First-year student Eric Newman has received the inaugural Stuart Henry Environmental Law Fellowship, a new fellowship created in honor of Stuart Henry, a renowned environmental attorney and activist in Austin, who died in 2018. Admirers have funded the fellowship to honor Henry’s extensive legacy of environmental protection over more than forty years.
The summer fellowship will fund students to work with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofits providing legal services or law-related advocacy on behalf of underrepresented individuals or communities working to preserve Texas’ natural resources and to protect the Texans who rely on those resources. The William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law will administer the fellowship at the Law School, with the assistance of the Texas Law Environmental Clinic.
The summer 2019 fellowship will fund Newman to work with Save Our Springs Alliance (SOS), an Austin-based nonprofit organization that works to protect the Edwards Aquifer and the natural and cultural heritage of the Hill Country, with special emphasis on Barton Springs. Newman graduated from the College of William and Mary with a BS in Geology and a minor in Economics. Before attending law school, he operated an organic farm and then worked as a wellsite geologist.
The Environmental Clinic convened a panel of environmental attorneys familiar with Henry’s priorities to review and provide input on the fellowship applications. A committee comprised of faculty members recruited by the Justice Center and familiar with Henry’s priorities made the final selection.
“Texans have Stuart to thank for creeks that are safer to swim in, air that is cleaner to breathe, springs that continue to flow, and land that can still be farmed. Stuart was fearless, dogged, generous, authentic, and an inspiration and mentor to lawyers and communities throughout the state,” said Kelly, Haragan, director of the Environmental Clinic. “Through this fellowship, we hope Stuart’s legacy will continue to inspire new lawyers to work to protect Texas’ natural resources for generations to come.”