The CWRU School of Law’s curriculum provides a sturdy foundation for the practice of environmental law, from the first-year Legislation and Regulation class, to summer externships at environmental organizations and government agencies, to upper-year electives including Environmental Law, International Environmental Law, Energy Law, Animal Law, Land-Use Regulation, and Administrative Law. Students also have the opportunity to undertake independent study and conduct supervised research on environmental law questions, as well as to take environmental courses in other departments of the university as well as to pursue dual degrees.
Experiential Capstone
In the third year, students interested in environmental law may take a semester-long, full-time environmental law capstone experience at an environmental non-profit or a governmental agency. Options range from local environmental advocacy organizations, such as Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, and local governments to national advocacy organizations and federal agencies, such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division in Washington, D.C. Scholarships are available for students wishing to pursue their experiential capstone outside of northeast Ohio.
Research Paper
Students must complete an environmental law-related research paper either through a law journal, seminar or supervised research project. The paper must be approved by the Burke Center Concentration Advisor and may be (but must not necessarily be) the same paper that is used to fulfill the JD Writing Requirement.
Required Courses
- Legislation & Regulation
- Environmental Law
Electives
(Must take a minimum three courses from this list for a minimum total of 9 credit hours)
- Administrative Law
- Animal Law
- Climate Law
- Coast Guard Lab
- Current Environmental Controversies
- Energy Law
- Environmental & Energy Law Lab
- Environmental Aspects of a Business Transaction
- Food, Drug & Biotech Law
- Governance, Risk & Compliance
- International Environmental Law
- Land Use Regulation
- Natural Resources Law
- State & Local Government Law
Dual Degrees
CWRU offers dual degrees in multiple disciplines relevant to environmental law and policy. These include (but are not limited to) the following: