Sam Heppell is a clinical teaching fellow at the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic. In this role, Sam supervises clinic students working on environmental litigation and advocacy in areas such as air and water pollution, endangered species protection, and environmental justice. Sam also co-teaches the clinic’s seminar, which includes sessions both on substantive environmental law topics and litigation practice skills.

Prior to joining the clinic, Sam worked from 2015 to 2023 at Loevy & Loevy, a civil rights law firm in Chicago, where he represented individuals seeking justice in cases involving wrongful convictions, police brutality, and unconstitutional treatment in prison.

Sam received his BA from the University of British Columbia in 2008 and his JD from Harvard Law School in 2014. While in law school, Sam worked for two years at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, where he represented low-income clients in eviction proceedings and public benefits cases. After law school, Sam clerked for Justice Michael Moldaver at the Supreme Court of Canada.

Sam serves on the board of Beyond Legal Aid, which partners with activists and organizers to provide legal services to marginalized community members in the Chicago area.