– Class of 2026 –
Abby Neal
Abby (she/her) is from Kansas, and studied Environmental Studies and Political Science at the University of Kansas. As an undergraduate, she developed an interdisciplinary understanding of environmental issues by researching prairie plant ecology and the geopolitics of intergovernmental climate reports, interning at environmental policy nonprofits at the local and federal level and in the office of Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, and by helping to found her university’s beekeeping club. After graduation, Abby spent a year volunteering as a wildland firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service, where she saw firsthand the impact climate change is already having on communities affected by wildfire. Finally, she spent a year developing and implementing federal air quality policy at the U.S. EPA.
Abby is interested in environmental justice and climate change, and hopes to focus on facilitating a just transition away from fossil fuels while supporting frontline communities in the pursuit of climate justice. In her free time, Abby enjoys hiking, camping, reading, and trying to find the best loaf of sourdough in the Bay Area.
Caillie Roach
Caillie’s LinkedIn
Caillie Roach is a rising 3L at UC Berkeley Law, focusing on environmental and federal Indian law. She is a member of the Osage Nation and serves on Berkeley’s Native American Law Students Association executive board. Non-partisanship, effective communication, active listening, and empathy are core values that Caillie brings to professional relationships. Some of her favorite experiential learning experiences include a summer at Maier Pfeffer Kim Geary & Cohen, tribal code drafting at Cota Holdings, and interning for the Yurok Tribe Office of Tribal Attorney and California Public Utilities Commission. Before law school, Caillie spent five years with Citizens’ Climate Lobby, supporting Americans in talking to their members of Congress and neighbors about climate solutions. Caillie self-designed her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Communication and Policy at the University of Redlands. When her nose isn’t in a casebook, she’s practicing yoga, knitting, enjoying fresh air, or snuggling with her cats, Dill & Pickles.
Felicia Paradiso
Felicia Paradiso comes to Berkeley from the Garden State, where she has been exploring areas of food justice and sustainable agriculture for the last several years. Felicia graduated from Rutgers University in 2022 with degrees in Environmental Policy, Institutions and Behavior (EPIB) and Economics. While in school, she completed several research projects related to food distribution and access, including her senior thesis project, which evaluated networks of farms and emergency food distributors in New Jersey.
Felicia’s passion for food justice is grounded in experience within alternative food systems. Most recently, she completed a farming apprenticeship at the Community Supported Garden at Genesis Farm, one of the oldest CSA farms in the country. There, she raised vegetables, tended chickens, and saved seed. Most importantly, she witnessed the incredible value of growing food for and within a robust community. Felicia is very excited to use her legal education to continue to act in service of a more loving and equitable food future.
Katya Perez
Katya is a first-year law student at UC Berkeley. Born and raised in San Diego, California, Katya has been passionate about environmental advocacy from an early age. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Environmental Studies and a B.A. in Archaeology.
During her undergraduate degree, Katya studied the interdisciplinary relationships of environmental and archaeological issues. She has participated in anthropological and archaeological research in Mexico, Nicaragua, and Croatia. Katya is interested in how climate change threatens cultural and environmental resources. Throughout her research endeavors, she has analyzed how the archaeological past can inform sustainability initiatives for the future. Katya has also led a research project at Altasea at the Port of Los Angeles, where her efforts assisted the kelp aquaculture research facility. She is excited to continue exploring the connections between environmental studies, archaeology, and law at UC Berkeley.
Prior to starting law school, Katya worked in the education sector of an environmental nonprofit focused on increasing access to clean energy in California. Katya developed environmental science lessons, produced an energy and water audit internship program for high school students, and led educational events in San Diego. Outside of school and work, Katya enjoys practicing and teaching yoga, running marathons, surfing, and reading.
Additional Scholars:
Kevyn Hadley
– Class of 2027 –
Valorie Lam
Valorie Lam (she/her) is a first-year law student at Berkeley Law. Valorie is from Little Rock, Arkansas. She attended the University of Southern California where she graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Environmental Studies and minors in GIS & Sustainability Science and Forensics & Criminality. Her interests include clean energy, environmental justice, and corporate social responsibility.
Prior to coming to Berkeley, Valorie worked on a variety of a environmental and food justice research projects. As a researcher for USC’s Spatial Sciences Institute, she aided in the making of Food Base LA, an interactive dashboard of food insecurity and nutrition access throughout LA County. She conducted an independent research project under a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, investigating the impacts of gender and conflict-induced migration on small-scale farmer livelihood outcomes in Uganda. She has also interned and volunteered with environmental organizations, including TreePeople and Solar Rights Alliance. Outside of school, Valorie enjoys baking, hiking, and cooking.
