Meet the Environmental Law Society’s Board

Ryan Perez, President

Ryan Perez (he/him) is a 2L JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law candidate and the President of the Environmental Law Society. Ryan grew up near Dallas, Texas. He graduated from the University of Arkansas where he double majored in Economics and Management and minored in Philosophy. During undergrad, he was involved in the National Model United Nations and the Beta Gamma Sigma national honors society. Before coming to law school, Ryan worked as an au pair in Santander, Spain.

At Duke Law, Ryan is also part of the Mock Trial Board, International Law Society, Duke Law Labor and Workers’ Rights Alliance, First-Generation Professionals, and LALSA. Last summer, he worked at Ritch, Mueller, Heather y Nicolau, S.C. in Mexico City, Mexico before taking classes at the Leiden Institute in The Hague, The Netherlands. This semester, Ryan will be attending the UNFCCC Conference of Parties in Baku, Azerbaijan to advance international cohesion on climate change.

 

 

Collin Dobbins, Vice President of Pro Bono

Colin Dobbins is a 2L at Duke Law and the VP of Pro Bono for ELS.  He is from Stuart, Florida, and graduated from the University of Florida wit h degrees in Economics and Environmental Science.  While in undergrad, he wrote his capstone on the link between air pollution and crime rates.

At Duke law, he  is also Co-President of Human Rights Pro Bono Program, and a member of Run Club.  His 1L summer he worked for judge U.S. Magistrate Judge Meyers in Raleigh.  In his spare time, he enjoys running and spending time with friends.

 

Caitlyn Leary, Vice President of Environmental Justice Initiatives

Caitlyn Leary (she/her) is a 2L JD/MPP candidate and ELS’s Vice President of Environmental Justice. Caitlyn is from Charlottesville, VA, and attended the University of South Carolina for undergrad. Before coming to Law School, Caitlyn worked in marketing and communications and taught kickboxing.

At Duke, Caitlyn is also on the board of the Fair Chance Project, a Staff Editor at the Alaska Law Review, and a pro bono volunteer with the Duke Decarceration Project. Caitlyn spent her 1L summer with Earthjustice in Houston, TX. In her spare time, she enjoys running, hiking, weightlifting, watching reality TV, and spending time with her dog, Toby.

 

 

Nina Jefferies, Vice President of External Communications

Nina Jeffries is a 2L and the Vice President of External Communications for ELS. As a 1L rep, she organized an event about the role of race, poverty, and power and hog nuisance litigation in North Carolina. She is passionate about public health, environmental justice, and equitable climate change solutions. In addition to ELS, she is involved in the Government and Public Interest Society, the Black Law Student’s Association, and the National Lawyers Guild. She is also a research editor for the Citing Slavery Project and a staff editor of the Duke Law Journal.

Nina studied Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Maryland. Before law school, she worked at the Western Reserve Land Conservancy in Cleveland. There, she helped community gardeners, farmers, and artists access land in redlined neighborhoods. In her free time, she likes to play board games, garden, go for long walks, and explore new areas of Durham while birdwatching.

 

 

 

Giuliana Gechelin, Vice President of Firm Relations

Giuliana Gechelin is a 2L JD candidate from Lima, Peru. She graduated from The Ohio State University in 2023, where she studied Psychology and Environmental Policy. At Duke Law, Giuliana is a member of the Latin American Law Students Association, the Energy Society and the Duke Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, as well as a staff editor for the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Forum.

Giuliana Spent her 1L summer working at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in Washington D.C. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, reading, and exploring new bakeries.

 

 

Indya Woodfolk, 3L Representative

Indya Woodfolk (she/her) is a 3L JD candidate and the 3L Representative of the Environmental Law Society. Indya grew up in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. She graduated from the University of Richmond, where she double majored in Environmental Studies and Anthropology. While in undergrad, she was the president of GreenUR. Before coming to law school, Indya worked in as an Environmental Planner at Plan RVA.

At Duke Law, Indya is a part of Run Club, First Class, and BLSA. She split her 1L summer between the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Food Research and Action Center. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, and has hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail.

 

Zhe Ren, LLM Representative

Zhe Ren is the LLM representative of the Environmental Law Society. Zhe is from Shanghai, China and she graduated from the East China University of Political Science and Law in 2024 with a bachelor of law degree. She served at the Family Law Clinic during her undergrad.

At Duke Law, she is pursuing an LLM degree with an Environmental and Energy Law Certificate. She is also a pro bono volunteer with the Duke Immigrant and Refugee Project. In her free time, she enjoys baking and watching stand-up comedy.

