1 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................... 3
ABOUT UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW ................................................................................ 3
ABOUT THE FOOD LAW AND POLICY PROGRAM ................................................. 3
ABOUT THE RESNICK CENTER FOR FOOD LAW AND POLICY ........................... 4
ABOUT THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC INTEREST PROGRAMS ...................................... 4
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 4
I. PUBLIC INTEREST FOOD LAW AND POLICY PRACTICE ............................... 5
DEFINING “FOOD LAW AND POLICY” ............................................................................................. 5
DEFINING “PUBLIC INTEREST” .......................................................................................................... 5
FACTORS LAW STUDENTS SHOULD CONSIDER ....................................................................... 6
LEGAL SPECIALIZATIONS WITH A FOOD LAW FOCUS ................................................... 6
SALARY AND BENEFITS .................................................................................................................. 10
LOAN REPAYMENT .......................................................................................................................... 10
II. ALUMNI NARRATIVES ........................................................................................ 10
BRIAN FINK ‘17 ........................................................................................................................................... 11
JONATHAN JAGER ‘17 ............................................................................................................................ 12
BETH KENT ‘18 .......................................................................................................................................... 13
III. POINTS OF ENTRY INTO PUBLIC INTEREST FOOD LAW & POLICY
OPPORTUNITIES .................................................................................................. 14
SAMPLE PUBLIC INTEREST FOOD LAW JOB PLACEMENTS ............................................... 14
PRIVATE PUBLIC INTEREST LAW FIRMS .............................................................................. 14
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ........................................................................................................... 14
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS .................................................................................................. 14
INTERNATIONAL .............................................................................................................................. 14
ON-CAMPUS RECRUITMENT ........................................................................................................... 15
FELLOWSHIPS .......................................................................................................................................... 15
DIRECT APPLICATION ......................................................................................................................... 16
NETWORKING ......................................................................................................................................... 17
IV. PREPARING FOR A CAREER IN PUBLIC INTEREST FOOD LAW
PRACTICE ............................................................................................................. 17
1L STUDENTS ............................................................................................................................................. 17
COURSEWORK AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ................................................ 17
WHEN AND WHERE TO APPLY .................................................................................................. 18
2L STUDENTS ............................................................................................................................................ 18
COURSEWORK AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ................................................ 18
WHEN AND WHERE TO APPLY .................................................................................................. 19
SUMMER INTERNSHIPS ................................................................................................................ 19
3L STUDENTS ............................................................................................................................................ 19
COURSEWORK AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ................................................ 19
WHEN AND WHERE TO APPLY ................................................................................................. 20
2 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
FELLOWSHIPS ................................................................................................................................... 20
LL.M. PROGRAMS .................................................................................................................................. 20
DOMESTIC PROGRAMS ................................................................................................................ 20
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS .................................................................................................... 21
V. STUDENT AND RECENT GRADUATE NARRATIVES ...................................... 21
JASON LAWLER ‘19 ................................................................................................................................. 21
STEPHANIE TEUBER ‘20 ...................................................................................................................... 22
VI. INTERVIEW TIPS ................................................................................................ 23
APPLICATION MATERIALS ................................................................................................................ 24
PREPARING FOR AN INTERVIEW .................................................................................................. 24
SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ................................................................................................. 24
INTEREST IN PUBLIC INTEREST FOOD LAW ...................................................................... 24
INTEREST IN WORKING AT THE INTERVIEWING ORGANIZATION ...................... 24
INQUIRIES ABOUT SPECIFIC SKILLS ...................................................................................... 24
COMPATIBILITY ................................................................................................................................ 25
VII. JOB SEARCH RESOURCES ................................................................................. 25
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 26
3 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
AUTHORS:
Diana Winters, Assistant Director, Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy
Laura Yraceburu Dall, Class of 2020
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:
Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy is the product of substantial research into public
interest food law and policy practice at law firms, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations
across the country. We are grateful for the following alumni who shared their narratives about
practicing in public interest food law: Brian Fink ‘17, Jonathan Jager ’17, Beth Kent ‘18. Thank
you also to UCLA School of Law Class of 2019 and 2020 students Jason Lawler and Stephanie
Teuber for providing helpful narratives about working at public interest food law organizations. We
are incredibly grateful to Ingrid Eagly, Faculty Director of the David J. Epstein Program in Public
Interest Law and Policy for her support and guidance in developing this career guide, Brenda Kim,
Manager of Operations and Events, Public Interest Programs for her editing help, Frank Lopez,
Manager of Publications and Graphic Design for his design assistance, and Jessica Sonley, Director
of Faculty Services for her help with format.
ABOUT UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW
UCLA School of Law, founded in 1949, is the youngest major law school in the nation and has
established a tradition of innovation in its approach to teaching, research, and scholarship. With a
rigorous public interest curriculum and the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and
Policy, the school is a preeminent training ground for students committed to careers in public
service.
ABOUT THE FOOD LAW AND POLICY PROGRAM
The Food Law and Policy Program at UCLA Law comprises multiple components. Students can
take introductory classes, such as a Modes of Legal Inquiry class on a Moral Food System, doctrinal
classes, such as the Introduction to Food Law and Policy, and do clinical work in the Food Law and
Policy Clinic. Students can also participate in Resnick Center programming, including roundtables,
speakers, and conferences, and they have the opportunity to participate in the Student Food Law
Society, which holds its own programming and networking events. In addition, the Resnick Center
supports students interested in food law to participate in national events, such as the annual Food
Law Student Leadership Summit. Students can also apply to be research assistants for specific
projects with the Resnick Center.
4 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
ABOUT THE RESNICK CENTER FOR FOOD LAW AND
POLICY
The Resnick Center’s mission is to provide cutting-edge legal research and scholarship in food law
and policy. The Resnick Center publishes and contributes to a broad range of scholarship—treatises,
books, book chapters, journals, white papers, and blogs—that builds food-law curriculum and
stimulates discussion on important decisions about food issues affecting millions of people in local
and global communities. The Resnick Center advances its research and scholarship by convening
roundtables, conferences, and events to address important issues in food law and policy that affect
the quality of life for humans and the planet, and by collaborating with experts in food-systems
thinking. The Resnick Center attracts, trains, and supports tomorrow's food law and policy leaders,
scholars, and practitioners through course offerings that generate student scholarship and research
opportunities and through a student clinic that provides policy advocacy training.
ABOUT THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC INTEREST PROGRAMS
The Office of Public Interest Programs strives to enhance UCLA School of Law’s commitment to
public interest by offering an array of services to students and alumni. The Office’s principal goal
is to encourage students and alumni to embrace a career that incorporates an ongoing commitment
to public service.
INTRODUCTION
Food law encompasses the legal structures that regulate the market of food, including those
involving production, processing, packaging, distributing, selling, and consuming. Many disparate
areas of the law come together to comprise the network of food regulation, including food and drug
law, environmental law, administrative law, public health law, and more. For this reason, lawyers
may find they have taken a circuitous and attenuated path to food law, or that food law has
unexpectedly become a part of their work. Moreover, the study and practice of food law provide an
avenue into these other areas of law.
A food law and policy career, especially for attorneys interested in working in the public interest
sector, can take many shapes. Food policy work often intersects with other legal subject matters,
such as housing, health care, education, and family law. Careers in Public Interest Food Law and
Policy has been created to help law students and graduates understand the varied directions a public
interest food law career can go, and how to embark upon such a career path.
This guide is divided into eight parts. Part I defines “public interest food law and policy” and Part
II suggests factors students seeking to enter this area to consider. Part III consists of alumni
narratives describing their experiences in public interest food law. Part IV examines potential points
of entry into public interest food law and policy, and Part V recommends steps that law students
can take to prepare for a career in public interest food law. Section VI contains narratives from
students and recent graduates discussing their public interest food law or policy courses and
internships. Parts VII and VIII offer interview tips and job search resources, respectively.
5 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
I. PUBLIC INTEREST FOOD LAW AND POLICY
PRACTICE
Part I discusses typical meanings of “public interest” and “food law and policy” to provide a picture
of what a career in this sector may entail.
DEFINING “FOOD LAW AND POLICY”
In his Food Law casebook, Michael T. Roberts, the Executive Director of the Resnick Center for
Food Law and Policy at UCLA Law, and his co-authors discuss some of the principles of food law,
which provide a helpful breakdown of this complex field and illustrate the directions a food law
career may take. JACOB E. GERSEN, ET AL., FOOD LAW (Wolters Kluwer, 2019). First are health and
safety. The authors write, “[h]ealth and safety are perhaps the most important and pervasive
aspirations of food law.” Id. at 3. This category includes keeping the food supply safe from
contamination, ensuring the safe production of food, addressing hunger and/or obesity and obesity-
related disease, and regulating nutrition. Legal jobs may include foodborne illness-related
litigation, compliance work, local, state, or federal government positions, and public health work.
Next are transparency and choice. The casebook states: “Food is one of the oldest regulated markets.
As such, the conflict over how tightly the government should constrain producer and consumer
choice in food markets is chronic and pervasive.” Id. at 4. This category involves aspects of food
production, marketing, and advertising, as well as issues of transparency and values. Similarly to
health and safety, jobs may include truth in advertising litigation, marketing work, public health
work, and government positions.
The last principles are food harms, food wrongs, and food rights, and this grouping involves issues
of corrective and social justice. The authors also discuss “food exceptionalism” as a principle of
food law, but because this category does not itself give rise to legal jobs (although it may be an
aspect of food law positions), it is not discussed here. See id. at 4. Food harms and food rights
involve issues of rights and remedies, and entail different sources of law. Jobs may involve
nongovernmental organization work, government positions, and nonprofit careers.
The previous paragraphs discussed what constitutes food law. This guide, however, also
encompasses food policy. Food policy, or questions of how best to grow, market, sell, and consume
food, is intertwined and inextricable with questions of food law and food law practice. This is
especially the case in public interest food law practice. We discuss the meaning of “public interest”
next.
DEFINING “PUBLIC INTEREST”
Lawyering in the public interest is a broad and fluid category. This guide uses the term “public
interest” to mean values-driven lawyering done for social impact on behalf of disenfranchised or
marginalized communities. See Scott Cummings & Alan Chen, Public Interest Lawyering: A
Contemporary Perspective (2012).
There are several arenas where a practitioner may engage in public interest food lawyering,
including nonprofit, government, and private—or for-profit—public interest practice. Nonprofit
6 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
food lawyering may involve food justice or nutrition advocacy, government food lawyering may
include zoning work and distribution issues, and private public interest food lawyering may engage
a lawyer in public health litigation.
Just as the category of public interest law is fluid, so can be a public interest food law career. An
interest in food justice may allow an attorney to move from nonprofit to government work, or vice
versa.
FACTORS LAW STUDENTS SHOULD CONSIDER
Public interest food law careers are available for students and graduates interested in litigation,
transactional work, and policy and legislative advocacy. Each of these practice types may focus on
any number of specific substantive areas including those listed below.
LEGAL SPECIALIZATIONS WITH A FOOD LAW FOCUS
Public interest food law and policy consists of a wide variety of sub-areas, stretching across the
legal field from environmental justice litigation to financial transactions to labor policy advocacy.
The below list highlights many of the specializations of public interest food law. It also provides
examples of legal and policy issues arising in each of these different areas.
o Agriculture
Example: Maine farmers overcome challenges to comply with the Food Safety Modernization
Act. https://bangordailynews.com/2019/10/17/news/state/maine-farmers-overcome-challenges-
to-comply-with-new-federal-food-safety-regulations/
o Animal Rights
Example: Animal Legal Defense Fund utilizes legal and political strategies to improve the
treatment of animals in the food system. https://aldf.org/focus_area/farmed-animals/
o Biotechnology
Example: The EU Parliament has in recent years adopted around 40 resolutions against further
approvals for the import of genetically engineered plants due to environmental and health
concerns. https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/opinion/the-eu-dilemma-with-
the-gmo-industry-and-independent-risk-research/
o Cannabis
Example: Although consumer demand is increasing for CBD-infused food and drink, producers
must comply with complex legal and regulatory requirements.
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/cbd-food-and-drink-products-eu-newest-hot-
commodity-or-regulatory-headache
7 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
o Community Economic Development
Example: Legislatures brainstorm how to solve the problem of grocery stores closing in rural
communities. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/researchandanalysis/blogs/stateline/2019/10/02/as-
rural-groceries-fade-away-lawmakers-wonder-whether-to-act
o Cottage Food Industries
Example: Texas law expands foods that can be prepared in home kitchens and sold at farmers’
markets. https://www.dallasnews.com/food/2019/09/03/new-changes-to-the-texas-cottage-
food-law-mean-more-options-at-farmers-markets-and-online/
o Disaster Relief
Example: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Disaster Relief Program supplies food and other
relief aid to communities impacted by disasters like COVID-19.
https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/usda-foods-disaster-assistance
o Economic Justice
Example: Sales tax on groceries in Connecticut increased by one percent.
https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Governor-Calls-for-Review-of-Tax-on-Groceries-
Meals-560567801.html
o Access to Education
Example: In July 2019, the Trump Administration proposed changes to food stamps qualification
which would reduce eligibility for low-income families in high cost-of-living states.
