Andrew Cohen is a third-year law student at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, where he concentrates on environmental law, land use law, and real estate. He holds a master’s degree in real estate development from Clemson University and a B.A. in economics/political science from the University at Albany.
Andrew’s professional experience spans non-profit, government, and consulting sectors. He has worked with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the largest municipal affordable housing developer in the U.S., and The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), the largest housing CDFI in the country. As a project manager, he played a key role in some of the largest affordable housing transactions in New York State and was instrumental in creating the Legacy Cities Access Program at CPC. This program supports the rehabilitation of vacant properties in underserved urban areas, with an emphasis on integrating climate resilience and energy efficiency into affordable housing development.
Andrew has a strong interest in environmental law, particularly in land contamination, brownfield cleanups, site remediation, and emerging contaminants like PFAS. His passion lies in advising on the repurposing of contaminated land for development, supporting his broader commitment to sustainability in urban development. He is also focused on navigating environmental laws such as CERCLA and understanding their intersection with the real estate development process.
In addition, Andrew is deeply interested in administrative law, especially the interpretation of agency rules and regulations. He is passionate about how administrative bodies create and enforce regulations that impact environmental law, land use, and real estate development. This complements his broader interest in environmental law by addressing complex regulatory frameworks that influence various industries.
Andrew’s prior experience in environmental due diligence includes analyzing environmental site assessments (Phase I and II), ensuring compliance with environmental regulations during property transactions, and managing liability and lender risk. He has worked on renewable energy projects with a major NYC-area real estate developer and contributed to repurposing contaminated land for commercial development, including a project involving a former steel mill in NYC.
As a Law Clerk at E&W, Andrew applies his knowledge of land use, sustainability, and environmental remediation, aligning with the firm’s key areas of practice. He is committed to addressing challenges at the intersection of law, sustainability, and environmental issues.