Opportunities!

Participate in the 2022 Elisabeth Haub School of Law Environmental Law & Policy Hack Competition​!
The problem this year invites students to propose a private environmental governance intervention to prompt environmental progress.  The full problem is posted here​. Register by September 27; team briefs are due October 31, 2022, and the final presentation round will be on December 2, 2022. The Hack competition identifies an emerging environmental challenge that could benefit from innovative law and policy approaches and invites participants to study the issue, brainstorm solutions, and propose innovative and practical solutions.  Teams are encouraged to include students and contributors from different disciplines as well as representatives from the private and public sectors. A panel of faculty and invited professionals with expertise relating to the challenge subject reviews the team’s concepts and selects three team submissions as finalists.  The finalist teams present their proposals to a group of distinguished judges, who will select the wining team solution.  

The ABA SEER’s International Environmental Law (IERL) Committee is running a student writing competition. The deadline is at the end of this month.

Once again this year, the IERL Committee is sponsoring a student writing competition and a prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the best essay. We are looking for submissions on the topic of international environmental and resources law, which includes global comparative environmental and resources law, public international environmental law, and foreign environmental and resources law.

The deadline is May 31, 2022 and the detailed competition rules can be consulted at the link here: International Environmental Law Writing Competition (americanbar.org)

Of course the IERL Committee is not the only committee sponsoring competitions. Writing competitions on other available environmental topics are linked below!
Endangered Species
Energy Law
Native American Resources
International Environmental and Resources Law
Forest Law
Superfund, Brownfields, and Resource Recovery
Public Land and Resources
Water Law

YLJ hosts an annual Student Essay Competition open to current law students and recent law school graduates. This year, the topic is Law and the Changing Environment, broadly construed. The submissions deadline is September 9.

• Topic: We encourage submissions on a range of topics, including climate change; energy law; environmental justice; agency environmental regulation; migration and refugees; land use; local government; infrastructure and transportation; Indigenous rights; financial regulation; animal law; and legislation and policy proposals involving the environment. We welcome topics in related areas as well, and we hope to receive both clinical and academic submissions.

• Eligibility: The competition is open to JDs and LLMs from the Classes of 2018-2025 from any ABA-accredited law school. 

• Submission Criteria: Essays must be between 4,000 and 8,000 words, including footnotes. Each individual may submit only one Essay. Essays must be previously unpublished and may not be submitted to other law reviews during the competition period.

• Submission Deadline: September 9, 2022.

• Prize: Up to three winners will receive a $300 cash prize. Winning Essays will be published in the Yale Law Journal Forum and accessible on our website, LexisNexis, and Westlaw.

More details on the Competition, including submission instructions, are available here.

The hiring process for the ENR Center’s Research Fellow position is still open, and the Center is inviting applicants. This Research Fellow will work with Prof. Mary Wood on an extensive project focusing on landscape planning and natural climate solutions. Details here: https://careers.uoregon.edu/en-us/job/528998/pro-tem-enr-research-associate-school-of-law-open-pool

The George Washington University Law School is pleased to announce the availability of a graduate Fellowship beginning in July 2022 for a twelve-month, renewable appointment. The Fellow will have the title of Visiting Associate Professor of Law and Environmental Law Program Fellow.
This Fellowship offers many advantages, with opportunities and professional connections available across the university and the nation’s capital, including:
• Prime location in the heart of Washington, D.C., within walking or Metro distance of leading environmental governmental agencies, national and international organizations, and embassies
• Opportunities to attend or participate in numerous programs and events of interest in the environmental law and policy field, both in the law school and across the vibrant university campus, including at the prestigiou Elliott School of International Affairs
• Multidisciplinary connections through SustainableGW, a cross-institutional network of professionals and professors encompassing many programs and disciplines at GWU
• Networking opportunities with GW Law’s environmental and energy law alumni
• Collaboration opportunities with partner organizations such as the Environmental Law Institute, Potomac Riverkeeper Network, and national headquarters of major environmental groups
• International connections with visiting dignitaries, graduate students, and visiting scholars
Fellows receive an annual stipend of $65,000, paid monthly, for living expenses and may participate in the University’s benefits program.

Special Instructions to Applicant:

Applicants should send a letter of interest, a detailed resume or Curriculum Vita, a legal writing sample, a list of three or more references, and a complete law school transcript by April 11 at 5:00 pm EST to Interim Director of the Environmental and Energy Law Program, Lin Harmon-Walker at linharmonwalker@law.gwu.edu. Please direct any questions about the position to Professor Harmon-Walker. Only complete applications will be considered.

The Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment (GWC) at the University of Colorado Law School is seeking two outstanding — early career — attorneys to serve as the next GWC Water Law Fellows.

The Water Law Fellows will work on the most pressing water law reform issues of the day under the guidance of the GWC and in partnership with leaders from the non-profit, government, and private sectors. The intensive two-year program will immerse the two Fellows in the real world challenges of water law and policy. They will address critical issues affecting western watersheds, conduct reform-oriented research, and interact with public and private sector leaders to inform policy-making. The Fellows will be actively engaged in water law reform in the public interest and will hone their leadership, communication, advocacy, and research skills. The overarching objective is to create a matchless educational and mentoring experience that will prepare the Fellows to become leaders in the field.

