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U.S.-China Partnership for Environmental Law LLM Fellowship

The U.S. - China Partnership for Environmental Law ("China Program") at Vermont Law School invites applications for a two-year graduate fellowship starting in August 2011. The fellowship combines the opportunity to obtain an LLM in Environmental Law from one of the leading environmental law programs in the nation with the opportunity to gain practical international environmental law experience on a variety of policy coordination, research, and educational outreach projects. The fellowship includes a full tuition waiver and a stipend of $35,000 per year.


Nature of the Fellowship


The LLM fellow will work closely with the director and other team members of the China Program to help coordinate and implement the range of projects being carried out. In addition to pursuing an LLM in environmental law, the fellow will work closely with China Program faculty and will take the lead role in at least one major project.

The goal of the China Program is to strengthen the rule of law in environmental protection and to build capacity among individuals and academic, government, and private-sector institutions to solve pollution and energy problems. The program has three main objectives:

  • strengthen the capacity of the Chinese educational, governmental, nonprofit, and business sectors to become effective environmental and energy problem solvers
  • improve China's policies, systems, laws, and regulations to advance the development and enforcement of environmental and energy law and to help develop the rule of law
  • enhance municipal, provincial, national, and international networks in China to advance best practices in environmental protection and energy regulation

These objectives are being pursued through environmental and energy law workshops and conferences in China and the U.S., through efforts to build the institutional capacity of law schools, NGOs, courts, and government agencies, and through student and faculty-led research and policy development projects.

For more information about the U.S. -China Partnership for Environmental Law, please visit the program's homepage, http://www.vermontlaw.edu/china/.

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 China Program 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 China Program LLM Fellowship include:

  • admission to the LLM in Environmental Law degree program
  • a demonstrated commitment to environmental or energy issues in China
  • prior practice or other experience in environmental or energy law
  • strong legal writing and communications skills
  • some Chinese language skills

How to Apply for the Fellowship


Applicants for the fellowship should submit the following:

  • current résumé
  • law school academic transcript with English translation
  • two letters of recommendation from law school professors, or practicing or academic lawyers, who are familiar with the candidate's work
  • a recent writing sample
  • a brief statement (not longer than one single-spaced page) explaining the candidate's interest in the fellowship

Since these same materials are also required for the application to the LLM program, only one copy is required. The brief statement of interest may also be included in the LLM application documents.

Please send application materials by May 1, 2011 to:

Kathy Hartman
Associate Dean for Enrollment Management
Vermont Law School
PO Box 96, Chelsea Street
South Royalton, VT 05068

For more information, please email khartman@vermontlaw.edu.