Certificate in Environmental Law

Students in their second and third year may elect to specialize in environmental law, earning a Certificate in Environmental Law.  Students who have met the certificate requirements by the time of graduation will have this distinction noted on their transcripts and receive a certificate.

This certificate program is designed to recognize students who commit themselves to this fascinating and challenging area of study. But it is also intended to leave room to take other important core courses. We strongly believe that one must first be a good lawyer before one can become an effective environmental lawyer.

Curriculum

Students must complete the following courses, totaling 14 hours:

Required Courses (9 credit hours):

      1) LAW L858 Environmental Law  (3 hrs.)
      2) LAW L844 Administrative Law  (3 hrs.)
              OR
          LAW L940 Risk and the Administrative State (3 hrs.)
      3) LAW L976 Environmental Law and Policy Lab (3 hrs.)
              OR
          Skills-based alternative (with approval of program chair)

Elective Courses (5 credit hour minimum):

  • LAW L819 Construction Industry & Sustainability Seminar (2 hrs.)
  • LAW L834 Environmental Justice (This course also satisfies the Law & Poverty requirement) (2 hrs.)
  • LAW L835 Natural Resources Law (3 hrs.)
  • LAW L837 Land Use Law (2 or 3 hrs.)
  • LAW L838 Oil and Gas Law (3 hrs.)
  • LAW L879 Admiralty Seminar: Rights, Remedies, and Damages in Maritime Law (3 hrs.)
  • LAW L879 Admiralty Seminar: Marine Pollution (3 hrs.)
  • LAW L886 Environmental Law Seminar (2 hrs.)
    (May take more than one; seminar topics include: Animal Law, Brownfields Redevelopment, Clean Air Act, Climate Change Law and Policy, Coastal Management, etc.)
  • LAW L896 Professional Seminar: Green Building (2 hrs.)
  • LAW L911 Introduction to American Indian Law: Overlapping Jurisdictions (3 hrs.)
  • LAW L913 Disaster and Policy Law (2 hrs.)
  • LAW L922 Toxic Torts (2 or 3 hrs.)
  • LAW L929 Energy and the Environment in International Law (2 hrs.)
  • LAW L975 Energy Law and Policy (2 or 3 hrs.)
  • LAW L977 Environmental Litigation: Theory and Practice (3 hrs.)

Other appropriate courses offered by Loyola or other accredited American law schools may be approved by the associate dean for academic affairs for partial fulfillment of the requirements of the certificate program.

Writing Requirement

Students must complete an academic research paper of high professional quality concerning environmental law. They may fulfill this requirement in conjunction with an environmental course listed above, as part of LAW L898 Legal Research, LAW L905 Advanced Legal Writing, or through one of the College of Law's journal offerings. This paper must be written for a grade and must be advised or co-advised by one of the designated environmental faculty. Advance approval of the topic is required.

Grade Point Average

Students must complete the certificate requirements with a combined grade point average of 2.5 or higher, and with no individual grade below C.

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