Externship: Environmental Practice

Environmental law is a broad practice area that includes equity and justice, protection and regulation of human health, natural resource protection and conservation, energy, wildlife protection, forests and fisheries, public lands, land use and intersectional issues. This practice is governed by a variety of legal frameworks operating on international, federal, state and local levels. The Environmental Externship is designed to introduce students to the practice. Each student will be assigned to a field placement based on availability, student input and supervisor review. Placements will be with environmental organizations, non-profit law practices and government agencies. Students will be expected to dedicate an average of 11 hours each week to their fieldwork. Students will also participate in a weekly 2-hour seminar that will address a combination of lawyering skills and environmental practice specific skills. The class is designed to support and contextualize students? field placements while also addressing their professional development. The seminar will: introduce students to important areas and current topics in environmental law; examine how concepts and principles from other areas of law, such as administrative law and energy law, intersect with environmental law; and provide a sense of what is required to succeed in environmental law practice. The seminar will be primarily experiential and will include simulations and opportunities for group and individual reflection. Group discussions of fieldwork will be managed to respect confidentiality of placements.