CEC hero image, a  photo of Array

Media Release

CEC Provides Summer Legal Internship Opportunities to Two International Law Students

The CEC welcomed two legal interns, one each from Mexico and the United States, to Montreal this past summer. These internships are part of the CEC’s Short-Term Educational Program (STEP).

Julian Domínguez is a third-year law student at the University of Houston Law Center and a 2013 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, with an interest in environmental law. Beyond law, Julian’s interests include jazz and playing the trumpet.

Rebeca Moreno Coca is a law student at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City, who will graduate in spring 2018. At UNAM, Rebeca is also an assistant to a law professor who teaches environmental law.

Both Julian and Rebeca worked on submissions on enforcement matters issues while at the CEC, under the direction of SEM Director Robert Moyer and Legal Officer Paolo Solano.

The SEM Unit provides legal internship opportunities during the spring, summer, and fall. Contact us for more information at <sem@cec.org>.

Partnership with the North American Consortium on Legal Education

These summer internships were arranged in conjunction with the North American Consortium on Legal Education (NACLE), and continue CEC’s long standing partnership with NACLE. NACLE is comprised of 13 participating law schools in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and seeks to promote and share an understanding of the legal systems within North American countries as well as enhance the capabilities of each member to provide high quality legal education and research appropriate to the demands of the professional environment in North America.

The CEC and NACLE will further its collaboration with a planned symposium in early Spring 2017 on trade and environmental issues.  Please check back in early January  for the latest information on this event.

Finally, the CEC also offers its condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Stephen Zamora, NACLE Director and Co-founder, who passed away suddenly in July. Among his many legal interests, Professor Zamora was an active supporter of the CEC and its international environmental work, and he will be greatly missed by all of us.

Group photo of the CEC's SEM unit

The CEC SEM Process

The CEC Submissions on Enforcement Matters process supports public participation, information-sharing between governments and the public, and transparency and openness in the effective enforcement of environmental law in North America. If you have reason to believe that an environmental law is not being effectively enforced by Canada, Mexico or the United States, the SEM process may address your concerns.

As of 1 July 2020, the CEC’s SEM process is governed by USMCA Articles 24.27 and 24.28 of the Environment Chapter of the free trade agreement between Canada, Mexico and the United States (CUSMA, T-MEC, USMCA).

Want to learn more about the SEM process? Please watch this two-minute video for an introduction:

The SEM Process