Emma Schruben, a 3L from Washington, DC, has been involved in public interest opportunities throughout her time in law school. She spent her 1L summer in Pine Ridge, SD, working for the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council as legislative and general counsel through Wash U Law’s American Indian Law Summer Program. In this role, Schruben wrote and edited ordinances, researched legal issues, assisted in litigation, and represented tribal members at the request of the Tribal Council. With lots of responsibility and independence in her job, Schruben was constantly learning about American Indian law and about the complex ways that this field interacts with the practice of law more generally.
After serving on the executive board of the Energy & Environmental Law Society and as head of the PSAB Public Service Committee during her 2L year, Schruben went on to work in the Environmental Section of the United States Coast Guard’s Office of Maritime and International Law in Washington, DC, this past summer. Her job there was at the intersection of regulation and policy, allowing her to work with the State Department and other agencies as a consultant on laws and safety issues related to the navigable waters under Coast Guard jurisdiction. Schruben appreciated the opportunities she had to learn about other sections of the Coast Guard as well as other government and legal programs in DC.
Schruben advises students with public interest aspirations to take advantage of the Equal Justice Works Conference, held in DC every year. She landed her Coast Guard job by expressing interest at a table at the conference her 2L year. For 1L summer, Schruben says to do something you might not want to do long-term, while you have the flexibility to really get to know a client community. “Do something weird!” she recommends.