"Go zone — New York is building, baby, building."
Financial Times quoted Sara Bronin on the positive impacts of zoning.
Environmental & Energy Law
Established at the beginning of the modern environmental law era, the George Washington University Law School's Environmental and Energy Law Program has been at the forefront of education in the field since 1970. Over the past decade, the program has been expanded to increase our focus on the global and social justice dimensions of environmental and energy law , adding new classes, an environmental justice division clinic, the Sustainable Energy Initiative, and the LLM Double-Degree Program in Energy & Climate Law and Energy & Environmental Law with the University of Groningen. Today, the program is expanding significantly to provide the next generation of environmental and energy lawyers with the tools they need to tackle the local, national, and international challenges facing the planet and its inhabitants, including climate change, fisheries depletion, air pollution, water scarcity, and developing new sources of energy.
GW Law is located in the heart of the nation’s capital, where environmental and energy law policy is debated and made. The law school’s location provides students with unique opportunities to learn environmental and energy law from nationally and internationally recognized experts in the field and to work as interns with some of the most influential government and nonprofit environmental organizations in the world.
To learn more about recent developments in our program, read our feature story in the Summer 2025 issue of GW Law Magazine.
Academics
JD Degree
Prepare for leadership in environmental, energy law practice, and declare your concentration.
LLM Degree
Advance legal expertise in sustainability, energy policy, and environmental justice — with the option to pursue an LLM double-degree.
MSL Degree
Empower professionals with legal tools for environmental and energy leadership.
Joint Degrees
Integrate legal studies with science, policy, business, and innovation disciplines.
Program News
GW Law and IAEA Launch Partnership to Educate Next Generation of Nuclear Law Students
December 10, 2025
GW Law is partnering with IAEA to launch a Summer School on the international legal frameworks for the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
GW Law Professor Sara Bronin Wins Heinz Award
September 16, 2025
The Heinz Awards recognized Professor Bronin for her work to demystify zoning and land use laws.
GW Law Launches Distinguished Scholar Program to Tackle Global Energy and Sustainability Challenges
September 9, 2025
GW Law is proud to announce the launch of its new Distinguished Scholar Program in Energy Law & Sustainability.
Environmental & Energy Law News