https://www.calhealthreport.org/2019/09/18/kids-could-lose-food-stamps-school-meals-under-
proposed-federal-change/
o Environmental Justice
Example 1: Pesticide exposure disproportionately impacts many low-income communities of
color including those who work as farm laborers and those who live in routinely fumigated
public housing. https://www.pesticidereform.org/environmental-justice/
Example 2: Food and Water Watch sued Iowa for allowing agricultural run off to pollute water
with nitrates from fertilizer. https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/suing-iowa-for-
choosing-big-ag-over-clean-water
o Finance
Example: For FY 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided $10 million in grants to
increase the availability of local foods in schools. https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/farm-
to-school-grant-applications-released/
8 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
o Food Justice
Example: Local Food Hub developed a drive-through farmers’ market to continue its dual
mission of increasing community access to local food and supporting farmers during the COVID-
19 pandemic. https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/articles/groups-work-to-support-local-farms-
and-access-to-food-during-covid-19
o Food Labeling
Example: The FDA issued guidance relaxing nutrition labeling requirements to allow restaurants
and food manufacturers flexibility to sell packaged, unprepared foods during the COVID-19
pandemic. https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-
documents/temporary-policy-regarding-nutrition-labeling-certain-packaged-food-during-
covid-19-public-health
o Food Marketing and Advertising
Example: McDonald’s advertisement was “pulled” in the U.K. for allegedly exploiting bereaved
children. https://money.cnn.com/2017/05/17/news/mcdonalds-advertisement-dead-father/
o Food Safety
Example: In Fall 2019, a food safety law firm filed a lawsuit following a listeria outbreak in
chicken. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pritzker-hageman-food-safety-law-firm-
files-first-listeria-lawsuit-in-cooked-chicken-recall-300933405.html
o Food Security
Example: In Fall 2019, the Pan African Parliament Committee on Agriculture drafted a model
law on food security and nutrition. https://www.pmldaily.com/news/2019/10/african-
parliament-proposes-model-law-on-food-security.html
o Food Systems
Example: International honey fraud reduces U.S. honey producers’ ability to compete.
https://law.ucla.edu/centers/social-policy/resnick-center-for-food-law-and-
policy/publications/honey-fraud-white-paper/
o Food Waste
Example: Maine passed a law in June 2019 to have schools send some of their unconsumed food
to shelters and food pantries to prevent food waste.
https://www.pressherald.com/2019/09/30/new-law-aims-to-reduce-food-waste-in-maine-
schools/
9 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
o Indigenous and Cultural Foods
Example: Six U.S. Senators proposed legislation to protect Native traditional seeds from fraud,
environmental, infrastructural, and legal threats.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/10/13/new-bill-could-help-protect-sacred-seeds-
indigenous-people
o International
Example: United Nation’s Global Compact Zero Hunger Challenge seeks to develop sustainable
food systems, reduce rural poverty, limit food waste, increase access to adequate and healthy
food, and end malnutrition. https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/our-
work/environment/food-agriculture
o Labor
Example: Farmworker women are especially at risk for workplace sexual harassment.
https://cagj.org/food-justice/food-justice-resources/farmworker-sexual-violence-facts/
o Land Use/Conservation
Example: Retired farmland could be reclaimed as wildlife habitat in California’s San Joaquin
Desert. https://news.ucsc.edu/2019/01/san-joaquin-desert.html
o Nutrition and Diet-Related Disease
Example: New York law requires two employees of all restaurants to have regular food allergen
training. https://abc7ny.com/food/new-law-in-nassau-county-to-help-protect-those-with-food-
allergies/5586383/
o Public Health
Example: The lack of comprehensive nutrition education for physicians represents a missed
opportunity for doctors to promote good health, illness prevention, and treatment of chronic
diseases. https://www.chlpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Doctoring-Our-Diet_-September-
2019-V2.pdf
o Street Vending and Food Trucks
Example: On September 17, 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed the Safe Sidewalk Vending
Act, decriminalizing sidewalk food vending in California.
https://dcba.lacounty.gov/sidewalkvending/
o Technology
Example: A Portland-based company has developed an online food-sharing site where users can
buy and sell prepared food and produce from people in their communities.
https://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/food/article/Social-enterprise-launches-online-food-
sharing-14467587.php
10 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
o Trade
Example: China excluded United States agricultural products from trade tariffs in September
2019 to ease tension ahead of trade talks. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/13/china-adds-us-
agricultural-products-to-tariff-exemptions-ahead-of-trade-talks.html
o Transactional
Example: Non-profit food companies rely on in-house, pro bono, or public interest lawyers to
assist the organization with transactional matters involving corporate, real estate, tax, and other
law. [URL?]
o Urban Agriculture
Example: Rooftop hydroponic greenhouses in New York City are more water efficient than
traditional agricultural techniques. https://weather.com/forecast-change/news/2019-10-07-
urban-farming-hydroponics-help-feed-world-saving-water
SALARY AND BENEFITS
The salary and benefits available to a public interest food law attorney can range widely because of
the varied nature of the hiring entities, including public interest law firms, government institutions,
nonprofit organizations, and more. Students pursuing post-graduate employment with public interest
entities should expect to receive a salary package that includes benefits.
LOAN REPAYMENT
It is important to consider whether one’s work will be eligible for loan repayment assistance
programs, such as federal programs and the UCLA School of Law Loan Repayment Assistance
Program. In the past, a [private?] firm’s eligibility as a public interest employer has been made on
a case-by-case basis for the UCLA School of Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program. A student
interested in pursuing a post-graduate position should discuss this matter with their career counselor
and the UCLA School of Law’s Financial Aid Office to determine whether a hiring entity is likely
to be eligible, with the understanding that no final decision can be made until the committee reviews
their UCLA School of Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program application. For more information
on the UCLA School of Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program, visit
https://law.ucla.edu/alumni/alumni-services/loan-repayment-assistance-program/.
II. ALUMNI NARRATIVES
Attorneys enter public interest food law practice from a variety of avenues. Part II features short
essays from distinguished UCLA School of Law alumni with public interest food law careers.
These narratives exemplify how individuals can take very different paths into food law and pursue
very different types of public interest work. Each of these lawyers have found fulfillment in their
careers and share a clear commitment to zealously advocating for their clients.
11 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
BRIAN FINK ‘17
Food and Beverage Attorney, Danow, McMullan & Panoff, P.C., New York, NY
My first over-the-counter job was as a fry boy at a local fish-and-chips shop in the suburbs of
Seattle. Whether by accident or fortune, my subsequent jobs would also find me near food. After
high school, I delivered pizza to make rent. And while taking classes at the University of
Washington during the day, I spent my nights working in a kitchen at a grocery store deli. After
graduation, I even tried my hand at organic farming and launching my own catering company.
The kitchen called me back, though. In the years that I was a dishwasher, prep cook, and cook, I
had been a union steward and sat across from my employer during our collective bargaining process,
acting as a liaison between my co-workers and the union. I was promoted to manager where my
passion for building an equitable and inspiring workplace found a new vehicle in coordinating with
management, encouraging worker creativity, and providing reliable and stable department
infrastructure.
When I decided to attend law school, these experiences greatly motivated me. Three areas of law
called to me: immigration law, employment law, and business law. Each of these were tied directly
to my experiences of working in kitchens, whether as a dishwasher in a kitchen team made up of
people from all over the world, or as a manager who worked closely with local producers and
vendors to build the most sustainable inventory around.
When I arrived at UCLA, I focused on business and employment law, specializing in Business Law
and Policy. I volunteered at Bet Tzedek, where I helped workers fight for back-pay owed to them.
I struggled to find opportunities in employment law.
I discovered food law by accident. The Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy had just launched
a pilot program that sought to connect local low-income farmers and food entrepreneurs to pro bono
lawyers. I answered a call for student volunteers to help with intake for this program. I was
immediately hooked. I found that I could combine my various interests and experience into this
unified practice. That summer, I worked as a fellow for the Resnick Center, during which I had the
opportunity to deepen my interests in business law and the food system.
