All VLS Courses

LLM Seminar

Explores diverse advanced topics and viewpoints over environmental law and policy, through discussion and lectures from environmental scholars who will present their scholarship to the seminar. 

LLM Seminar II (Thesis)

The thesis must be a substantial piece of written work of publishable quality. A 10-15 page thesis proposal must be approved by the LLM candidate's faculty supervisor and the Director of the Environmental Law Center before the thesis is begun. A student who writes a thesis must make a public oral presentation of the thesis work.

Mediation

Examines the nature of mediation and explores theoretical and practical aspects of the process. The course analyzes each component of the mediation process and provides students with the opportunity to apply theories and skills in simulation exercises.

Download the 2013 Course Syllabus

Medlaw Seminar: Medical Legal Issues and our Changing Concepts of Reproduction and the Family

What is involved in the processes of in vitro fertilization, egg harvesting, and sperm donation, and how should the law respond?  Can conception and parenthood occur post-mortem, and if so, what are the legal consequences?  If a surrogate mother gives birth to a child, does the law consider her to be the mother?  Who should have access to assisted reproductive technologies-single mothers, same-sex couples, rich and poor alike-- and should the law regulate such an issue?  If these questions intrigue you, we invite you to enroll in this seminar.

MELP Externship

Provide MELP students with field experience in the environmental area.  Under the supervision of a faculty sponsor and an on-site supervisor, students can intern in non-profit groups; international, federal, state and local government agencies; law firms, and consulting firms all over the world.

Moral Philosophy for Professionals Seminar

Examines ethical issues in the professions with an emphasis on law, including professional character and relationships, gender and moral reasoning, confidentiality, deception, paternalism, and allocation of limited resources. Readings in professional ethics and ethical theory are applied to concrete situations facing professionals, including lawyers, environmental professionals, health providers, journalists, social workers, and political agencies.

National Security Law

Explores lawyers' involvement in the formulation and implementation of United States foreign and national defense policy through the examination variety of domestic, constitutional, and international law issues such as authority for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, intelligence gathering at home and abroad, detention and interrogation of terrorist suspects, planning for the next terrorist attack, protection of sensitive government information, and other current topics.

Native Americans and the Law

This course will focus on the constitutional, statutory and jurisprudential rules of law which make up the field of Federal Indian Law. Attention will be given to the historical framework from which the rules were derived. After tracing the development of the underlying legal doctrines which are prominent today, we will consider subject-specific areas of Indian Law like hunting and fishing rights, stewardship of natural resources, economic development and protection of religion and cultural lifestyles.

Natural Resources Law

 Examines the statutes and regulations governing the management of the federal lands and their resources. Considers the historical, political, and ecological influences on the law and management of these resources, and includes an introduction to the agencies with jurisdiction over the components of the federal estate.

Negotiating Environmental Agreements

Examines the use of consensual processes such as negotiation and mediation to resolve environmental disputes and manage environmental conflict.  Instruction will be through lectures to discuss the theory of dispute resolution and through simulations to practice the skills.