 

 

Brayden Nolley, 1L Representative

Brayden Nolley is a 1L JD Candidate. Brayden is from Apex, NC, and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel hill for undergrad. During this time, he interned under Professor Donald Hornstein performing legal research relating to the Paris Climate Accord. In his spare time, he enjoys playing basketball, hiking, watching sports, and seeing new places.

 

Ainsley Bryant, 1L Representative

Ainsley Bryant is a 1L JD candidate at Duke Law and a 1L Representative for ELS. Ainsley is from Chicago, IL. and attended Dartmouth College for undergrad, where she studied Environmental Studies and Psychology. Before law school, Ainsley worked as a paralegal at a big corporate law firm in Chicago. She is passionate about ESG and incorporating sustainable practices into the corporate sector.

At Duke, Ainsley is also a 1L Representative for the Women Law Student Association, a member of Business Law Society, and involved in the Jewish Law Student Association and Guardian Ad Litem. In her free time, Ainsley enjoys trying new restaurants, reading, working out, and spending time with her friends, family, and dog (a pug named Chester).

 

 

 

Grace Sleyko, 1L Representative

Grace Sleyko is a 1L JD candidate at Duke Law and a 1L Representative for ELS.. Grace grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. She received her undergraduate degree in chemistry and environmental studies from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. For the past two years, Grace has moved all over the country working in environmental health and safety for a major US motion control manufacturer.

 

Martin Tipton, 1L Representative

Martin Tipton (he/him) is a 1L representative of the Environmental Law Society. Martin grew up in Rochester, New York and New Haven, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale in 2021 with a degree in mechanical engineering. During undergrad he was on the varsity sailing team, started a boat building club, and researched state climate change mitigation polices with public health co-benefits. His senior project was building and optimizing a small vertical wind turbine.

After undergrad Martin worked in Washington DC as a contractor for the US Department of Energy. He was a part of a team setting energy efficiency standards for walk-in refrigerators. At Duke Law, Martin is also a 1L representative for the run club. In his spare time Martin loves to bike, run, cook, and play board games.

 

Ben Beiers , 1L Representative

Ben Beiers is a 1L JD candidate at Duke Law and a 1L Representative for ELS. Ben grew up in San Carlos, CA and graduated from Williams College in 2020, where he majored in Mathematics and Political Science. During undergrad, Ben was captain of the varsity golf team, president of the Mathematics/Statistics student advisory board, and editor-in-chief of the Williams Journal of Foreign Affairs. Ben’s senior mathematics colloquium was titled “The Mathematics of Political Conflict and the India-Pakistan Crisis.”

During COVID, Ben worked as an investigator for Sher Edling LLP conducting discovery on Big Oil documents in a case where a group of counties are suing for future damages resulting from sea level rise. For the next ~4 years, Ben lived in NYC and worked in management consulting for a firm and for JP Morgan. In his spare time Ben enjoys hiking, golfing, and spending time with his friends.

 

 

 

Brian Riley, 1L Representative

Brian Riley (he/him) is a 1L JD candidate and a 1L Representatives for ELS. Brian is from Belchertown, Massachusetts and graduated from Colby College in 2022, where he majored in Government and Classical Civilization.

At Colby, he was a member of the run club, ultimate frisbee team, and the Blue Lights a cappella group. Before coming to law school, Brian spent two years working as an environmental paralegal at Preti Flaherty in Portland, Maine.

At Duke, Brian is a 1L Representative for the Government and Public Service Society, ACLU, Run Club, and the Music Association. In his spare time, Brian enjoys running, singing at a piano, watching (Boston) sports, and spending time with friends.

 

Annika Larson , 1L Representative

Annika Larson is a 1L JD candidate at Duke Law and a 1L Representative for ELS. Annika is from Bismarck, North Dakota and attended UCLA for undergrad, where she majored in Public Affairs and minored in Environmental Systems and Entrepreneurship. After graduating, she received her Master’s degree in Climate and Society at the Columbia Climate School with a focus on environmental law and community-based solutions to climate change. While at Columbia, she researched under Dr. Kate Marvel for the Fifth National Climate Assessment.

Before law school, Annika worked at WE ACT for Environmental Justice where she led the organization’s legislative, regulatory and advocacy initiatives on equitable building decarbonization and healthy homes. In this role, she also partnered with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law to develop a suite of model cumulative impact bills.

At Duke Law, Annika is also a 1L Representative for the Government and Public Service Society (GPS) and is a member of Women Law Student Association. In her spare time, Annika enjoys exploring cities by foot, hiking, and trying new restaurants.