Our Impact

I would highly recommend volunteering with AELA to any law student who has a burgeoning interest in, or passion for, environmental law, environmental justice and Earth-centred governance. The skills and knowledge that you will develop, as well as the sense of fulfilment that comes with being part of such incredible work, are certainly worthwhile.

I volunteered with AELA as an undergraduate law student, from July 2021 to July 2025 and it has been a thoroughly enriching experience. I was given a wide range of tasks over the years, all of which have helped to expand my knowledge and skillsets. These tasks included: case and legislative research into different jurisdictions’ environmental laws; literature reviews; administrative assistance; research into First Nations’ laws and customs; delivering PowerPoint presentations to the AELA team on areas of law; participating in community outreach; performing project management of Citizen Inquiries, supporting and supervising the work of new undergraduate law students, and drafting plain English fact sheets for community groups.

I have also had the opportunity to develop my knowledge of Earth Laws via AELA’s regular workshops and seminars, often presented by inspiring experts from within and beyond Australia.

As a remote volunteer, I have stayed connected with the AELA team via regular Zoom meetings. These meetings give us an opportunity to share progress updates and our latest learnings, and to build connections with like-minded people from across Australia.

Michelle has been an incredible supervisor and mentor to me throughout this experience. Michelle is always understanding of the pressures of student life and grateful for any and all pieces of work, and her passion for AELA’s cause is very inspiring. I appreciate that she also always endeavours to assign tasks that align with my interests, strengths and goals.

Lillie Priede, July 2025

I really appreciated the time Dr Maloney took to guide me through the research process, and I feel I've definitely learned a lot from it. I enjoyed being introduced to an area of law I hadn't necessarily focused on before, and the explanations and feedback I received were extremely helpful. Thank you to AELA for your support throughout my university placement.

'Having the opportunity to Volunteer at AELA has been an excellent experience; I have enjoyed contributing to the outstanding work that AELA does through increasing people's understanding of ecocentric governance. I was looking for an organisation to complete my Pro Bono hours as a part of my law school degree when I came across AELA in my university's Pro Bono Handbook, I had always been interested in the energy transition space and AELA intrigued me.

AELA provided me with the assistance I needed to pursue my research task on the Rights of Nature - the task allowed me to practise and advance my legal research skills which I found very beneficial. I encourage all legal students to volunteer at AELA if you are interested in the environment and want to work with a fun team. Michelle and the rest of the crew are very supportive and are making a real difference in the way people see and interact with the environment.