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Isabelle Hayes ‘24 is from a big Irish family and the youngest of four. “My mom's parents were Irish immigrants. My dad's father attended Fordham Law in the late 1930s, served as the interim Borough President of Brooklyn in 1961, and was a State Supreme Court justice from 1977 to 1984.”

With a passion for environmentalism, inspired by her grandfather’s legal background, and while pursuing a MA in Environmental Policy at Pace University, Isabelle decided to pursue law school. “I decided to initially pursue a MA in Environmental Policy so that I could have a comprehensive understanding of environmental issues from a policy perspective. During these studies, I found myself more and more interested in the law and I wanted to learn how I could use the law to positively impact the environmental field and help people in my community. My graduate degree from Pace University provided me with a critical foundation to then build my legal skills and knowledge upon and sharpen my environmental focus, specifically in food, agriculture, and land use law.”

In her first two years at Haub Law, Isabelle immersed herself in the various opportunities available to environmental law students. “Professor Nolon and the Land Use Law Center inspired me. I had the pleasure of being part of the LULC beginning in my 1L year. Through the Center, I met a wonderful community of people that are bright, kind, and motivated to have a positive impact.”

During the spring semester of her 2L year, Isabelle participated in the Food and Farm Business Law Clinic and continued with it as a 3L. “The Clinic expanded my knowledge and taught me concrete skills; it provided me invaluable "real world" lawyering experience. It was very rewarding to participate in pro bono work, directly help clients with their needs, and have a positive impact in the food, agriculture, and land use law spaces. I feel very grateful to have been part of this Clinic.” During her 3L year, Isabelle set a goal to help people in her community, promote smart land use practices, and help to preserve and bolster agricultural spaces and communities throughout the state.

While she was a student at Haub Law, Isabelle was fortunate enough to be a summer intern at J&G Law in Walden, NY. Now that she has graduated, she will continue her career path there as an associate in their land use department. “My experiences at Haub Law absolutely gave me a leg up. The Food and Farm Business Law Clinic allowed me to gain experience working with clients one-on-one and gave me immediate responsibility to coordinate with them, partake in client meetings, and produce positive work that the clients expected and sought. The Clinic really helped to develop my professional skills and showed me what it would feel like to be a practicing lawyer in this field. That experience will greatly help me with my post-grad position.”

Isabelle has sage advice for future and current law students: “Be patient and kind to yourself. You chose this path for a reason, do not lose sight of that vision. Choosing to pursue a law degree means choosing to be a leader in your community--take pride in embodying that role and embrace the responsibility that comes with it.”