Program in Environmental & Natural Resources Law

Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law

Students wishing to undertake a course of studies in Environmental and Natural Resources (ENR) Law and related areas may pursue a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. The ENR Certificate is designed for students preparing to become environmental or natural resource lawyers or leaders. The course of study will also benefit students whose future work concerns property law, real estate development or transactions, corporate acquisitions, land use, energy policy or regulation, urban planning, transportation, agriculture, public health, and/or occupational safety, as well as those students interested more generally in public policy, public interest advocacy, or government at the state, local, national, or international level.

Environmental and Natural Resources Law Graduate Certificate

A Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Law will be awarded to enrolled JD candidates who complete at least 6 approved courses totaling at least 15 credit hours in Environmental and Natural Resource Law and closely-related subjects while maintaining a 3.2 cumulative GPA in all required core and upper level courses applied toward the Certificate. The 6 approved courses include three required core courses (Environmental Law; Natural Resources Law; Administrative Law), at least two upper level courses from the list below, and one capstone writing, practical, or skills course.

Required Core Courses:

Environmental Law (3 cr.)
Natural Resources Law (3 cr.)
Administrative Law (3-4 cr.)

Upper Level Courses (Must take at least two of the following):

Agricultural Law and the Environment (2 cr.)
Animals and the Law (2 cr.)
Energy Law and Regulation (2 cr.)
Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (2 cr.)
Environmental Justice (2 cr.)
International Environmental Law (3 cr.)
Land Use (2 or 3 cr.)
Law of Hazardous Waste Regulation (2 cr.)
Public Utilities Regulation (2 cr.)
Toxic Tort and Environmental Law (2 or 3 cr.)
Water Law (2 of 3 cr.)
Special Topics in Environmental Law (2 cr.)

Capstone (Must take at least one writing or experiential courses with an environmental or natural resource topic. Topic must be approved by ENR faculty to qualify for Concentration):

(AFR) Advanced Field Research (1-3 cr.)
ACrE (Advanced Course Related Experience) (1-2 cr.)
Environmental Advocacy Externship (1-2 cr.)
Supervised Research in Environmental Law (1-2 cr.)
National Environmental Moot Court (1 cr.)
Law Review Note (1 cr.)
Law and State Gov’t Placement [w/ environmental or natural resource agency] (2 cr.)
Civil Practice Clinic [environmental matters] (2 cr.)

Note: Students may earn a maximum of two graduate certificates. Only core courses may be counted toward both certificates. Students must inform the advisors of both certificates of their intent to seek two certificates.