Samir Hafez '20

I first became interested in law while pursuing my undergraduate degree in Environmental Policy at Fordham University. I decided to pursue a law degree when I was studying for my MA in Ethics at Fordham which provided me with the opportunity to take several classes through the law school.

After obtaining my BA/MA, I moved from New York to San Diego to work on a research ethics board at SDSU for several years. I knew that I still wanted to pursue a law degree, but I didn't want to leave San Diego, so I applied to USD.

I first became interested in environmental issues when I was in high school and pursued that curiosity throughout my undergrad/grad studies. At that time, I was interested in environmental regulatory matters, and focused on NPDES permitting for industrial livestock operations. I started to shift my focus towards energy law while at USD. After completing a summer internship at Sempra Energy, I enrolled in an Energy Law course taught by professors Carrie Downey and Mike Tierney who sparked my interest in pursuing a career in energy law.

Since leaving law school, I have represented load serving entities, large power consumers, and other stakeholders before the California Public Utilities Commission on a range of matters. In addition to policy advocacy work, I also provide regulatory and drafting support for solar project development deals.

I firmly believe that USD's energy law courses, as well as my work as a research assistant for EPIC, provided me with the skills and knowledge base that have helped me to excel in my career. My understanding of California's energy regulatory scheme, and ability to navigate CPUC dockets provided me with a strong advantage when I was just starting out.

I would encourage any student interested in energy law to take advantage of course offerings and the opportunities available through EPIC and to network with other energy attorneys. This is a relatively niche practice area, so seek out connections early on and do what you can to make a name for yourself in the field. One thing I would have done differently is take more environmental/admin law courses.

JCEL, Pride Law, and Moot Court.

The best thing that happened at USD was having my article on wildfire liability chosen to be published in the Journal of Climate and Energy Law. That publication resulted in me being invited to sit on a panel at EPIC's Symposium on Climate and Energy Law and to present on the topic. Following my presentation, I was approached by an attorney who had worked on the cases I presented and told me about other energy regulatory matters he was involved with. As it turned out, I also had experience working on those issues while a student in the EPIC clinic. That conversation ultimately landed me a position at that attorney's firm, where I have worked for two years.