When I was a 3L, I was president of the Food Law Society (FLS). Early that year, I went to Des
Moines, Iowa, to attend the Food Law Student Leadership Summit. This is an annual weekend
conference that brings together law students from across the country to learn more about food law
and policy. I was energized when I returned. We in the FLS team re-launched the Community
Supported Agriculture program that brought locally-grown produce to campus, sponsored speaking
events, and partnered with Los Angeles attorneys to design our own pro bono transactional projects.
For example, we helped a local coffee company form a workers’ cooperative and researched property
law as part of a model lease for California’s then-new urban-agriculture incentive program.
After graduation, I moved to Connecticut to be the inaugural Farm and Food Legal Fellow at Yale
Law School. I discovered this position from a food law listserv. My work there consisted of
launching the Legal Food Hub, a statewide program similar to the one Resnick Center’s pilot
program. I also worked in the Community and Economic Development legal clinic, where I helped
provide legal services to local farm and food businesses and organizations. Finally, I had the
opportunity to publish an academic legal article, which was published in the Journal for Food Law
and Policy.
12 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
The chance to work as a clinical fellow at the Food Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School
arrived as my fellowship at Yale was ending. The work there is much more oriented around policy
rather than direct legal services. For example, one of my responsibilities was to provide legal and
technical assistance to organizations across the country interested in reducing sugar consumption
in their communities. The work at the clinic also tends to be less localized. For instance, I supervised
a project that examined how foreign laws interact with food donations in various countries. That
said, the Clinic’s work spans all levels of government. I don’t yet know where my food law journey
will take me, but I have learned what I enjoy and do not enjoy in this field. My experiences have
allowed me to focus my career on those practices more aligned with what I enjoy.
JONATHAN JAGER ‘17
Staff Attorney, Housing and Communities Workgroup, Legal Aid Foundation of Los
Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Prior to law school, I worked for a social services nonprofit in Madison, Wisconsin where I was
involved in a number of initiatives and collaborations, including programs to address food
insecurity. When I came to law school, I was interested in working on nonprofit law issues. I
interned with the California Attorney General Office’s Charitable Trusts Section, which supervises
charities in California. I also worked on corporate governance issues in-house at a charter school
system. My first opportunity to work directly on food law-related issues was as a member of the
first Food Law & Policy Clinic at UCLA. In the clinic, I helped a local food recovery nonprofit
establish social enterprise programs to supplement their revenue.
I am currently a Staff Attorney in the Housing and Communities Workgroup at the Legal Aid
Foundation of Los Angeles, where my practice is a mix of housing and community economic
development work. I started as the UCLA Community Economic Development (CED) Fellow after
graduation. The CED part of my practice primarily consists of representing nonprofit organizations
with transactional legal work. My days often consist of a mix of legal research and drafting. In the
afternoons and evenings, I meet with community groups and clients’ boards of directors to discuss
their situations and provide legal advice.
My food law-related work is very diverse. One client is an established community organization that
is looking to start a farmers’ market. I am helping them navigate the red tape and paperwork
necessary to contract with vendors and limit their liability. Another client that works on food access
and urban agriculture issues needed help understanding the IRS rules around lobbying to protect
their 501(c)(3) status. I have also done research into changes to California’s food sharing laws to
help clients understand the laws’ impact on their work. I have several clients that are community
land trusts seeking to ensure local land can be dedicated to community gardens and urban agriculture
in perpetuity. I often partner with other legal services organizations, pro bono private counsel, and
local organizations, such as the LA Food Policy Council, to coordinate our work and assist on
projects.
Working in community economic development has given me the flexibility to work on food law
issues alongside my other work, and I hope to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. My
position has shown me how interconnected food can be with other areas of law, especially housing
and land use. I recommend a position like mine to anyone who wants to work on a broad range of
issues and work directly with and on behalf of communities.
13 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
BETH KENT ‘18
Policy and Legal Fellow, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, Los Angeles, CA
My interest in food law grew out of my background in environmental studies and my commitment
to social justice. As a Society and Environment major at the University of California, Berkeley, I
learned about the environmental impacts of agriculture and became interested in sustainable food
production methods and climate‐friendly diets. Urban gardens and farmers’ markets have great
potential to reduce the environmental impacts of food production, while increasing access to
healthy, fresh foods, especially in neighborhoods with limited access to traditional grocery stores.
These interests served as the basis for my Honors Thesis: “Addressing Obesity, Food Insecurity,
and Overfishing with School Aquaponics Systems in the Bay Area.”
Throughout law school, I continued to look for opportunities to learn more about and work on these
issues. I took many environmental and food law classes, including the Environmental Law Clinic
and the Food Law and Policy Clinic. I continued my Food Law Clinic projects as an Advanced
Clinic Student and completed an independent study with Professor Allison Korn. I was also
President of the Environmental Law Society, an Editor for the Journal of Environmental Law and
Policy, and a member of the Food Law Society. During law school, I interned at the California
Attorney General’s Office in the Land Law Section, Earthjustice, and the Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC). Getting involved in activities related to my food and environmental law helped
me gain experience and develop connections in these fields, which helped me find job opportunities.
While interning at the NRDC, I worked on a project for the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust.
I learned about the organization’s mission to increase access to green space by building parks and
community gardens in low‐income communities and communities of color, and I had the opportunity
to get to know some of the wonderful staff members. Several months later, I was excited to see they
were looking to host a UCLA Fellow through the UC President’s Public Interest Fellowship. After
meeting with the Executive Director, she agreed to host me, and I applied through the for the UC
President’s Fellowship.
Working at a local, community‐based nonprofit has been a great experience. Our team is small, so
I was given the opportunity to take on leadership roles shortly after starting. I research, review and
comment on draft legislation and agency guidelines, prepare comment letters, meet with
government, nonprofit, and community partners, collaborate with community members, and develop
and implement policy campaigns. A large portion of our job focuses on increasing access to green
space in Los Angeles County and advocating for park equity. We also support community and school
gardens, including developing policies to increase school garden programs and facilitate shared use
on school campuses.
If you’re having a hard time finding your “dream job,” look for jobs where you can either learn
about the issues on which you ultimately want to work or where you can learn broadly‐applicable
skills. Try to find experience that will be transferable and will allow you to add value to any
organization you join. And, don’t be afraid to apply for jobs with small organizations.
For now, I'm planning to continue working on environmental policy and focusing on environmental
justice and land use issues (green space access, sustainable food production, and joint development
of parks and affordable housing).
14 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
III. POINTS OF ENTRY INTO PUBLIC INTEREST FOOD
LAW & POLICY OPPORTUNITIES
Part III contains a non-exhaustive list of the diverse methods through which law students can break
into public interest food law and policy careers. Please contact the Resnick Center, Office of Career
Services, or the Office of Public Interest Programs for a personalized discussion regarding potential
opportunities.
SAMPLE PUBLIC INTEREST FOOD LAW JOB PLACEMENTS
The variety of sub-areas within public interest food law and policy and the decentralized nature of
the specialty means that there is a plethora of organizations that engage entirely or in part in public
interest food law or policy work. The below list represents only a very small sample of potential
employers.
