Environment & Energy Law - Columbus School of Law

Environment& Energy LawTh e Ca t h o l i c Un ive r s i t y Of Am e r i c aColumbus School of Law

The Columbus School of Law provides a richcurriculum in environment and energy law.As an institution steeped in Catholic tradition and history, CUALaw views stewardship of our world’s resources as a naturalapplication of our core values. The unique privilege of being in theWashington, D.C., area gives our students access to externships, a diversealumni network, and postgraduate employment opportunities. Theseadvantages, coupled with an opportunity to reflect and study in the criticalarea of sustainable development, make our institution and program acomprehensive gateway into critical and fulfilling areas of legal practice.In addition to the focused environmental law and energy courses regularlyoffered and listed below, we suggest that students interested in this vibrantfield of law enroll in a variety of courses that offer exposure to regulatoryissues. These include Administrative Law, Legislation, Alternative DisputeResolution, Land Use and Planning, Health Law, and Food and Drug Law.Many students interested in environment and energy law participate in theschool’s signature Law and Public Policy Program and take the Law andPublic Policy course.“As counsel to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, I was one of seven attorneysinvestigating the causes of the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history. Our investigation required anabsolute commitment to excellence, unwavering dedication, and the ability to synthesize complex ideas. Thecoursework and professors in the environmental law program at the Columbus School of Law prepared mewell for this challenging and exciting career opportunity.”—Jon Monger (2010)Special CoursesEnvironmental Law: This courseconsiders federal statutes and regulationsthat are designed to improve the qualityof our environment, e.g., Federal WaterPollution Control Act, Clean Air Act,National Environmental Policy Act,Comprehensive Environmental Response,Compensation, and Liability Act, and theResource Conservation and Recovery Act.A basic understanding of the statutoryschemes will be complemented bytheoretical and policy analysis.Energy Law and Policy: This seminarconducts in-depth analysis on energyregulation principles that influence energyconsumption. These principles include abackground examination of public utilitystructures, price regulation, regulatinggreenhouse gas emissions, and renewableapproaches to power generation.Natural Resources Law and Policy:This seminar examines a selected numberof issues involving the control andallocation of natural resources within theUnited States and internationally. Theissues examined include regulation ofoil and natural gas, regulation of energy,environmental issues, control of nuclearwaste, and international controls onresources such as the Law of the Sea Treaty.Advanced Topics in EnvironmentalLaw: This seminar explores facilitysiting, pollutant trading, place-basedconflict, land use, and sustainabilitythrough a lens of environmental justiceand equity. Topics to be explored includethe lawyer’s role in environmentalconflicts and techniques used to reachsolutions. Case studies and negotiationexercises are a part of this course.Externships: The Columbus School of Lawhas one of the most highly regarded legalexternship programs in the United States.Students interested in environmental orenergy law can earn course credits duringthe fall, spring, and summer by working innonprofit organizations; federal, state, andlocal government agencies; Congress; andfor judges, law firms, trade associations, andcorporations in the D.C. area. Our studentshave externed at the following organizations:The American Bar Association; Centerfor International Environmental Law;Defenders of Wildlife; National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration; NaturalResources Defense Council; NatureConservancy; U.S. Department of Justice,Environment and Natural ResourcesDivision; U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency; and the White House Office ofDomestic Policy Counsel.Interdisciplinary StudiesAs part of a dynamic academic institution,law students have the opportunity toenroll in classes in other CUA graduateschools. Law students are able to takeup to nine graduate-level (500 series orabove) credits outside the law school, withadvance permission of the assistant deanfor academic affairs. Schools with coursesof interest include theology and religiousstudies (ecological ethics), nursing (publichealth), philosophy ( foundations of politicalphilosophy), engineering (sustainabledevelopment), arts and sciences(transnational institutional development),and architecture (green design).Extracurricular and ServiceOpportunitiesLaw Reviews: Writing for any of theschool’s prestigious journals providesstudents with the opportunity to prepare,and possibly publish, an environmentalor energy law-themed piece of scholarlywriting.Current Environmental and EnergyIssue Panels: CUA Law regularlyhosts guest speakers and panels on keyenvironmental and energy issues. Recentpanels have featured energy policy expertsfrom Portugal, the United States, and theEuropean Union; while another focusedon the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and theworkings of the Presidential Commission.Environmental Law Society: TheEnvironmental Law Society (ELS) providesa forum for students interested in currentenvironmental and energy issues andcareer opportunities in environmental law.ELS sponsors issue seminars, roundtablediscussions, professional panels, as well ascommunity outreach programs and fieldtrips. As a student-led organization, ELSoffers many leadership opportunities forinterested students.Specialty Programs / Human RightsSummer Law Program: The schoolperiodically offers specialty programs,which allow students to earn credit andexperience another legal system. Forexample, in summer 2011, a three-weekprogram in international human rights,including environmental rights, wasoffered at Catholic University’s Romecampus 15 minutes from the Vatican.National Environmental Law MootCourt Competition: CUA’s selected teamprepares a brief and argues at the NationalEnvironmental Law Moot Court Competition,held at Pace Law School in WhitePlains, N.Y., the preeminent environmentallaw moot in the nation. CUA students alsoparticipate in other relevant moot courtsdepending on the year.Photos from left: The Capitol. The CUA Environmental Law Society on April 9, 2011, after trash cleanup along Piney Branch Creek, sponsored by Friends ofthe Rock Creek Environment. International energy experts at a law school panel discussion on the future of energy. Joseph T. Kelliher, former chairman ofthe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Future Career PathsThe Columbus School of Law has a long tradition of alumni practicingenvironmental and/or energy law. Following is a sample of the places ouralumni are currently working:• Private firms, including: Barnes & Thornburg, Alston & Bird, Bergeson& Campbell, Patton Boggs, Venable, and Crowell and Moring• Government, including: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,the Department of Defense, and New York City’s Department ofEnvironmental Protection• Private sector, including: Chevron Corporation, Clorox Corporation,and Constellation Energy“My time at CUA Law prepared me on graduation to enter private environmentalpractice. I later moved on to nonprofit work, then academia, and now back to thenonprofit sector. CUA alumni are everywhere in the environmental field and arealways ready to guide and advise students.”—Alexandra Dapolito Dunn (1994),Lecturer; Adviser, Environmental Law SocietyFSC LOGO TOGO HERE FORFPO ONLYThe following individuals can provide moreinformation about these programs and courses:Professor Lisa G. LermanCoordinator of Clinical Programslerman@law.eduSuraya AdamOffice of Clinical Programsadam@law.eduProfessor Sarah DugginDirector, Law & Public Policy Programduggin@law.eduThe Catholic University of AmericaColumbus School of LawWashington, DC 20064www.law.eduOffice of AdmissionsPhone: 202-319-5151Fax: 202-319-6285Email: admissions@law.edu