Author: Bruce Huber

Vermont Law and Graduate School is hiring a new Energy Justice LLM Fellow to start in August 2025 for a two-year period. The Fellow will work half-time towards their LLM in Energy Law and half-time at the Institute for Energy and the Environment and in the Environmental Justice Clinic.

The Fellow will lead efforts to develop a legally binding and enforceable Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) for Southern communities impacted by wood pellet production. The GNA will serve as a template for communities to proactively articulate their environmental concerns and advocate for their specific needs. The Fellowship will involve direct engagement with impacted communities, state agencies, industry, and public health researchers. 

Note: The fellowship is in-person only. Fellows will receive a stipend and an LLM tuition waiver. The ability to travel is a requirement. 

Learn more and apply here: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/3326330/Vermont-Law-School/Energy-Justice-LLM-Fellowship

The Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment is hiring a two-year, full-time law fellow. This role offers recent law graduates with a license to practice law in Florida the opportunity to engage in public interest environmental law practice, focusing on environmental justice and the defense of democratic principles in the Gulf region. The fellowship is designed to prepare the fellow for a career in public interest environmental law practice in the nonprofit sector.

For more information about the position and application, visit here. 

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) has just announced host institutions for the 2025/2026 Energy Innovators Fellowship. The application period is open until June 6, 2025.

The fellowship sponsors individuals to work full-time for 1-2 years at host institutions such as Public Utility Commissions and State Energy Offices across the country in advancing solutions that will help modernize the power system, improve energy infrastructure for transportation and industry and make the U.S. power system more reliable, affordable, and resilient.  

If applicants have any questions about the fellowship, they can contact ORISE directly at DOE-RPP@orise.orau.gov with ‘The Energy Innovator Fellowship’ in the subject line. 

The UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences (CWS) is seeking a Law Fellow for a two-year full-time position to support interdisciplinary work on two projects: California environmental flows and relicensing of hydroelectric projects under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). There may be additional project opportunities as well. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to applied environmental law and policy at one of California’s leading water science institutions. Publication opportunities are likely, including lead author publications.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct legal and policy research related to California water law, environmental flows, and FERC hydropower project relicensing.
• Analyze legal documents and regulatory filings.
• Support interdisciplinary teams by integrating legal insights with hydrological, ecological, and engineering perspectives.
• Draft articles, memos, reports, and policy briefs. 
• Engage with state and federal agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders as needed.
• Work independently while also collaborating with scientists and researchers across disciplines.

Qualifications:

Required:

• J.D. degree from an accredited law school.
• Demonstrated coursework or practical experience in western water law.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Excellent research, writing, and analytical skills.

Preferred:

• Background or interest in environmental science, ecology, hydrology, or related field.
• Experience with FERC processes, water rights law, or environmental permitting.
• Interdisciplinary research experience or working within scientific teams.

Compensation:

~$70,000/year plus benefits.

How to Apply:

Please submit the following materials:

• Cover letter detailing interest and qualifications
• Resume or CV
• Writing sample (preferably related to environmental or water law)
• Contact information for three references

Deadline to apply: May 27

Please send materials to: ksbork@ucdavis.edu

Announcing the 2025 Student Writing Competition: the deadline for submission is July 7, 2025.

Law students are invited to submit to the Committee an article concerning any area of Animal Law. All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of attorneys and other professionals practicing or otherwise involved in animal law. The first-place winner will receive $1,000 and a certificate of achievement. The second-place winner will receive $500 and a certificate of achievement. The third and fourth place winners will receive a certificate of recognition. All winners’ submissions will be eligible for publication in the Committee’s “Laws & Paws” publication, at the Committee’s discretion. Check the Committee’s website for details.

Samford University Law School has a summer program approved by the ABA, meaning students at any ABA accredited law school can attend and receive credit. If students have questions about how the credit works, they can contact the Director of Graduate and International Programs, Kerry McInerny, at kpmciner@samford.edu.  

Here is a link to the study abroad page: https://www.samford.edu/law/study-abroad. Students can click on the Iceland “drawer” to learn more about that program, but the red apply button at the top is the one they will use to apply (in the application they will select Iceland).

It’s that time of year — the 2025 ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER) Law Student Writing Competition is now open. This year’s five topic areas are biodiversity, energy law and resources recovery, forest resources and public land, indigenous law, and water. 

• Submission deadline: May 31, 2025
• Prize: $1,000 cash award for the winning paper in each topic area

Competition rules and details: https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/environment_energy_resources/writing_competitions/2025/2025-seer-writing-competition-rules.pdf

Read last year’s winning papers: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/environment_energy_resources/resources/law-student/writing-competitions/

Pace’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law is seeking applications for a Food and Agriculture Law Graduate Fellow position for the 2025-2026 academic year. This role offers an opportunity for law students to work part-time in the Food and Farm Business Law Clinic and the Pace Food Law Center while pursuing an LLM in Environmental Law.

The focus of the fellowship will be assisting with the Food and Farm Business Law Clinic’s client work and programming. The Clinic provides pro bono transactional legal services to small farms, food businesses, and related nonprofit organizations.

See here for more information.

From a Pace colleague: “We are looking to hire an environmental law fellow. Details below, but in sum the hire would work with our environmental law faculty and staff while also getting an LLM and a modest stipend ($16.50-$18.75 per hour, 17-20 hours per week). Position is in White Plains, NY, only about 25 minutes from NYC.”

Link below.

6000630:Career Search

The University of Wisconsin’s Center for Water Policy has launched a national search for a Water Policy Specialist. This position is designed to immerse emerging lawyers in the dynamic world of applied research for multidisciplinary water policy solutions. 

Established in 2011 through a $2.6 million Endowment from Lynde B. Uihlein, the Center builds on the research of the School of Freshwater Sciences, the UW System, and networks and partnerships with top scholars, scientists, and policy institutions across the country and around the world. 

The Water Policy Specialist will work with research teams and interact with the public and private sector to inform policy making. “We are searching for new talent to build our research team; through this position we support an emerging water professional develop their career while positively shaping water policy,” said Melissa Scanlan, Center for Water Policy Director and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair and Professor in Water Policy.  

A range of possible projects includes water justice and equity; water infrastructure and climate resiliency; public access to coastal resources; sustainable freshwater management practices; innovation in the water sector; and integrating water data into decision-making.

This position is strengthened by a collaboration with Sea Grant. The Water Policy Specialist within the Center for Water Policy will be a UW Water Science-Policy Fellow, part of a cohort of Fellows from the UW-Madison Aquatic Sciences Center, home to the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute.  

The full position description and application instructions can be found on our website: https://uwm.edu/centerforwaterpolicy/were-hiring-now-accepting-applications-for-water-policy-specialist/.

Apply by April 7, 2025

For more information on the Center for Water Policy see uwm.edu/centerforwaterpolicy/; the School of Freshwater Sciences, see uwm.edu/freshwater; and the Freshwater Collaborative see freshwater.wisconsin.edu.