At NYU Law, students are encouraged to take advantage of all the Law School has to offer, from working directly with faculty on their research, to getting involved with our centers, to participating in clinics and student organizations. Our centers give environmental law students robust opportunities to flesh out their experiences, and graduates can take the next step in their education through our specialized LLM program or our fellowships. In addition to forging relationships with faculty and alumni, students should also connect with the Office of Career Services and the Public Interest Law Center (PILC) to explore other options for enhancing their journeys. Here are some opportunities for those specifically interested in environmental law:
Student Groups and Journals
The Environmental Law Society sponsors issue-focused panels featuring prominent environmental lawyers and scholars; legal projects in which it partners with both local and national environmental organizations to provide research assistance; and community service events. Each fall, the organization also hosts a hike on Bear Mountain.
The Student Animal Legal Defense Fund engages in legal research involving questions surrounding animal rights and animal welfare, working to educate the community about the intersection between animal rights and the law.
The Environmental Law Journal, a student-run publication, is one of the top environmental law journals in the nation.
Summer Internship
The Guarini Center Summer Internship in Public Interest Environmental and Land Use Law provides students with public interest environmental law experience through grants for summer internships, mentoring by the Law School’s environmental law faculty, and exposure to leading practitioners in the field. This special paid internship is part of the PILC Summer Funding Program.
Clinical Work
The UN Diplomacy Clinic places students in the Permanent Missions of member states at the United Nations to act as legal advisors. In this role, students will assist the Permanent Missions in their engagement in international diplomacy, with a specific focus on international and environmental law.
The Environmental Law Clinic emphasizes environmental litigation and advocacy from the public interest point of view. Clinic participants work under the supervision of attorneys at the Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC).
The Regulatory Policy Clinic, sponsored by the Institute for Policy Integrity, focuses on practice before federal agencies and courts to help students develop a set of core administrative lawyering skills. Students look at environmental rule makings in particular.
Postgraduate Options
The Environmental and Energy Law LLM welcomes foreign-trained and US lawyers interested in careers in environmental, land use, and energy law. Individuals who aim to work for governments, international organizations, or NGOs; who aspire to cutting-edge private practice with law firms; or who will pursue academic careers study with leading experts in these areas.
The Institute for Policy Integrity is a nonpartisan think tank dedicated to improving the quality of government decision-making. It produces original scholarly research in the fields of economics, law, and regulatory policy and advocates for reform before courts, legislatures, and executive agencies. The institute regularly hires legal and economic fellows.
Postgraduate Fellowships for Academic Careers, sponsored by the Guarini Center, help promising young scholars, including qualified NYU Law alumni, embark on academic and public service careers.
Postgraduate Research Fellowships, sponsored by the Guarini Center, support law graduates to undertake research and other activities in support of current center projects.