INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
The Teschendorf-Derheimer Environmental Law Clerkship
Established by Glenn Teschendorf and Mary Anne Derheimer
Glenn Teschendorf and Mary Anne Derheimer decided to become clerkship sponsors because they wanted to kickstart the career of a future environmental champion.
“Not everyone who goes to law school can afford to work for free the whole summer,” says Glenn. “Sponsored clerkships are a real equalizer for students.”
Reflecting on his own experience, Glenn says he would have benefited from something similar when he was a student.
“I was living hand to mouth when I was going to college. It took me ten years to get my two-year degree, three years to get my bachelors, and two more to get my masters.”
Having retired from successful careers, both Glenn and Mary Anne are now eager to help pave the way for others. They have especially enjoyed meeting with the clerks they’ve sponsored and hearing about what they’ve accomplished during their time at MEA.
“It’s exciting to meet the clerks,” says Glenn. “They are highly intelligent, very committed and hardworking. It’s gratifying to know that Mary Anne and I have played some small part in protecting the environment and advancing their careers.”
Clerkship Awards by Year
2026
Claire Stocker, University of Wisconsin Law School
Claire Stocker graduated from the University of Minnesota , where she earned her bachelor’s degree in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, with minors in American Indian Studies and environmental science, policy, and management. During her undergraduate career, Claire conducted research related to the conservation of endangered species, including the Hawksbill sea turtle and two species of federally endangered butterflies. As a rising second-year law student at the University of Wisconsin Law School, Claire is a member of the Indigenous Law Student Association and the Environmental Law Student Association.
2025
Clara Swetnam-Burland, University of Michigan Law School
Clara graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in sociology and anthropology. Her undergraduate research focused on environmental injustice and the way that Communities of Color in southeastern Virginia, where she grew up, are disproportionately impacted by environmental degradation. As a rising second year law student at the University of Michigan Law School, Clara is a member of the Environmental Law Society and serves as a junior editor on the Michigan Journal of Environmental and Administrative Law.
2024
Libby Antonneau, University of Michigan Law School
Libby has a strong background in environmental and energy policy research. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Management in Legal and Environmental Studies from Tulane University, she enrolled at the University of Michigan Law School. Growing up along the shore of Lake Michigan, Libby lived not far from one of Wisconsin’s largest coal generation stations. As an undergraduate, she lived in New Orleans, just down the Mississippi River from more than a quarter of the country’s petrochemical production. Although the industry provided jobs to the community, Libby saw how devastating it was for the health of local residents. These experiences contributed to her desire to pursue a career protecting the environment and the health of her community.
Generous support for Libby’s clerkship has also been provided the University of Michigan Law School
Elise Ashby, University of Minnesota Law School
Elise’s interest in environmental law was sparked by an environmental policy class during her freshman year at Arizona State University. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Elise worked for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and for a nonprofit legal services organization before enrolling in law school at the University of Minnesota. Having grown up in the Badger State, Elise is passionate about environmental issues that affect Wisconsinites and the western Great Lakes region.
Generous support for Elise’s clerkship has also been provided the University of Minnesota Law School
2023
Iyana Alleyne, University of Illinois College of Law
Iyana received a bachelor’s in environmental studies and gender studies from Mount Holyoke College. She is currently a law student at the University of Illinois College of Law and a research associate at the Breadfruit Collective, a grassroots organization in Guyana that operates within the intersection of environmental and gender justice. Following her MEA clerkship, she worked as a law clerk in the international program at Earthjustice. Iyana is eager to gain experience in the field of environmental advocacy so she can serve as a voice for her community in Barbados and for other small Island Developing States.
2022
Trisha Sharma, Lewis & Clark Law School
Trisha graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School, where she received a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law and spent summers as a law clerk for the Center for Food Safety and Midwest Environmental Advocates. Prior to starting law school, she earned a bachelor’s degree in conservation biology from the University of Minnesota and spent one year serving as an Americorps member with a sustainable farming organization in Minnesota. Trisha is currently a legal fellow with the Center for Biological Diversity’s endangered species program.
2021
Kimberly Ortleb, University of Minnesota Law School
Kim has a strong background in the natural sciences and extensive experience in data analysis and research. Her interest in environmental law and policy grew out of her experiences as a grassroots organizer at Texas Campaign for the Environment and as a legislative intern in the office of Eddie Lucio, III, a member of the Texas House of Representatives. After earning a dual degree in chemistry and government from the University of Texas at Austin, she attended the University of Minnesota Law School. Kim is currently clerking in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. After her Minnesota clerkship, she hopes to clerk in the Fifth Circuit and then pursue a career in environmental law as a government attorney.
Kimberly Ortleb
2021 Teschendorf-Derheimer Law Clerk