Hildi Gabel
Hildi Gabel (she/her) grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She studied biology as an undergraduate at Amherst College, where she did research on photosynthesis rates in tomato plants and host-shift disease dynamics among Silene plants. She also pursued coursework in climate impacts on cold weather terrestrial ecosystems. After graduation, she worked in Boston as a fundraiser and grant-proposal writer for a Bangladesh-based university supporting gender equity. She then spent two years working as a paralegal for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Energy and Ratepayer Advocacy Division, which fights for fair energy pricing and more equitable, consumer-friendly practices among energy companies. As a 1L at Berkeley Law, Hildi is very excited to explore adaptive ecosystem management, utility regulation, and migration related to the environment. She looks forward to learning from the committed and interdisciplinary environmental community at Berkeley!
Abbie Sedillos
Abbie’s Linkedin
Abbie Sedillos (she/her) is a second-year J.D. candidate at Berkeley Law. Abbie is from the Los Angeles area, and she graduated from Northeastern University with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science. She is interested in natural resources and land use, specifically as it relates to species protection and environmental justice.
While at Northeastern, Abbie interned at Conservation Law Foundation, supporting attorneys who addressed Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act violations in New England. She also helped draft legislation to protect blue carbon ecosystems while interning at The Nature Conservancy, and she researched urban renewable energy solutions while interning for a Massachusetts State Senator. After graduation, Abbie explored land use and development while working for the planning department of a local government. Additionally, she developed her passion for conservation at the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, where she taught children about local ecology, grew native plants, and tracked threatened species in nature preserves. Abbie is excited to learn how to use the law as a tool for environmental protection.
Sophia Benzoni
Sophia Benzoni (she/her) grew up in South Pasadena, Los Angeles. She attended San Francisco State University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Environmental Studies, a B.A. in English Literature, and a certificate in Climate Change Causes, Impacts, and Solutions.
Jessie Sugarman
Jessie Sugarman (she/her) grew up outside of Boston, MA. She graduated from Brown University in 2020 with a B.A. in Public Policy. At Brown, Jessie researched the role of investor-owned utilities in supporting and obstructing climate policy. She also taught environmental science and leadership skills to local high school students.
Before coming to Berkeley, Jessie was a Policy Analyst at the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) in Washington, D.C. At ELI, she primarily developed model policy tools to help municipalities reduce food waste, though she worked on a wide variety of topics, from oceans to digital technology to indoor air quality. While in D.C., Jessie also worked as a baker at a neighborhood coffee shop. She is particularly passionate about food sovereignty and energy justice. Outside of school, Jessie loves baking, tap dancing, and listening to audiobooks while walking her dog.
Alejandra de Maar
Alejandra de Maar grew up primarily in the border town of Brownsville, Texas, where she learned the importance of environmentalism and conservation through observing her father’s work as a wildlife veterinarian. She is interested in environmental justice, climate change adaptation, and the intersections between environmental law and human rights law. In her first year at Berkeley, she is very excited to be part of both the Environmental Law Quarterly and the International Refugee Assistance Project SLP.
– Class of 2028 –
Isabelle Bennette
Isabelle is a first-year J.D. candidate at Berkeley Law. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and spent her childhood exploring the Berkeley hills and UC Berkeley’s campus. She graduated from Georgetown University in 2025 with a B.A. in Government and a minor in Environmental Studies.
In Washington DC during her undergraduate studies, Isabelle advocated for sustainable consumption and production practices via political consulting, federal lobbying, and student advocacy. As a federal affairs intern with Cheniere Energy, she discovered her interest in energy regulation. In her coursework, she wrote extensively on the complexities of international sustainable development, particularly in regards to energy security and environmental justice.
As a member of the Berkeley Law community and of CLEE, Isabelle looks forward to continuing to explore energy regulation as a domestic and international legal issue. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and skateboarding.
Tyler Vondriska
Tyler’s LinkedIn
Tyler Vondriska grew up in Ojai, California. Tyler graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Political Science. Tyler developed a passion for the environment through the example of his grandparents, who helped conserve hundreds of acres of open space in Ojai, and created a fully-funded, million-dollar, community war chest that protects Ojai from environmental degradation.
