Junior Ava Piatt Discusses Her Experience with the Department of Justice
As a junior at University of Maryland, Ava Piatt is already helping build cases against environmental offenders; work that puts her one step closer to turning her passion into a lasting impact.
Piatt is an Environmental Science and Policy major with a concentration in politics and policy. She is currently interning at the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section (ECS) and is a member of Epsilon Eta, Maryland’s professional environmental fraternity.
Unsure of her future focus in environmental law, Piatt appeals to environmental prosecution or enforcement, specifically concerning larger companies and conglomerates. Yet she would be happy going into any subject of environmental law.
Interning at the Department of Justice, Piatt has witnessed the prosecution of companies and individuals for criminal violations. One of her responsibilities lies in the collecting and compiling of evidence for criminal trial cases.
Her experiences with the Department of Justice have reaffirmed her drive in environmental law and provided a glimpse into her future profession, “I've loved my time with the DOJ. They've been so supportive and they love asking about my career roles and all of the attorneys are so incredibly experienced that I feel so lucky to be there. I mean, they have my dream career, so I feel very fortunate to be in a place where I can see my future.”
Piatt’s environmental policy interest first sparked when she was enrolled in ENSP102: Introduction to Environmental Policy, taught by ENSP Principal Lecturer, Joanna Goger. Since then she has enjoyed the variety of resources in her department and is enjoying majoring in something she is passionate about.
Piatt urges students with environmental interest to be passionate in what they want to study and to find community, “When I found people who were very environmentally minded, that really made me feel supported in my journey and I think that anyone going into environmental policy should have that group of people.”
Additionally, involvement in on and off campus initiatives is extremely important. Piatt’s professional fraternity has given her the opportunity to collaborate with other environmental clubs like Food Network Recovery and the Sustainable Ocean Alliance.
As Piatt continues her time with the Department of Justice she hopes to target issues concerning the increase of carbon emissions and their effect on climate change, amongst other rising problems, “There's no possible way that we're going to be able to create project progress if we're not optimists,” said Piatt.
With hands on-experience, Piatt is on track to build a career in environmental law that makes a real impact.
