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Megan Hinkle Huynh JD/MA '09 was one of the first students to participate in the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic at Duke Law School.

As a child, Huynh traveled to national parks with her family, which she credits for inspiring an interest in a career centered on environmental work. After receiving a bachelor's degree in Environmental Policy at The University of the South (Sewanee), Huynh enrolled at Duke Law School in part for the option to earn a dual degree – a master's in Environmental Economics and Policy from the Nicholas School of the Environment – along with her JD. She also joined the newly-formed Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, a joint venture of Duke Law and the Nicholas School that is co-directed by Clinical Professor of Law Michelle Nowlin JD/MA '92 and Ryke Longest, the John H. Adams Clinical Professor of Law and Clinical Professor of Environmental Sciences and Policy. 

In fact, it was Nowlin who first made Huynh aware of the work of the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC). Huynh started working there in 2015 and is currently a senior attorney focused on the coast and wetlands, water and wildlife-related issues. She also serves on the Key Committee, which works to ensure that, as an organization, SELC better reflects the racial and cultural diversity of the Southeast.

Along with a coalition of environmental groups, Huynh is currently working to defeat a proposed titanium mine that would threaten the Okefenokee Swamp, an extensive peat-filled wetland that serves as the headwaters of the St. Marys and Suwannee rivers and has been designated a National Natural Landmark and is a candidate for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

In addition to protecting the Okefenokee, Huynh also works on issues related to wetlands protection, ports and dredging in Georgia and protection of threatened and endangered sea turtles and other marine life off Georgia’s coast. All of the sea turtles in the region are listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA. Huynh credits her work at ELPC helping the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center as her first experience working with marine life.

Huyhn recently shared her academic and career journey, as well as advice for students considering a career in environmental law. 

How did you come to Duke Law School and the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, and what led you to pursue a career in environmental law?

I was always drawn to nature and the outdoors, which is part of what led me to attend college at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. The campus is set on 13,000 wooded acres at the southern end of the Cumberland Plateau, surrounded by majestic sandstone bluffs and hardwood forests that served as an outdoor classroom for the school’s geology, forestry, and environmental studies programs.

My experience at Sewanee helped me realize I wanted to pursue environmental advocacy as a career, and Duke offered me everything I could ask for to get started. I was able to take classes at both the law school and the Nicholas School as part of the law school’s joint degree program, and the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic was a perfect blend of the two.

How did your clinic experience inform your work as an attorney focusing on legal issues related to the environment?

I absolutely loved my experience in the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic. Studying environmental statutes in a law school class is quite different than practicing environmental law on the ground, and the clinic really helped bring my classroom lessons to life. Learning how to use environmental laws to bring real, lasting benefits to people, wildlife, and communities—rather than just reading about those laws in a textbook—cemented my desire to become a public interest environmental lawyer. Fifteen years later, I’m lucky to be working in my dream job at an organization I was first introduced to in the clinic.

What is your perspective on the connections between Duke and SELC?

As an intern coordinator and associate attorney supervisor in SELC’s Atlanta office, I’ve worked with many current and former Duke Law students, as well as some Nicholas School students through Stanback Fellowship opportunities. I am consistently impressed by the professionalism and passion of the Duke students I work with and particularly love to see applicants with experience in the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic.

The cases you’re working on have big implications for the environment. How do you deal with the challenges you face through your work?

The environmental challenges facing our region—and the planet as a whole—can often feel overwhelming. So can the legal landscape. In the past few years, we’ve seen decision after decision from the Supreme Court that jeopardize longstanding federal protections for clean air and clean water. One thing that helps me stay positive is recognizing that we’ve also seen incredible victories and environmental progress during that time. I am inspired every day by the work of my colleagues and our partner groups that help make tangible changes that benefit communities around our region.

What advice would you give to students considering careers connected to environmental law and policy work?

Don’t hesitate to reach out to alumni to get advice on public interest career pathways. We’ve been there, and we’re happy to help you navigate the field, answer questions about our careers, and introduce you to connections that may be helpful. Also, don’t get discouraged. The timeline for public interest jobs is often less uniform than it is for large law firms, and it can be stressful to be job hunting as a 3L months after your classmates accept offers from large firms. Even though the pathway can seem less predictable, there are many fantastic and fulfilling public interest opportunities for new lawyers.

Finally, make connections with your classmates and summer colleagues who have similar interests. The environmental law community – especially the public interest and government sides – can be small, and you’re likely to cross paths as colleagues or partners in the future. These connections can also be a great way to learn about new opportunities later in your career. 

You mentioned that having two young kids makes environmental work feel more urgent. Can you expand on this, and your hope for the future?

Preserving a clean and healthy environment for future generations has always been a big part of what motivates me to do this work. But having kids of my own makes that goal feel even more personal and urgent. It also makes it feel more attainable. Watching the energy and advocacy of younger generations on climate and other environmental issues is inspiring and fills me with hope that we can tackle these important challenges.