While at USC, Tyler interned for Congresswoman Julia Brownley, then a member of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, where he gained insight into the inner workings of Congress and the role of individual members in addressing climate change. Tyler also interned for California State Assemblymember Steve Bennett, who serves as the chair of the Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation.
Tyler is interested in environmental litigation, and hopes to serve as an environmental crimes prosecutor for the Department of Justice. Outside of law school, Tyler enjoys hiking, camping, fly fishing, and cooking.
Monica Lee
Monica’s LinkedIn
Monica Lee (she/her) is a first-year law student at Berkeley Law. She grew up in Taipei, Taiwan, and she graduated with distinction from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Society and Environment and a B.A. in Political Science.
While at UC Berkeley, Monica discovered the horrors of environmental racism, especially since her family has been constantly exposed to the infamous Chevron Refinery. This ignited her passion to join the environmental justice movement, and she interned at the Center for Health,
Environment & Justice (CHEJ) with this mission in mind. At CHEJ, Monica experienced the value of organizing, but she also learned about the importance of the law. After graduating college, Monica worked at Kirkland & Ellis LLP as a junior paralegal in the Investment Funds Group. In
her free time, Monica enjoys watching baseball and listening to k-pop.
Anthony Nguyen
Anthony’s LinkedIn
Lily Moser
Lily’s LinkedIn
Lily Moser (she/her) is a first-year law student at Berkeley Law. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a B.S. in Society and Environment with a focus on Global Environmental Politics, as well as a B.A. in Political Science. At Berkeley, Lily served as a campaign assistant for the Center for Environmental Health, supporting attorneys and communications staff in advocating for frontline communities disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and toxic exposure. She is interested in international environmental treaties, land use policy, and their intersections with wildlife conservation and the protection of endangered species.
After graduation, she joined the office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) as the lead field representative for environmental issues, collaborating with stakeholders such as the East Bay Regional Park District, the Port of Oakland, local municipalities, and advocacy groups like Earthjustice. In this role, she supported initiatives related to sustainability, capital projects, and environmental justice across Alameda County. Lily later served as a legislative liaison for the City of San Francisco’s Office of Resilience and Capital Planning, where she contributed to projects on climate resilience and earthquake preparedness, and helped coordinate the ClimateSF newsletter.
In her spare time, Lily loves to play soccer, hike, and has visited over 15 national parks across the country (and counting!).
Madeleine Nielsen
Madeleine’s LinkedIn
Madeleine Nielsen (she/her) is a first-year J.D. candidate at Berkeley Law. She recently graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Medical Anthropology & Global Health and minors in Bioethics, Human Rights, and Law, Societies & Justice. At UW, she became particularly interested in the intersection of environmental justice, public health, and law both from her coursework and from partaking in a research project on nuclear justice at the Hanford Nuclear Site in Eastern Washington. After graduation, Madeleine interned on a political campaign, and then in a congressional office where she had the opportunity to conduct legislative research on community health centers and safety net healthcare policy. Most recently, she spent the summer at Yale’s Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics conducting research on how to more ethically and effectively increase green space access with an aim to improve health justice.
At Berkeley Law, she is excited to continue exploring ways in which the law can be used to seek equity and justice in the interconnected spheres of environmental and human health. In her free time, Madeleine enjoys hiking, reading, creative writing, (attempting) baking, and photography.
Mackenzie Van Valkenburgh
Mackenzie’s LinkedIn
Mackenzie Van Valkenburgh (she/her) is a first-year law student at UC Berkeley from Yuba City, California, located in the northern Central Valley. She graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Environmental Science and minors in Environmental Systems and Society and Film, Television, and Digital Media. Mackenzie is interested in environmental justice, water law, and policy advocacy, and is excited to use her legal career to combat environmental inequities in California.
While at UCLA, Mackenzie completed a practicum project with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) investigating methods to protect against the impacts of ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH) along California’s coast. She authored the practicum report’s policy research and recommendations, presenting her findings to government and nonprofit water agencies in California and beyond to advocate for stronger OAH mitigation and wastewater treatment regulations. After graduation, Mackenzie worked as a researcher for the NRDC analyzing water pricing disparities between agricultural and municipal water users in the Lower Colorado Basin, interned for the Sutter County Counsel’s Office, and was an intern for NASA’s DEVELOP program at their Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Outside of school, Mackenzie enjoys creative writing, yoga and pilates, volleyball, travel, and finding the walking routes in her neighborhood with the best-smelling flowers.