PRIVATE PUBLIC INTEREST LAW FIRMS
o Best, Best & Krieger: https://www.bbklaw.com/
o Shute Mihaly & Weinberger: https://www.smwlaw.com/
o The Food Law Firm: https://www.foodlawfirm.com/
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
o California Department of Food and Agriculture: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/
o California Department of Justice: https://oag.ca.gov/home
o California Environmental Protection Agency: https://calepa.ca.gov/
o Food and Drug Administration: https://www.fda.gov/
o Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office: https://www.lacity.org/government/popular-
information/elected-officials/city-attorney
o U.S. Department of Agriculture: https://www.usda.gov/
o U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental and Natural Resources Division:
https://www.justice.gov/enrd
o U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: https://www.epa.gov/
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
o California Food Policy Advocates: https://cfpa.net/
o California Rural Legal Assistance: https://www.crla.org/
o Conservation Law Foundation: https://www.clf.org/
o Los Angeles Food Policy Council: https://www.goodfoodla.org/
o Natural Resources Defense Council: https://www.nrdc.org/
INTERNATIONAL
o Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR):
https://www.cgiar.org/
o Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: http://www.fao.org/home/en/
15 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
o Heifer International: https://www.heifer.org/gift-
catalog/animals/index.html?msource=KIK1K19BS0001&gclid=CjwKCAjwp-
X0BRAFEiwAheRuiyxudEB6G7VBAvEQ62MXTmcf5njyq-nWE1ajUig6AyJPtm--
WgDyqhoCIHkQAvD_BwE
o International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): https://www.ifpri.org/
o World Food Programme: https://www.wfp.org/
o World Organisation for Animal Health: https://www.oie.int/
ON-CAMPUS RECRUITMENT
Many private public interest firms, governmental and non-governmental organizations (“NGOs”)
attend campus recruitment programs events, including fall and spring on-campus interviews (“OCI”)
and public interest fairs. Because attendance varies from year to year, you should be mindful of
reviewing the list of participating entities.
Past public interest food law-related organizations that have participated in on-campus recruitment
in the past include:
o Animal Legal Defense Fund (NGO): https://aldf.org/
o Best, Best & Krieger, L.L.P. (Firm): https://www.bbklaw.com/
o California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (Government): https://www.alrb.ca.gov/
o California Coastal Commission (Government): https://www.coastal.ca.gov/
o California Rural Legal Assistance (NGO): https://www.crla.org/
o Los Angeles Waterkeeper (NGO): https://lawaterkeeper.org/
o National Resource Defense Council (NGO): https://www.nrdc.org/
o Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, L.L.P. (Firm): https://www.smwlaw.com/
o Surfrider Foundation (NGO): https://www.surfrider.org/
o U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division (Government):
https://www.justice.gov/enrd
FELLOWSHIPS
Post-graduate public interest fellowships are an important tool for entering public interest food law
practice because they are short-term employment and training programs that are well-regarded by
the public interest community. Fellowships provide fellows funding, in addition to work experience
and training.
Fellowship applications may be quite extensive. The Resnick Center and the Office of Public
Interest can assist with preparation, and any interested student is encouraged to contact these
offices.
Fellowships that may involve food law practice include the following. Moreover, any public interest
fellowship will provide valuable experience that may translate to food law practice in later years.
o Altshuler Berzon LLP/National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Fellowship: This is
a one-year fellowship focused on environmental law based out of San Francisco, CA. A
major portion of the fellow’s time is spent working on cases brought jointly by NRDC and
Altshuler Berzon enforcing federal and state environmental statutes. Learn more at
http://altshulerberzon.com/nrdc-fellowship/.
16 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
o Center for Agriculture and Food Systems, Vermont Law School, Food and Agriculture
LLM Fellowship: This is a two-year fellowship, and includes a tuition waiver and a stipend.
Learn more at https://www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/centers-and-programs/center-for-
agriculture-and-food-systems/people/current-openings.
o Equal Justice Works Fellowship: Equal Justice Works provides more than fifty two-year
fellowships annually to recent law school graduates who undertake various public interest
projects at a sponsoring nonprofit host organization. Equal Justice Work fellowships are
only awarded for domestic work. Learn more at https://www.equaljusticeworks.org/become-
a-fellow/.
o Harvard Law School Food and Policy Clinic, Clinical Fellow: The Clinical Fellow will
work independently and with the Director, staff, and students on a broad range of
international, federal, state, and local food policy projects. Learn more at
https://www.chlpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/FLPC_Clinical_Fellow_Job-
Posting_FINAL.pdf.
o Murphy Anderson PLLC George R. Murphy Public Interest Fellowship: Murphy
Anderson is a D.C.-based law firm representing workers and unions. They practice labor,
employment, whistleblower and First Amendment law. This is a one-year fellowship based
out of Washington, D.C. Learn more at http://www.murphypllc.com/employment/.
o Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger Fellowship: Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP is a law firm
specializing in government, land use, renewable energy, and environmental law. This is a
three-year fellowship based out of San Francisco, CA. Learn more at
http://www.smwlaw.com/hiring/fellowships.
o Skadden Fellowship: The Skadden Fellowship is a two-year fellowship with twenty-eight
fellowships each year. Almost every year, at least one UCLA student has been awarded the
fellowship. Skadden fellowships are only awarded for domestic work. Learn more at
https://www.skaddenfellowships.org/.
DIRECT APPLICATION
If an organization does not participate in on-campus interview programs, students may still apply
for their opportunities. Most entities will have a “Careers” or “Employment Opportunities” page on
their website. If the website is silent on opportunities for law students, students should consider
directly inquiring with someone at the organization.
Contacting students and alumni who have worked with your target organizations in the past may be
useful in obtaining information regarding application procedures and preferences. The Office of
Career Services, the Office of Public Interest Programs, and the Resnick Center may be able to
assist in connecting students to students and alumni who have worked with target entities.
Be aware many entities hire on a need-basis and may not know their hiring capacity until closer to
the hiring period.
17 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
NETWORKING
Networking is very important for individuals seeking entry to and success in most practice areas,
especially in private public interest practice. During law school, students should join relevant
student organizations, including the Food Law Society, Environmental Law Society, National
Lawyer’s Guild, and others, as they often share networking and job opportunities.
Students and graduates should also join relevant attorney associations and committees, including
corresponding listserves. Students and graduates should attend relevant conferences, workshops,
and symposia. Students should contact the Office of Career Service and/or the Office of Public
Interest Programs about the possibility of using school funds to offset expenses for attendance at
those events. Participation in these activities enable students to learn about areas of practice and
develop relationships which may lead to a mentor or job opportunities.
If you have any questions regarding navigating the networking processes, law school mentors and
career counselors are available to assist.
IV. PREPARING FOR A CAREER IN PUBLIC INTEREST
FOOD LAW PRACTICE
Part IV provides general background on how students can pursue a career in public interest food
law practice. Although it is organized according to class year, students and graduates may find the
entire discussion useful. Please note, however, that the information provided below should only
serve as a guideline as there is no one precise roadmap or timeline on how to best pursue a career
in public interest food law practice.
1L STUDENTS
COURSEWORK AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Students entering law school typically have a set curriculum for the entire first year, so 1L students
should focus on building a resume that shows a dedication to public interest and food law work
through extracurricular activities. Joining the Food Law Society and attending its events is a good
start. Students may want to participate in El Centro Legal, which is UCLA School of Law’s student-
coordinated network of volunteer legal aid clinics.
