S.J. Quinney College of Law 2L students Andrew Reville and Jimmy Godin have both secured prestigious federal externships. Andrew Reville obtained a Spring 2021 externship with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Appeals Board in Washington, D.C. The Board hears appeals involving the environmental statutes that the EPA administers, particularly permitting decisions at the regional offices; the externship will provide Andrew with experience in these statutory programs as well as administrative law practice. Jimmy Godin has accepted a summer 2021 externship with the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division. “These prestigious federal externships are wonderful learning opportunities for both Andrew and Jimmy, and will enhance their understanding of environmental and natural resource law practice,” according to Bob Keiter, Director of the College of Law’s Wallace Stegner Center.
Because both externships are highly competitive, Andrew and Jimmy’s selection reflects well on their credentials and on the environmental and natural resources law program headed by the Stegner Center at the S.J. Quinney College of Law. Stegner Center Director and University Distinguished Professor Bob Keiter noted, “We are thrilled for Andrew and Jimmy. Their selection for these highly competitive externships is further validation of the College of Law’s ranking as a top-tier environmental law program.”
Prior to law school, Andrew Reville led backcountry trips on the public lands to introduce students to environmental science and related individual stewardship responsibilities. He taught students at nature centers and schools around the country, most recently at a charter school in Ogden, Utah. Andrew came to law school with the goal of having a broader impact on natural resource decisions in the “New West.”
Andrew is seeking the Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law to accompany his J.D. degree. “Over my first three semesters of law school, the Stegner Center at the SJ Quinney College of Law has provided incredible opportunities to learn how to employ environmental law to address pressing issues in our society,” noted Andrew. “Studying under the distinguished Stegner Center professors, especially Professors Robin Craig and Robert Keiter, has been equal parts thrilling and challenging. I am grateful to be a student at a school with such dedicated, passionate, and gracious professors as those two legal rock stars.”
Andrew is interested in using the law to recognize the interdependence between human welfare and the natural world. He is particularly passionate about protecting wilderness areas. However, as an aspiring environmental attorney, he is itching to work on any legal issues regarding our relationship with nature. To that end, he is excited to be interning with the EPA Environmental Appeals Board and is excited to learn from experienced attorneys dedicated to serving the public through federal environmental law. “I look forward to working diligently in my small part to serve the public and the environment as an intern for the EPA Environmental Appeals Board,” said Andrew.
Before attending law school, Jimmy Godin focused on land conservation, working with several nonprofits and research organizations. He is interested in the intersection between private and public land; specifically, how governmental entities, conservation groups, ranchers, farmers, tribes, and other stakeholders can work together to reach mutually beneficial conservation outcomes. “I can’t imagine a better place to be a law student than in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the S.J. Quinney College of Law,” noted Jimmy. “Where else can I pop into an environmental law expert’s office for office hours, and then find myself boot-packing up a snow-filled couloir— all within the same morning?”
Last summer, Jimmy assisted Professor Jorge Contreras in revising and drafting the Utah Real Property Treatise. For his upcoming summer externship, he will be working with the Land Acquisition section of the USDOJ’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division. At law school, he is as a junior staff member for the Utah Law Review. When he is not studying, he typically finds himself poring over maps, planning the next adventure.
Jimmy is very excited about his upcoming externship. “Though I love Salt Lake City,” noted Jimmy, “I realize that working on federal land-related issues with the USDOJ in the nation’s capital is a tremendous opportunity for me. Indeed, I came to law school for this type of work, and am excited to learn from the attorneys who work on the frontlines of this area of law.”