{"id":138,"date":"2026-09-08T13:41:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T17:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/eecjblog\/?page_id=138"},"modified":"2026-09-08T13:41:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T17:41:17","slug":"meet-the-eecj-fellows","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/eecjblog\/meet-the-eecj-fellows\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the EECJ Fellows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ilana Sanchez <\/strong>(LAW ’27) grew up in central New Jersey and developed an interest in environmental justice while studying Business Administration at Northeastern University. While participating in campus civic engagement programs, she chose to spend her time at various animal shelters and sanctuaries across the country. Through these experiences she recognized the impact climate change was having not only on the health and safety of animals, but also on the health and safety of surrounding communities at large. After working in the legal industry for a bit after graduating, she applied to Temple Law with the intention of pursuing a career in environmental law and climate justice. While at Temple, Ilana has participated in the ABA SEER Bridge Mentorship Program, and is co-founder and President of the Temple Disabled and Allied Law Students Association (DALSA). Through the EECJ Fellowship, Ilana hopes to continue her mission of advocating for vulnerable populations, championing sustainable climate policy, and highlighting how environmental law affects all other areas of law. She also hopes to broaden access to environmental legal opportunities to students, especially those that may be newcomers to the field. Outside of the law, Ilana enjoys going to as many concerts as she can, hiking, and going to the movies with friends.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La\u00eds Santoro (<\/strong>LAW ’28) is originally from Brazil and sees how environmental justice issues affect the world differently and disproportionately. She first engaged in community organizing in high school, canvassing for candidates and working to prevent an extension of a pipeline in her town. At Johns Hopkins University, she studied Public Health and Environmental Studies, heavily involved in the environmental movement on campus and in the city. She advocated for termination of contracts for dining and pouring rights, food justice on campus, and organizing against incineration and for the building of a local compost facility. She was also a Sustainable Design Fellow with the Ecological Design Collective. She is on the Law School Sustainability Committee and helped coordinate a film screening of \u201cBlack Soil Rising\u201d with Raya Salter from the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center. She is interested in pursuing a career in plaintiff\u2019s litigation, working on mass torts, toxic and otherwise, and advocating for justice. Other career interests include working in international law and human rights or public defense.\u00a0 She also hopes to engage in pro bono and public interest work with community organizations, and seeing how Temple can better support these efforts through EECJ and other programs. She loves her monstera, reading memoirs and novels, and going to yoga.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rahul Singh<\/strong> (LAW ’28) is from Canada but has grown up in the United States. He spent many summers in the forests of British Columbia and was interested in environmental work from a young age. He is on the executive board of the Temple Law Environmental Society and is interested in protecting the natural beauty of Philadelphia, and the country at large. After graduating, he is interested in working in energy regulation and hopes to have a career advocating for environmental rights as as whole. Outside of law school, he enjoys watching movies, taking photos, and daydreaming.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zach Lytle<\/strong> (LAW ’28) has always loved playing outside \u2013 whether gardening, hiking, swimming, or playing with dirt. While at Swarthmore College, Zach learned about the extent of the climate crisis. After focusing his studies on solutions to the climate crisis, he was a Sustainability Research Fellow focused on campus food systems. After college, Zach worked in the energy industry because electricity is one of the largest source of global emissions. After seeing the law often prevent innovative clean energy systems from being implemented, Zach decided to apply to and attend Temple Law. After law school, Zach intends to support people trying to build resilient infrastructure and energy systems. Through the EECJ Fellowship, Zach is contributing to efforts to grow student opportunities in the energy transition and to deepen Temple Law\u2019s work in the local environmental movement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nour Elkassabany<\/strong>, 2L, grew up outside of Philadelphia and studied Health and Societies at the University of Pennsylvania. Her interest in EECJ work grew out of taking an environmental health class, which was a case study exploring the legacy of asbestos manufacturing in Ambler through oral histories, local archives, and community theater. This interest further developed through months of volunteering at local farms in Chester County and Philadelphia. These experiences highlighted experiential expertise and equitable decision-making, shaping her interest in environmental justice and community development. Through the Fellowship, she wants to show students that their work across many sectors still has a stake in environmental justice and to build a robust set of resources at Temple to make ongoing EECJ work more visible and easily accessible for students.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gabrielle Lemonier<\/strong>, 2L, grew up outside of New Orleans and studied political science at Columbia University. After reading\u00a0The Sixth Extinction\u00a0<\/em>by Elizabeth Kolbert, she felt a sense of urgency around climate change and started volunteering with environmental groups outside of her work as a writer and editor.\u00a0 Through the Fellowship, Gabrielle wants to collaborate with other student groups to highlight how environmental law intersects with so many other areas of law. She also wants to play to Temple\u2019s strengths as a leader in public interest, garnering wider support for the movement to advance climate justice.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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