Summer Experience: Ciara Rascona ’28L Ciara Rascona spent her summer working in the Office of General Counsel at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Ciara Rascona ’28L

Ciara Rascona ’28L is originally from Norfolk, Virginia. She is an active member of the W&L Law community, serving as a Junior Editor for the German Law Journal and Vice President of Service for the Environmental Law Society. She is also actively engaged with the American Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee, serving as this year’s Student Vice-Chair for the Wildlife Subcommittee. She spent her summer in the Office of General Counsel at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and plans to pursue a career in environmental law after graduation.

What did you do for work this summer, and how did you find/get this position?

This summer, I interned in the Office of General Counsel at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Astrika Adams, Deputy General Counsel and a W&L Law alumna, was an invaluable resource throughout my search for and pursuit of this opportunity.

I knew early on that I wanted a summer position in environmental law, so I began looking through W&L’s alumni network (with help from the Office of Career Strategy (OCS)) while also conducting my own independent research. Astrika stood out immediately as an alumna working in the field I hoped to enter, so I reached out. She was warm and receptive from our very first conversation and took the time to make sure my summer at the EPA was engaging and meaningful. Her kindness, guidance, and mentorship throughout each stage of my internship experience were invaluable. I also received the A. Paul Knight Fellowship for Environmental Law through W&L to help fund my summer at the EPA.

Describe your work experience.

Throughout the summer, I worked across several law offices within the Office of General Counsel. I attended meetings, responded to legal research questions, and contributed to several long-term projects and memos addressing complex legal questions. In particular, I researched specific provisions under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) alongside other environmental statutes and examined broader legal concepts through an environmental lens.

What skills did you develop this summer?

I’m walking away with more confidence in my legal research and writing. When a deadline is tight but the work demands thorough analysis, you have to know exactly where to look, how to get there quickly, and how to analyze what you find effectively. Through some trial and error, I think I sharpened that process. I also built stronger interpersonal skills by coordinating projects across law offices and presenting my research findings to attorneys.

What was your favorite aspect of this summer work experience?

The Office of General Counsel is unique in its all-encompassing scope. I had the chance to learn from leading experts in environmental and administrative law, spanning everything from water issues and emergency response to civil rights and finance. I had the chance to encounter concepts I’d never been exposed to before, and simply listening to the depth of knowledge and expertise each attorney brought to tough, consequential questions affecting our environment was thrilling. The experience affirmed my interest in environmental law and left me genuinely excited for the rest of my law school career.