By Allison Torres Burtka
Michigan Law
In fall 2026, Madeline Turk will join the Institute for Policy Integrity, at New York University School of Law, for a two-year fellowship.
The think tank “combines the efforts of both lawyers and economists to advocate for government policies that help further environmental protection and good governance,” Turk said.
The Institute for Policy Integrity is at the forefront of new legal frameworks, she said. One example: an amicus brief it filed in litigation over President Trump’s tariffs, arguing that the tariffs trigger the major questions doctrine. Turk said she appreciates how the institute “puts forth an external perspective on how courts should interpret these big administrative law doctrines that have only recently been developed.”
During her fellowship, Turk said, “I’m hopeful that I’ll have the opportunity to contribute to that work, kind of molding these new doctrines and contributing to these amicus briefs that try to push the law in a direction that uses sound reasoning.”
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A growing interest in environmental law
In college, Turk started out as a marketing major. When she took a class on climate change governance, “I found it to be really fascinating—all the various ways that countries and international law try to deal with the issue,” she said. The experience prompted her to add a major in environmental studies—and then to pursue a career in environmental law.
At Michigan Law, Turk’s first summer internship was with Our Children’s Trust, a nonprofit that empowers youth plaintiffs to bring lawsuits advocating for climate change reform. It has pursued litigation in states with constitutions that provide the right to a safe and healthy climate.
That summer, the organization represented youth in Held v. Montana, which successfully challenged a Montana state law that forbade state agencies from considering climate change when reviewing the environmental impact of proposed projects. “It was really cool to be a part of that,” Turk said.
Turk’s second summer internship was with the Appellate Section of the US Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, which allowed her to get immersed in appellate-level litigation, after previous trial-level work. In the long term, she plans to be a litigator.
In 2024, Turk was selected for the Dow Sustainability Fellowship. Sponsored by U-M’s Graham Sustainability Institute, the program brings together graduate students from across the University to address challenges facing partnering organizations. Turk’s project focused on increasing collaboration and communication among those working to fight pollution in the Western Lake Erie Basin. “I learned so much being part of that amazing, interdisciplinary team,” she said.
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Building skills and relationships
Currently, Turk is clerking at the US Court of Federal Claims, where she has been honing her research and writing skills. At the Institute for Policy Integrity, she will be able to gain more experience in advocacy and a deeper understanding of the environmental legal space.
“I’m looking forward to learning from the great attorneys that they have working there. My environmental law professor, Professor Rachel Rothschild, was also a fellow at the institute, and I really enjoyed getting to know her at Michigan Law,” she said.
Turk isn’t naturally a networker, she said, but by going to her environmental and energy law professors’ office hours and collaborating with other law students and Dow Sustainability Fellows, she developed relationships that she values and has maintained since her time at Michigan.
“It’s amazing to have such impressive professors support me as I pursue a public interest career and a career in environmental law,” she said. “Fostering relationships with people you are inspired by and whose careers you’d maybe want to emulate, and also your fellow students who are interested in the same area of the law as you, can set you up for success in a way that’s really important.”
At the institute, Turk will join 3L David Weaver, also a fellow starting in 2026. Katherine Welty, ’23, is in her second year as a fellow.
Michigan Law
In fall 2026, Madeline Turk will join the Institute for Policy Integrity, at New York University School of Law, for a two-year fellowship.
The think tank “combines the efforts of both lawyers and economists to advocate for government policies that help further environmental protection and good governance,” Turk said.
The Institute for Policy Integrity is at the forefront of new legal frameworks, she said. One example: an amicus brief it filed in litigation over President Trump’s tariffs, arguing that the tariffs trigger the major questions doctrine. Turk said she appreciates how the institute “puts forth an external perspective on how courts should interpret these big administrative law doctrines that have only recently been developed.”
During her fellowship, Turk said, “I’m hopeful that I’ll have the opportunity to contribute to that work, kind of molding these new doctrines and contributing to these amicus briefs that try to push the law in a direction that uses sound reasoning.”
—————
A growing interest in environmental law
In college, Turk started out as a marketing major. When she took a class on climate change governance, “I found it to be really fascinating—all the various ways that countries and international law try to deal with the issue,” she said. The experience prompted her to add a major in environmental studies—and then to pursue a career in environmental law.
At Michigan Law, Turk’s first summer internship was with Our Children’s Trust, a nonprofit that empowers youth plaintiffs to bring lawsuits advocating for climate change reform. It has pursued litigation in states with constitutions that provide the right to a safe and healthy climate.
That summer, the organization represented youth in Held v. Montana, which successfully challenged a Montana state law that forbade state agencies from considering climate change when reviewing the environmental impact of proposed projects. “It was really cool to be a part of that,” Turk said.
Turk’s second summer internship was with the Appellate Section of the US Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, which allowed her to get immersed in appellate-level litigation, after previous trial-level work. In the long term, she plans to be a litigator.
In 2024, Turk was selected for the Dow Sustainability Fellowship. Sponsored by U-M’s Graham Sustainability Institute, the program brings together graduate students from across the University to address challenges facing partnering organizations. Turk’s project focused on increasing collaboration and communication among those working to fight pollution in the Western Lake Erie Basin. “I learned so much being part of that amazing, interdisciplinary team,” she said.
—————
Building skills and relationships
Currently, Turk is clerking at the US Court of Federal Claims, where she has been honing her research and writing skills. At the Institute for Policy Integrity, she will be able to gain more experience in advocacy and a deeper understanding of the environmental legal space.
“I’m looking forward to learning from the great attorneys that they have working there. My environmental law professor, Professor Rachel Rothschild, was also a fellow at the institute, and I really enjoyed getting to know her at Michigan Law,” she said.
Turk isn’t naturally a networker, she said, but by going to her environmental and energy law professors’ office hours and collaborating with other law students and Dow Sustainability Fellows, she developed relationships that she values and has maintained since her time at Michigan.
“It’s amazing to have such impressive professors support me as I pursue a public interest career and a career in environmental law,” she said. “Fostering relationships with people you are inspired by and whose careers you’d maybe want to emulate, and also your fellow students who are interested in the same area of the law as you, can set you up for success in a way that’s really important.”
At the institute, Turk will join 3L David Weaver, also a fellow starting in 2026. Katherine Welty, ’23, is in her second year as a fellow.
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