As you may recall, the Getches-Wilkinson Water Law Fellows Program was initiated by a generous donation from David Bonderman – a lawyer, executive, and significant supporter of conservation efforts.  The matching funds came from an anonymous GWC supporter as well as the Water Funder Initiative – a collaborative effort to identify and activate promising water solutions through strategic philanthropic investments in the United States, starting in the West.

The job description, requirements and application instructions are available here:

Position Title: Legal or Technical Intern

Summary: Commissioner Allison Clements is hiring legal and technical interns for her office at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The position may be full- or part-time and will run for the duration of the fall term, with exact dates flexible to accommodate the applicant’s curricular commitments. We will consider alternate position lengths and work schedules on a case-by-case basis. Although the position is unpaid, our office will enthusiastically support an application for course credit or public interest funding through the applicant’s graduate or law school.

Major duties of this position include:

• Reviewing and analyzing Commission orders;

• Preparing memos summarizing legal issues arising under the Federal Power Act, Natural Gas Act, and Energy Policy Act of 2005;

• Working on the Commissioner’s speeches and separate statements; and

• Assisting with other projects as assigned.

Who May be Considered: 1st through 3rd year law students as well as non-law graduate students with relevant industry experience.

How to Apply: Applicants should submit a resume, a transcript, a writing sample, and a list of three references. Applicants in their first year of graduate school should also include an undergraduate transcript. Applications should be submitted to Alexander.DeTaboada@ferc.gov with the subject line “Fall 2022 Internship Application, [Name].” We will consider applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled or until Friday, May 20th, 2022.

Additional Information: U.S. Citizenship is required. Volunteers will undergo a background investigation. The Commission is currently operating in a 100% telework environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic; it may be back in-person 2 – 4 days a week by the Fall, in which case the intern may report to FERC HQ in Washington, D.C. but would not be required to do so.

Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law is hiring an Environmental Law Graduate Fellow for the 2022-23 academic year. Please share the details below with your students.

The Environmental Law Graduate Fellow works with environmental faculty and staff undertaking research, including supporting the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, developing and implementing new projects, and other duties as assigned. Fellows earn an LLM in Environmental Law while working part-time within the Pace Environmental Law Program. They receive a full tuition waiver as well as a modest stipend to help cover living costs.

Full details on the positions, and information on how to apply, can be found here and here. Note that applicants must apply concurrently to the Environmental LLM program at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law to be considered for a fellowship. 

Just a reminder that Pace University’s Haub Law is currently accepting registrations for the 2022 Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition.

Due to recent COVID-19 concerns, they have decided to hold the entire competition online. Preliminary, quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds will be held on February 23-25, 2022. The final round will now take place on February 26, 2022. To register, please click here.

This list was compiled by Prof. John Bonine (Univ. of Oregon):

WEST

Montana, Cottonwood Environmental Law Center, https://www.cottonwoodlaw.org/ (One in-house litigator)

Trustees for Alaska – https://trustees.org/our-team/

Oregon, Cascadia Wildlands, https://www.cascwild.org/ (One in-house litigator)

New Mexico, New Mexico Environmental Law Center, https://nmelc.org/ (4 lawyers, including litigators)

Western Mining Action Project, Lyons, Colorado (two lawyers – Roger Flynn and Jeff Parsons – mining litigation is just about all they do)

Utah, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, https://suwa.org/ (5 lawyers, 2 of them litigators in the courts)

Environmental Defense Center 4 lawyers https://www.environmentaldefensecenter.org/edc-staff/

MIDWEST

Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. https://www.mncenter.org/ (several of its lawyers appear to be active litigators)

Clean Wisconsin, https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/ (3 in-house litigators)

Midwest Environmental Advocates, https://midwestadvocates.org/ Maybe 5 attorneys these days; its lawyers names appear on court opinions)

Great Lakes Environmental Law Center in Detroit Michigan. www.glelc.org (Staff of three, all practicing attorneys)

SOUTH AND APPALACHIA

Appalachian Citizens Law Center in Whitesburg, KY. https://aclc.org/ (its lawyers appear to have clients and engage in litigation)

Appalachian Mountain Advocates: http://www.appalmad.org/team/

Joe Lovett and Derek Teaney are the lead litigators

Kentucky Natural Resources Center (one strong litigator)

Everglades Law Center (3 attorneys, takes summer interns) https://evergladeslaw.org/about-us/our-people/

EAST

Pennsylvania: Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture), https://www.pennfuture.org/

Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services — western PA and NE Ohio.

https://www.fairshake-els.org/

New Jersey — Eastern Environmental Law Center, https://easternenvironmental.org/

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest — https://www.nylpi.org/

Great Rivers Environmental Law Center (St. Louis) – https://greatriverslaw.org/about/staff-bios/