We’ve seen success on this front as many of our legal interns have found work in the Pennsylvania environmental legal space. We also hope that providing for a funded internship will help to bring more diversity and inclusivity into the non-profit environmental advocacy sphere.

Over the past six years, our interns have made it possible for PennFuture’s legal team to do more, faster, and better! They have supported our litigation efforts against polluters, they have drafted comments in support of stronger regulatory protections across the Commonwealth, and they have helped our attorneys strategize and execute impactful legal actions. We are grateful for all of the hard work, passion, and dedication of our legal interns.

This fall, we have a fantastic law student joining us, who is bringing his unique background and experiences to our mission. We’ve asked our new intern to explain, in his own words, what environmental law and PennFuture’s mission means to him:

Nate Frigoletto, Second-Year Student at Penn State Dickinson Law School

I’m from Honesdale, a small, rural community and small town in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Growing up, I became a gardener. My grandfather taught me not only how to grow my own food, but also the importance of nature and our relationship to it.

While in college, I earned my Certificate in Sustainability from the University of Pittsburgh. That program enabled me to learn the foundation of climate science and current policy issues surrounding climate change. My capstone project considered sustainable economic development initiatives in geographically isolated areas such as Micronesia. We met with government leaders, environmental advocates, and scholars, who are actively engaged in addressing climate crises. I learned that effective and lasting changes to environmental policy require local input and education.

Now that I am in law school, I want to help on a more regional level. Ultimately, I hope to help clients with sustainable development ventures, whether that is renewable energy, LEED certified buildings, or other technologies that make our lives more sustainable. I am thankful for PennFuture providing me with the opportunity to help my home state and promote clean air, water, and energy.

PennFuture is working on truly important issues, and I am so excited to be a part of the process and assist its teams!

Donate to Support our Legal Internship Program

Our ability to continue our Legal Internship Program depends on the generosity of supporters like you. Please help us develop the next generation of attorneys dedicated to protecting Pennsylvania’s environment.