FLOW welcomes anyone who has a passion for environmental policy. Each summer, FLOW seeks out bright, talented interns to assist us with communications, policy, and legal research tasks, supported by The Helen and William G. Milliken Fund For Love of Water. The Milliken Fund is designed to support work that protects the Great Lakes and the public trust rights of those who depend on them, inspires community action advancing environmental stewardship, and sustains internships at FLOW—the Great Lakes law and policy center based in Governor Milliken’s hometown of Traverse City—to foster a new generation of environmental leaders.
This year, we’re welcoming Cassie Weck Wun and Jeffrey Schatz!
Cassie Weck Wun, Legal Intern
Raised in rural Illinois, Cassie Weck Wun is a rising third-year law student at Detroit Mercy Law. Before law school, she lived and worked in an intentional community, Jerusalem Farm, in Kansas City, Missouri. Through her work in restorative justice, home repair, and urban gardening during those years, she gained a framework of “rights and responsibilities” and an appreciation for the importance of healthy homes, good food, and affordable water for all. That experience was a catalyst for her journey to law school to work for the common good in a different (or additional) way. Cassie’s favorite experience in law school so far was being part of a traveling expungement clinic in May 2023 called “Access to Justice.” Cassie lives with her husband Joseph in Detroit, where she enjoys reading fiction, gardening, and playing board games.
How does this internship and working with FLOW fit into your career aspirations?
Though I’ve always known that if I went into the practice of law, it would be in the public interest/non-profit sector, I have now narrowed down a desire to practice environmental law with a special interest in protecting water. So, the internship fits my vocational goals perfectly.
What is your favorite fact about the Great Lakes? Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world.
What’a fun fact about you? My favorite plants to grow are garlic and tomatoes; this year, I am trying out the Old German tomato variety and also attempting to grow tomatillos for the first time.
Jeffrey Schatz, Legal Intern
Jeffrey is a rising 2L at Yale Law School, where he is co-president of the Yale Environmental Law Association and a member of the Climate, Animal, Food, and Environmental Law & Policy Lab. Before coming to law school, he completed a PhD in Logic & Philosophy of Science at the University of California at Irvine. As a native Midwesterner, growing up in the suburbs of Chicago and receiving his BA from Valparaiso University in Northwest Indiana, Jeffrey is thrilled to have the opportunity to get hands-on experience in environmental law in the region he considers home with FLOW.
How does this internship and working with FLOW fit into your career aspirations: I hope to practice environmental law throughout my legal career, so it is invaluable to be able to learn from the legal team here at FLOW this summer, supplementing the theoretical courses I have taken at Yale with a practical understanding of how environmental law works in practice. Additionally, as I try to figure out the best way to use my legal training, I am excited to learn more about how litigation and policy work can be used in concert to help advance environmental justice.
What is your favorite fact about the Great Lakes: Lou E. Loon, the mascot and Ambassador of Fun for the Great Lakes Loons baseball team, is a Lake Huron native, and regular participant in charitable endeavors throughout the Great Lakes region.
What’a fun fact about you: From 2020-2023, I lived in Bergen, Norway. While I miss swimming in the fjords, being able to take a dip in the Grand Traverse Bay after work is also pretty wonderful!
Interested in water policy, looking to volunteer, or have a passion to keep the Great Lakes safe and public for everyone? We’d love to hear from you!
