3L Samantha Mikolajczyk interns with the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems

Samantha Mikolajczyk HeadshotSamantha Mikolajczyk is a 3L at the Texas A&M School of Law. Before law school, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M in University Studies, a combination of English and Bio-Environmental Sciences. When asked why she chose such a unique combination, she laughed and said, “I had a feeling I wanted to go to law school, which is why I chose English, but I still was afraid if that did not work out, I needed something a bit more substantial to fall back on-- hence bio-environmental sciences.” 

At the end of undergrad, Samantha spent a semester in Washington D.C. with the Agricultural and Natural Resources Policy Internship (ANRP) program run through Texas A&M. She said that while she loved the policy work she was doing, she knew she needed a law degree to achieve her long-term goals. Looking to focus on natural resource law, Samantha said that Texas A&M was a perfect fit due to the program’s strength and the variety of classes offered. 

During her time at A&M, Samantha has primarily focused on the intersections of environment law and agricultural policy. She has taken various classes offered in the Energy, Environmental, and Natural Resource Systems Law Program (EENRSLP), such as Water Law, Agricultural Law, International Environmental Law, and Law and Policy of Clean Energy. She has also taken several classes with strong ties to the EENRSLP’s courses, such as Public Policy Drafting, Legislative Process, and Food and Wine Law. In addition, Samantha has attended many EENRSLP events like the Fall 2019 Speaker Series, which has helped broaden her future career possibilities. Samantha is also the Vice President of the Agricultural Law Society. 

Samantha’s first legal internship was in the budget and policy division at the Texas Governor’s office. Her mentors made sure she could read and participate in agriculture, water, and natural resource-related policy since those were her primary interests. Samantha said, “D.C. was great, but in Austin, I got to see and handle so much more since I was more than a legislative assistant. I am super thankful for the professors at A&M that helped set it up-- Professor Rich made it happen for me.”

This past summer, Samantha worked with the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont School of Law. Despite COVID, she said she was still able to participate in the internship, but it looked a bit different. “A big perk of the program included housing, attending classes, and regular luncheons and happy hours for networking,” Samantha said. “I was also planning a trip to Canada, which did not happen, but the program worked hard to adjust and offer as similar an experience as they could.” The Center set up bi-weekly meetings with attorneys and other interns to increase networking opportunities. She noted that they also paired her with an attorney mentor to ask questions and receive feedback on her work. 

In her twelve weeks with the Center, Samantha was able to help draft non-profit start-up paperwork, flyers, instructional materials, and promotional materials. These projects focused on helping form sub-chapters and local organizations of the Agrarian Trust, an organization that allows guaranteed land access for the generation of farmers. Her primary focus was on the National Family Farm Coalition, for which she conducted extensive background research to assist with lobbying efforts, managed state-by-state statutory research, and looked into federal law that affected the interests of the group.

Overall, Samantha loved her summer placement and the work she did with the Center. She was thankful for the opportunity and looks forward to seeing what the clients will do in the future. She explained that her classes in non-profit law and agricultural law tied into her work nicely, as do her current classes in water law and international environmental law. Samantha concluded that she looks forward to finishing her 3L year and going into agricultural and natural resource public policy after the bar exam.