Environmental & Energy Law Courses

Foundational courses survey the range of statutes, regulatory practices, and judicial decisions in the environment and energy field. Advanced courses and seminars provide in-depth coverage of several environmental statutes as well as a number of environment and energy practice areas.

JD candidates may earn Recognition of a JD Concentration in Environmental Law by suc­cessfully completing 14 credits of coursework in Environmental Law, including three required courses—Environmental Law (6430), Natural Resources Law (6440) and Administrative Law (6400)—two credits of experiential learning related to environmental or energy law (Field Place­ment (6668) or any Environmental or Energy law class that is designated as an “E” course) and two credits graded on the basis of a research paper that meets the standards for the law school’s upper-level writing requirement, either written in conjunction with one of the courses below or, with advance approval of the program director, written for a journal, independent legal writing, or a course that is not included in the list below on an environmental law topic. Students may use the same paper to fulfill the writing requirement for both the concentration and the JD.

JD candidates may earn Recognition of a JD Concentration in Energy Law by success­fully completing 14 credits of coursework in Energy Law and Environmental Law, which must include Energy Law and Regulation (6438) and Administrative Law (6400). In addition, students are required to take at least four credits from among the following courses: Energy Law Seminar (6441),** Oil and Gas Law (6443), Atomic Energy Law (6459), and Air Pollution Control (6432). Finally, students must have two credits of experiential learning related to environmental or energy law (Field Placement (6668) or any Environmental or Energy law class that is desig­nated as an “E” course) and two credits graded on the basis of a research paper that meets the standards for the law school’s upper-level writing requirement, either written in conjunction with one of the courses below or, with advance approval of the program director, written for a journal, independent legal writing, or a course that is not included in the list below on an energy law topic. Students may use the same paper to fulfill the writing requirement for both the concentration and the JD.

Foundation Courses

  • Administrative Law (6400)
  • Environmental Law (6430)
  • Energy Law and Regulation (6438)
  • Natural Resources Law (6440)

Advanced Courses

  • Regulated Industries (6406)
  • Animal Law Seminar (6424)
  • Wildlife and Ecosystems Law (6431)
  • Air Pollution Control (6432)
  • Water Pollution Control (6434)
  • Trade and Sustainable Development (6435)
  • Coastal, Navigation, and Wetlands Resource Law (6437)
  • Energy Law Seminar (6441)**
  • Control of Solid and Hazardous Wastes (RCRA & CERCLA) (6442)
  • Oil and Gas Law (6443)
  • Regulation of Toxic Substances Risk (6444)
  • Environmental and Toxic Torts (6449)
  • Federal Facilities Environmental Law Issues (6450)
  • Selected Topics in Energy Law (6451)**
  • Environmental Issues in Business Transactions (6452)
  • International Environmental Law (6454)
  • International Climate Change Law (6455)
  • Environmental Negotiations (6458)
  • Atomic Energy Law (6459)
  • Selected Topics in Environmental Law (6461)**
  • Environmental Crimes (6464)
  • Environmental Law Seminar (6466)**
  • Environmental Lawyering (6469)
  • International Trade Law (6526)
  • Advanced International Trade Law (6527)
  • International Project Finance (6545)1

**Students should consult the Supplement to the Bulletin for information on the available seminars and selected topic courses for each semester. For guidance on which seminars and selected topic courses meet the concentration requirements, students should consult with their program director.

For students interested in the practice of energy law, the GW Law-University of Groningen Student Exchange Program provides a unique opportunity for students to study European Union law and international law, with an emphasis on environmental and energy law at the University of Groningen.

 

Cross-cutting courses with elements of environmental or energy law

  • Law and Regulation of Science (6607)2
  • Law of the European Union (6534)3
  • Local Government Law (6422)4
  • Scientific Evidence Seminar (6248)5
  • Space Law (6548)6

Field Placement

  • Graduate Environmental Placement (6468)
  • Environmental Law Field Placement (6668)
  • Advanced Environmental Law Field Placement (6667)

Journal

  • The George Washington Journal of Energy and Environmental Law (6664)

External Competitions

For example, including: National Energy & Sustainability Moot Court Competition, Robert R. Merhige National Environmental Negotiation Competition, Pace University Haub School of Law National Environmental Moot Court Competition, and Stetson International Moot Court Competition (6644)

 

1Includes energy and infrastructure projects

2Includes difficulties of causation in toxic torts, hazardous substances, public health, debate over evolution, human genome mapping

3Covers the Common Agricultural Policy

4Includes land use planning

5For students without science background who want to go into regulation, pollution control, etc.

6Includes pollution and contamination of outer space, earth observations, remote sensing


Course Descriptions