1L students should also start to get a sense of whether they feel drawn to litigation or transactional
work and what issue areas spark their interest. Mock trial and moot court competitions are excellent
opportunities for students to strengthen their oral advocacy skills and gain trial-like experience. As
journals are a marker of good writing, students should weigh their interest in writing on to UCLA
Law Review or joining the staff of another student-edited journal at the law school.
At UCLA Law, students have the opportunity to choose a Modes of Legal Inquiry course. Modes
courses are small enrollment courses designed to expose students to some analytical, empirical,
theoretical or normative perspective on law that complements and enriches the doctrinal analysis
characteristic of most 1L courses. Professor Michael Roberts teaches a Modes course on the role of
law in pursuing a moral food system that provides a good introduction to the field.
18 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
1L students should also take advantage of networking opportunities when they can. These might
include attending public interest and food law networking events. Many law schools, foundations,
and attorney associations offer scholarships or volunteer opportunities for students to attend
conferences and other networking events for little to no cost. When given the opportunity to
network, 1L students should be mindful to take business cards from attorneys working at
organizations that interest them and subsequently follow up with the attorneys for possible 2L
summer or semester clerkships.
WHEN AND WHERE TO APPLY
It is not crucial for 1L students to spend their summer at a public interest or food law organization.
Students should use summer employment as an opportunity to work in an issue area that interests
them and determine whether that area of advocacy is a good fit. In addition to gaining clarity as to
the type of work they enjoy or dislike, student should use summer opportunities to strengthen their
research and writing, as well as other skills. 1L students can also seek employment that will enable
them to further explore their burgeoning interests in litigation, policy, or transactional work.
2L STUDENTS
COURSEWORK AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
2L students have a significant amount of flexibility in selecting courses to build a strong resume to
enter the field of public interest food law. Any student interested in food law should take
Administrative Law and/or Legislation and Regulation. 2L students interested in litigation are
strongly encouraged to take Evidence during their second year, while students interested in
transactional work should consider Advanced Contracts courses. All 2L students are advised to
enroll in subject matter courses that interest them. Courses that may touch on and evoke the issues
one sees when working in public interest food law include food law and policy, environmental law,
public health law, and local government.
2L students should also consider taking clinical courses that give them hands-on experience.
UCLA’s Food Law and Policy Clinic is one of the few clinics in the nation focused on food justice.
The clinic allows students to take on the role of policy advocate within the food justice movement,
which calls for positive, systemic change in the areas of food insecurity, public health, workers’
rights, urban agriculture, land use, animal welfare, and social entrepreneurship. This clinic is a
fantastic experience to get hands-on experience in the kind of work involved in public interest food
law practice. Other relevant clinics include the Community Economic Development Clinic and the
Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic.
As for extracurricular activities, students will want to be mindful of the same goals presented in the
1L section above and choose activities that show a commitment to public interest food law work.
Again, joining the Food Law Society is a good idea. 2L students should also actively seek out
networking opportunities, such as conferences and on campus mixers where they can meet attorneys
working at firms and in issue areas that interest them. To the extent possible, 2L students should
also apply for semester-long externships, which are often paid and may segue into post-graduate
employment. Research assistant positions are also available during the summer and semesters and
provide an opportunity for students to continue developing their research skills and exploring legal
areas of interest.
19 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
WHEN AND WHERE TO APPLY
There are various avenues for students to secure employment at an organization doing work that
may touch on public interest food law work during their 2L summer. 2L students can directly submit
application materials to organizations beginning late-summer before the start of their 2L year,
whether or not the entity advertises available law clerk positions. Application materials generally
require a public interest-oriented resume, a writing sample, a list of references, and a cover letter
clearly articulating the student’s interest in the organization’s mission. The cover letter and email
to the firm should also clearly articulate whether the 2L student is interested in a summer or
semester opportunity (or both). 2L students should plan on contacting or following up throughout
the year because organizations without established summer/semester programs may not know their
hiring capacity until closer to the hiring period.
SUMMER INTERNSHIPS
Some organizations have summer internships for current law students. It is worthwhile to inquire
at organizations you find interesting even if it does not have a posted internship opportunity. If an
internship with a nonprofit organization or government agency is unpaid, you may be eligible for
the school’s Summer Public Service Fellowship Program. Some available internships are:
o Center for Agriculture and Food Systems, Vermont Law School, Summer Honors Intern
Program: This is a full-time summer internship. Interns may work on projects related to
farmland access; food labeling and regulation of novel food products; development of a
national food policy in the United States; legal barriers facing food hubs; legal resources
for farmers markets; food safety regulations for produce farms; food and agriculture
communications; food system equity; and biodiversity and agriculture. Interns will receive
a stipend. Learn more at https://www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/centers-and-
programs/center-for-agriculture-and-food-systems/people/current-openings.
o Harvard Law School Food and Policy Clinic, Summer Intern: Summer interns in the Food
Law and Policy Clinic have the unique opportunity to engage in action-based learning to
gain a deeper understanding of the complex challenges facing our current food system.
Interns get hands-on experience conducting legal and policy research for individuals,
community groups, and government agencies on a wide range of food law and policy issues.
Interns are also challenged to develop creative legal and policy solutions to pressing food
issues, applying their knowledge from the law school classroom to real-world situations.
Summer internships are unpaid. Learn more at https://www.chlpi.org/about-us/summer-
interns-program/.
3L STUDENTS
COURSEWORK AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
3L students should follow the same guidelines stated above for 2L course selection and
extracurricular activities.
20 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
WHEN AND WHERE TO APPLY
While different firms and fellowship programs have different application timelines, 3L students
should try to make contact with places of interest by early August. Ideally, one should apply to
fellowship programs and firms that are actively hiring, but 3L students should also follow up with
attorneys they have networked with in the past to see if anyone might be interested in hiring them
or knows of firms hiring recent graduates. 3L students’ job search may extend well into the spring
semester. 3L students should regularly check organizational websites for open positions and
application instructions listed under their “Careers” or “Employment Opportunities” pages.
FELLOWSHIPS
There are a number of post-graduate fellowships for which 3L students can apply, both food law
specific and public interest in general. Fellowships are particularly worthwhile because they give
fellows an opportunity to gain invaluable work experience and training, provide funding, and are
regarded highly by the public interest community. A description of major fellowship opportunities
is provided in Part IV of this Guide.
