Clinics
To put what is learned in foundational courses, seminars, and colloquia to the test of practice, many students take one or more of the Law School 's clinical courses.
Environmental Law Clinic
The Environmental Law Clinic, co-taught by Adjunct Professors Chasis and Goldstein, involves students in public interest environmental litigation and policy initiatives in the New York City office of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of the nation's leading public interest environmental groups. Students recently have worked, under the close supervision of NRDC attorneys, on projects involving New York City 's drinking water, global fisheries, energy efficiency and conservation, new source review of proposed power plants, Everglades National Park and Florida Bay , mercury contamination, lead abatement, and environmental justice litigation. Students attend a weekly NRDC seminar to review and discuss a range of cases and projects being undertaken by the organization.
International Environmental Law Clinic
The International Environmental Law Clinic, taught by Professor Stewart, involves practical projects for real-world clients on cutting-edge international environmental issues such as climate change, environmental law reform in developing countries, biodiversity protection, resolution of international water conflicts, public access to environmental information, and controls on genetically modified organisms. The clinic places students with public and nonprofit clients, including U.N. organizations, developing countries, international and domestic environmental groups, and international development banks. Students research and prepare legal briefs, position papers, and law reform strategies for the negotiation and implementation of international and regional environmental agreements and domestic law efforts to ensure sustainable development.
Community Economic Development Clinic
This clinic, taught by Professor López, includes a classroom component in which students study theories and legal and other mechanisms of accountability about the actual dynamics of political economies and development initiatives relevant to low-income, of color, and immigrant communities. Students engage in fieldwork projects to evaluate and influence government planning processes, empowerment zones, and redevelopment proposals in response to community needs; assist in the enforcement of laws governing access to capital; and provide advice and counsel to small and micro-businesses. The clinic works closely with the Center for the Practice and Study of Community Problem Solving, which López founded at NYU School of Law.