Rudman Summer Fellow of the Week: Helen Sajo
Helen Sajo worked this summer for the N.H. Department of Environmental Services. She is a Rising 2L.
Helen Sajo explains how she hopes her work this summer will help protect endangered species.
(The following excerpts from a recorded interview have been edited for clarity and brevity.)
About the N.H. Department of Environmental Services:
DES does so many things -- a lot more than I thought. If you've ever seen an oil spill on the side of the highway from a big truck, that's DES responding. If you see air-quality monitoring systems, like at the top of Pack Monadnock, that’s DES. We're actually heading there this Friday to do some air quality monitoring.
And then it goes all the way down to when there's an alteration-of-terrain permit or there are wetlands in your area, DES is involved in that too. DES in New Hampshire is so involved in the community, even more than I thought. In every pocket of land, in every town, there's something involving DES.
On what her work involves there:
I really enjoy it because I get to do a variety of things. My manager, the legal unit administrator, Thane, loves giving us so many different projects to work on, so it’s something new every day. I've really enjoyed the Right to Know requests, which are the most common thing in the legal unit. These could come from attorneys or private parties. I also sit in on weekly meetings, and I listened to a hearing recently. That was so exciting. Talking with the attorneys after the hearing was such a great learning experience. But we even do rulemaking – for instance, seeing how a rule is made, how the rule package is written, why it’s being renewed.
I also helped work on the legal unit’s tip-of-the-week, which we send out in an e-mail blast to DES employees. We just reminded people to please be careful about what they put in writing because it can be subject to a right-to-know request.
Otherwise, my really big project this summer that I really enjoy has been working on endangered species mitigation. I’ve been doing some research on what other states and the federal agencies are doing. I'm not looking at any specific species at the moment. I'm looking generally at how endangered species are treated, both plants and animals. There's a lot of case law in other states and federally, but there's not a whole lot in New Hampshire, which means it's kind of an open book.
On her plans for the future:
I would like to do diverse practice if I can. So, if I can work at a firm that does everything from land planning to zoning, to estates, that would be really ideal for me. But I am really passionate about the environment. I did undergrad research in environmental science, and I have a master's in geography. So, it's something I’ve been involved with for a long time.
The Rudman Center fellowships support students who work during the summer for government agencies or 501(c)3 non-profit organizations that perform public interest legal work. For more on the Rudman Summer Fellowship program, visit here.