LL.M. PROGRAMS
DOMESTIC PROGRAMS
o Michigan State University College of Law, LL.M. in Global Food Law: Established in
2011, the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Law’s Global Food Law Program
continues the land-grant tradition of cross and interdisciplinary education to prepare leaders
to solve complex, practical problems related to the regulation of food. Our program is
designed for students who want to take part in learning the laws of food safety policy and
effectively making decisions that affect food regulation across countries. Learn more at
http://globalfood.law.msu.edu/.
o University of Arkansas School of Law, LL.M. in Agricultural and Food Law: The first
advanced law degree in agricultural and food law was founded at the University of Arkansas
School of Law more than 30 years ago. Since that time, the LL.M. Program in Agricultural
and Food Law has led the nation in this important area of law, connecting lawyers to our
food system, from farm to plate. The LL.M. program offers an expansive curriculum of
courses designed specifically for LL.M. candidates taught by nationally recognized scholars
and practitioners. Learn more at https://law.uark.edu/academics/llm-food-ag/.
o Vermont Law School, LL.M. in Food and Agriculture Law: Because of its systems-based
approach to food and agriculture law, and its location in a state recognized as a leader in
sustainable food and agricultural policy, Vermont Law School offers students a unique
educational opportunity. Choosing from over 50 courses in environmental law and policy—
the widest range of courses offered by any law school—LL.M. candidates each design a
curriculum that matches their personal objectives. They also participate in a special LL.M.
seminar focusing on advanced research topics related to food and agricultural law and
policy. Learn more at https://www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/degrees/llm/llm-in-food-and-
agriculture-law.
21 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
o Leicester De Montfort University Law School, LL.M. in Food Law: Students will gain an
overview of the legal concepts relevant to the control and administration of the food
industry, learn about the statutory control of trading conduct and trade practices through the
use of criminal law, learn how food law is enforced, and gain an understanding of the
purposes and background of food law, both domestic and EU. Learn more at
http://www.courses.knect365-learning.com/event/food-law-master-of-laws-llm-distance-
learning-courses-from-de-montfort-university-dmu?utm_source=llmguide&utm_medium=
referral&utm_content=listing&xtssot=0.
o Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali – LUISS, LL.M. in Food Law: The
faculty of the LL.M. programme is composed of renowned scholars, high officials of
regulatory bodies and institutions, as well as prominent agricultural, industrial, commercial
operators and experts. The course content ranges from: the institutional grounds of food
legislation, to the regulatory tenets of safety, security and environmental protection, to the
instruments and bodies of quality and traceability monitoring, to the correct safeguard of
consumers, to the requirements for certifications of origin, including "made in", to the legal
profiles of distribution and agro-food contractual policies, to the rules of free competition,
to the responsibility of business operators along the production-distribution-consumption
chain. Particular attention is given to the regulation of technological innovation in the food
sector, as well as to bio-agriculture technologies. During the programme, contacts with the
"world" of food related activities, organizations and institutions and connected initiatives
are already proposed. Learn more at https://lsl.luiss.it/en/food-law.
o Université Laval, School of Law, Environmental Law, Sustainable Development and
Food Security: Students tackle the legal problems of environmental law, sustainable
development and food security from a global perspective, while opening up to comparative
law and interdisciplinarity. Students critically analyze the rules and practices pertaining to
this field, while strengthening their analytical capacity, spirit of synthesis, reasoning and
ability to communicate. Students receive leading multidisciplinary training in environmental
law, sustainable development and food security. Learn more at
https://www.fd.ulaval.ca/etudes/maitrise-droit-environnement-developpement-durable-
securite-alimentaire.
V. STUDENT AND RECENT GRADUATE NARRATIVES
The following UCLA School of Law student and recent graduate narratives illustrate the variety of
ways in which students can enter private public interest practice, and include tips and strategies
interested students can implement during law school to secure public interest employment in the
private sector. These student narratives shed light on how students can pursue their dedication to a
wide variety of public interest issue areas through private sector employment.
JASON LAWLER ‘19
I grew up in Santa Rosa, California, in the middle of the Sonoma wine country. Most of my friends
grew up around family businesses like wineries, restaurants, and farming operations. Both my
22 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
parents work in medicine, but my surroundings instilled in me an appreciation for where our food
(and drinks) come from. I have always sought to incorporate the food chain into my professional
career, but struggled to conceptualize exactly how. I am the first in my family to attend law school,
so my difficulties in understanding how to incorporate food into my career was compounded by a
lack of institutional knowledge about the legal field.
When applying to law school, I learned about the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy at UCLA.
I met with Professor Michael Roberts and decided that attending UCLA gave me the best chance to
build a career around food law. During law school, I was an active member of the Food Law Society,
helping to establish links to a local organic farm and set up a CSA program, before eventually
holding the positions of Outreach Coordinator and Executive Chair.
In my first year of law school, I sought out several extracurricular public interest opportunities
including pro bono food law work. I assisted a community development attorney in researching
entity bylaws and drafting governing provisions for a workers’ cooperative running a coffee shop
in Lynwood. I was interested in transactional work, so it was exciting to provide substantive legal
services to a valuable community-oriented business so early in my legal career.
Through the connections I built during my first year of law school, I was given the opportunity to
work as a legal research assistant for a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization committed
to fostering a favorable political, legal, and cultural climate for cellular agriculture, an new
technology aimed at creating real meat products without the harms of factory farming and animal
slaughter. Throughout the fall semester of my 2L year, I performed research related to regulatory
compliance, federal policy, and litigation strategy for cutting-edge legal issues faced by the
proponents of cellular agriculture. This position was incredibly rewarding, and lead me to the topic
of my Law Review comment. I argued by analogy to federal regulation of other cell-based
technologies that existing regulations were sufficient to cover products of cellular agriculture since
such products are real meat and no aspect of the production process presents concerns greater than
those of unregulated analogous processes.
Although I am not currently working directly in the food law space, I continue to engage with pro
bono opportunities in food law and policy as I am able. Public interest internships and volunteering
are great opportunities to learn important legal skills and connect with ones’ interest areas because
they are frequently understaffed and the legal issues are largely underappreciated in the legal
industry. The network I was able to build through these positions will undoubtedly help me build
towards a rewarding and fulfilling career.
STEPHANIE TEUBER ‘20
I grew up in Davis, California, and my family was involved in the agriculture industry. From an
early age, I learned the value of honesty and transparency in the food system. I chose to attend law
school after realizing the importance of lawyers in advancing these goals. In law school I served on
the Executive Board of the Food Law Society for two years, was a Managing Editor on the UCLA
Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, and was an Articles Editor on the UCLA Law Review.
I spent my first summer of law school working at Compassion Over Killing (COK). COK is a
national organization that is using a combination of consumer education, litigation, and policy work
to challenge “Big Agriculture” and the meat industry. I found my job at COK through the UCLA
Law Public Interest Career Fair, and I interviewed on campus. I chose to work at COK because I
23 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
wanted to engage in the work they do. Two areas of food law that I am interested in are sustainable
agriculture and food safety, and my summer internship at COK exposed me to the law and policy
surrounding both of those areas.
During my time working at COK’s Manhattan Beach office, I completed a variety of assignments
over the course of the summer, all of which included research and writing and received extensive
feedback from my supervisors. My largest project was a memorandum on preemption under the Food
Drug and Cosmetics Act (FDCA). Specifically, I researched how COK could overcome a defendant’s
preemption defense in upcoming food labeling litigation. I completed three different drafts of this
memorandum, and portions the final version were included in COK’s briefs. For the same lawsuit,
I researched how COK can overcome the defendant’s puffery defense, and wrote another extensive
memorandum.
Although my preemption and puffery assignments spanned the entire summer, I also completed
smaller assignments each week. One week, I wrote a comment challenging a rule proposed by the
Food Safety Inspection Service, which was submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture with
minimal revisions. Another week, I completed a survey examining private rights of action under
state laws that are parallel the FDCA.
