The Environmental Law and Policy Clinic (ELPC) provides students the opportunity to work on a diverse range of environmental and energy casework. Students interact with engineers, scientists, and other experts on contamination clean-ups, policymaking, regulatory compliance, environmental justice and citizen enforcement matters.
Through drafting of comment letters and whitepapers, analyzing policy and advising legislators, and preparing materials for administrative proceedings, students get into the weeds of creating, implementing, and challenging laws.
Student casework in the ELPC’s inaugural year included management of contaminated soil at urban sites, regulation of water and sewerage, solid waste disposal, resiliency of agriculture, renewable energy, and the effects of climate change.
The case work in the ELPC requires a minimum of 13 hours per week outside of class and supervision meetings. Depending on the needs of clients, students may have client meetings, events, or work in the evenings and on weekends.
Students also participate in a 2-credit weekly seminar covering substantive environmental and energy law and lawyering skills. Students learn from and network with attorneys from state and federal agencies, advocacy organizations, lobbying firms, the state legislature, and private practice. Through this experience, students build their network in the Boston-area and learn of potential career paths in this field.
A student must have successfully completed or be concurrently enrolled in Evidence in order to qualify for certification under Supreme Judicial Court's Student Practice Rule 3:03. We recommend that students take Environmental Law Survey and/or Administrative Law prior to applying for the ELPC.