Institute for Energy and the Environment Global Energy LLM Fellowship

Institute for Energy and the Environment

The Institute for Energy and the Environment serves as a resource on energy law and policy. The Institute distributes scholarly, technical, and practical publications; provides forums and conferences for professional education and issue development; and serves as a center for graduate research on energy issues, with an environmental awareness.

Some of the specialized projects include:

• participating in the Geological Carbon Sequestration Project in connection with the Carnegie Mellon Department of Engineering and Public Policy. This project will facilitate the rapid development and adoption of a science-based regulatory environment for the deep geological sequestration of carbon dioxide that is safe, environmentally sound, affordable, internationally compatible and socially equitable.
• multidisciplinary analysis in tracking, updating, and publishing work on state net-metering advances and distributed generation, including "Freeing the Grid" published by Network for New Energy Choices at www.newenergychoices.org.
• contributing a chapter in Rush to Ethanol: Not All Biofuels Are Created Equal, also published by the Network for New Energy Choices. The focus of this chapter was to highlight the interaction between the government, corn subsidies, and the ethanol industry. This connection illustrates how ethanol is not the best option for a renewable fuel alternative to gasoline. The chapter is published by Network for New Energy Choices at http://www.newenergychoices.org/uploads/RushToEthanol-rep.pdf.
• writing The Farmer’s Guide to Energy Self-Reliance, which explains how independent farmers can incorporate energy efficient technology into their farming practices. Once the farm is more energy efficient, renewable energy sources can be integrated as well to further reduce the farmers' dependence on fossil fuels. The guide is available at www.agenergysolutions.org.

Michael Dworkin, the Institute’s director, is a leader in America’s energy and environmental sectors. He has been a utility regulator, an environmental litigator, and a successful small businessman. He received his BA degree from Middlebury College and his JD from the Harvard Law School. He clerked for the DC Court of Appeals, represented U.S. EPA in appellate litigation, and was general counsel of the Vermont Public Service Board before becoming its chairman. Professor Dworkin has served as chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment; a director of the Electricity Innovation Institute; and president of New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissioners. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

For more information about the Institute for Energy and the Environment, please visit the IEE homepage. For more information about the Institute’s projects, visit the IEE research page.

LLM in Environmental Law

The LLM in Environmental Law degree is designed for a select group of post-JD candidates seeking to specialize in the practice of environmental law, or pursue careers in teaching, research, or public policy. Candidates include recent law school graduates and practicing lawyers who wish to develop an environmental law specialty. The cornerstone of the LLM program is the Graduate Seminar. A minimum of 30 academic credits are required to complete the program. For the IEE fellow, this thirty credit program is spread over two years. Vermont Law School’s environmental law curriculum includes more than fifty courses in environmental law, policy, science, and ethics. For more information about the LLM in Environmental Law degree program, please visit the LLM Degree page.

Fellowship Qualifications

Qualifications for the Institute for Energy and the Environment LLM Fellowship include:

• admission to the LLM in Environmental Law degree program;
• a demonstrated commitment to energy and environmental law;
• prior practice or other experience in energy law;
• strong legal writing and communications skills.