I also participated in teambuilding activities with the organization, and attended the 2018 Animal
Rights Conference with my supervisors and the other interns. My experience at COK was
overwhelmingly positive, and I would recommend an internship at COK to any student interested in
food law and policy. I completed substantive assignments, received extensive constructive feedback,
and felt like I was a valued member of the team.
Although my first job out of law school will be at a large law firm, the skills I developed at COK
are directly transferrable. Writing in the context of a job is very different from writing in law
school, and the constructive feedback I received during my summer internship at COK has been
invaluable. I remain passionate about food law, and I chose my firm specifically because of the
opportunities I will have to work on food-related issues in the regulatory sphere.
VI. INTERVIEW TIPS
When hiring for summer or post-graduate opportunities, hiring attorneys use interviews to assess
candidates’ academic record, research and writing skills, and experience in the firm’s practice areas.
Public interest food law opportunities differ from other opportunities in that they look for a
commitment to public interest and/or food law in addition to strong academic qualifications. Clinics,
summer employment, externships, student organizations, conference attendance, and other activities
can indicate interest in the relevant area of food law pertinent to a specific organization. However,
organizations have varying degrees of recognition of food law as a distinct practice area and some
may not directly refer to the area. Students will likely need to explain their interest in a specific
organization and may have to explain how demonstrated food law interest connects to that
organization’s goals.
24 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
APPLICATION MATERIALS
Because every organization is unique in its goals and clients, students should highlight why they
are qualified and why they would be a good addition to the organization. Cover letters, resumes,
and interview questions and responses should be tailored to reflect the needs and practice areas of
the organization. The Office of Public Interest Programs’ Public Interest Resume Guide provides
guidance as to how to best prepare a public interest resume and reference list:
https://law.ucla.edu/careers/office-of-public-interest-programs/career-guides/.
PREPARING FOR AN INTERVIEW
Prior to the interview, students should familiarize themselves with the attorneys with whom they
will be interviewing and any recent news regarding the organization’s recent projects. Online
research, current and past employees, and faculty are potentially valuable resources in obtaining a
greater understanding of what to expect and how to prepare.
Mock interviews with the Office of Career Services and/or Office of Public Interest Programs can
provide constructive feedback in preparation for the actual job interview.
SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Interviewing for a public interest food law or policy position is similar to interviewing for any other
public interest position. Interviewers will likely ask questions to determine whether you are
interested in the work that they do and whether you have relevant experience or skills. Each
interview is unique, but the following sample questions will be useful as you prepare for an
interview and consider whether a position is right for you.
INTEREST IN PUBLIC INTEREST FOOD LAW
o Why are you interested in public interest work?
o How did you become interested in food law/policy?
o Why do you want to work at a (private public interest firm/government agency/NGO/etc.)
versus other types of entities?
o How has your background or personal experiences contributed to your desire to do this
work?
o What did you learn from your previous job experience? What did you enjoy most?
INTEREST IN WORKING AT THE INTERVIEWING ORGANIZATION
o How did you find out about our organization?
o What makes you interested in working for our organization?
o Why are you interested in working at this office?
o Why do you want to be in this city?
o Which office do you prefer? (If the organization has multiple offices)
INQUIRIES ABOUT SPECIFIC SKILLS
o Tell us about your research and writing process.
o Do you work well with fast-paced deadlines?
25 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
o What is a strength you possess? What is an example of how that strength has helped you in
practice?
o What is a weakness you possess? What is an example of how that weakness presented
challenges in a work setting?
o Even if they do not ask, it is important to indicate how you have been working to
improve that weakness or how you intend to address it.
o Why should we hire you over other qualified candidates?
COMPATIBILITY
o What has been your favorite class in law school? Why?
o What do you like to do in your free time?
o What is your working style?
o Do you prefer collaborative or individual work assignments?
VII. JOB SEARCH RESOURCES
In addition to this guide, there are many excellent sources to learn more about available public
interest food law opportunities. Below are listed other helpful career guides as well as job search
engines that may be useful in your search for an internship or post-graduate position.
o American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA): AILA’s “Recent Postings” page lists
current job opportunities. Interested students will need to create a student members account
to access the postings. Learn more at http://www.aila.org/.
o Current Food Law & Policy Career Opportunities: Food law and policy positions posted
at http://www.chlpi.org/food-law-and-policy/flpcareers/current-food-law-and-policy-
career-opportunities/.
o Good Food Jobs: Good Food Jobs is designed to link people looking for meaningful food
work with the businesses that need their energy, enthusiasm, and intellect. They post
opportunities with farmers and food artisans, policy makers and purveyors, retailers and
restaurateurs, economists, ecologists, and more at https://www.goodfoodjobs.com/.
o Harvard Food Law Career Guide: You can find the 2017 edition at
https://www.chlpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/FOOD-LAW-AND-POLICY-CAREER-
GUIDE_10.17.pdf
o Idealist: Postings for job, internship, and volunteer opportunities with social impact
organizations ca be found at https://www.idealist.org/en/?searchMode=true&type=JOB.
o LCC Hiring Hall: AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee publishes monthly online job
postings. Students can also opt to include their resume in the LCC Resume Bank, which
requires a sponsor through an LCC attorney or affiliated professor. Learn more at
http://lcc.aflcio.org/public/career-corner/hiring-hall/.
o National Lawyers Guild (NLG): The NLG homepage has a “Referral Directory” tab that
includes contact information for attorney members at https://www.nlg.org/.
26 Careers in Public Interest Food Law and Policy
o Public Service Jobs Directory (PSJD): PSJD is a database of public interest employers in
the United States and abroad. To find public interest law firms, click “Search,” under
“Advanced Search” select “Search for Employer Profiles,” and from there, select “Law
Firm—Public Interest Focus” as the employer type. From there, you can narrow your results
based on particular practice areas. Each entry includes contact in formation, a description
of the firm, and a link to the website and job opportunities, if available. Find the database
at https://ww.psjd.org/.
o UCLA Government Career Guide:
https://law.ucla.edu/~/media/Assets/Office%20of%20Public%20Interest%20Programs/Doc
uments/UCLA%20Careers%20in%20Government%20Guide--2018v3.ashx
o UCLA Public Interest Private Firm Career Guide:
https://law.ucla.edu/~/media/Assets/Office%20of%20Public%20Interest%20Programs/Doc
uments/Careers%20in%20Private%20Public%20Interest%20Firms%20Final%20v2.ashx
o UCLA School of Law’s Symplicity Job Board: The job board is accessible to all UCLA
Law students. Learn more at https://law-ucla-
csm.symplicity.com/students/?s=%20home&signin_tab=0 and contact the Office of Career
Services with any questions.
CONCLUSION
Food law is still a new field, and encompasses many disparate areas of the law. This volume of
UCLA’s Careers in series introduces students to the field and the many exciting areas of practice
that can be pursued. Although it is by no means a complete list of resources, our hope is that this
guide will foster law students’ interest in a career path in public interest food law and policy and
help them to gain an understanding of the courses and extracurricular activities that will equip them
to apply for positions.
