This inaugural Intern Insights comes from Lilla Grisham. Lilla spent this past summer as Friends of the Riverfront’s very first Legal Intern. She is currently in her second year of law school at George Washington University in Washington D.C. studying Environmental and Energy Law. Lilla completed her undergrad at Denison University in Granville, Ohio before moving to Japan to teach English post-graduation. Once back in the States, Lilla spent a few years as a legal assistant before deciding to go to law school.

Lilla’s passion for Pennsylvania and the outdoors has been decades in the making. Although Lilla was not raised in Pennsylvania, she frequently visited family in the Reading area as a child. It was during these family trips that Lilla fell in love with the great outdoors. Some of Lilla’s favorite memories are from hikes spent in the company of family and friends. The outdoors also provides Lilla with a sense of adventure, which is the reason why she wants to help others realize and enjoy their outdoor passions on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

As the Legal Intern, Lilla had the opportunity to gain insight into how law affects Friend’s day to day operations. Specifically, under the tutelage of Executive Director Kelsey Ripper, Lilla experienced nonprofit governance, contract law, local statutory research law, and trademark law. This was ideal for Lilla whose goal is to explore work in the environmental field at the completion of law school and  build on her interests and skills at a nonprofit she feels passionate about.

If Lilla’s story resonates with you then Friends of the Riverfront has an opportunity for you. Friends’ mission, “to build safe, clean, and accessible riverfront trails as part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail & Water Trail as well as to create and maintain an outstanding experience for trail users while providing economic, environmental, and health benefits to the Pittsburgh region,” can be achieved with the help of those like Lilla. With the variety of stewardship and volunteer opportunities offered by Friends of the Riverfront, making a difference in your Pittsburgh community is easier than ever! For more information, visit our events page.

Thank you, Lilla, for all of your hard work!