Environmental Justice Through a Legal Lens: A Praxis Experience
Seminar: CITY420: Seeking Spatial Justice
Semester: Fall 2025
Faculty Advisor/Professor: Dr. Lauren Restrepo
Community Partner: Public Interest Law Center
Praxis Site Supervisor: Priscilla Ruilova
Praxis Poster:
7 Natalie_Schliekelman_Schliekelman_Praxis Poster_Revised
Further Context:
This semester, I interned with the Public Interest Law Center as an Undergraduate Environmental Justice Intern. My main focus was with community garden protection, which I did through data analysis (tracking garden parcels through Philadelphia’s legal docket) and outreach (visiting gardens and talking to people!). The internship aligned perfectly with my Environmental Studies and Growth & Structure of Cities majors. Community gardens are integral community green spaces in the urban fabric, especially in Philadelphia, which has a vibrant community garden scene.
I was fascinated to learn more about the public interest legal world through my internship. I attended weekly staff meetings, through which I was able to hear about all of the incredible work that the attorneys at the Law Center were doing. I also attended, and helped at, the Law Center’s annual fundraising event, which was a window into what it takes to fund and maintain a non-profit, something I also learned about through conversations with the Law Center’s grant-writer. Overall, this internship gave me an amazing opportunity for a window into environmental justice work in Philadelphia, and what high-impact legal work looks like on the inside.