Student Scholarship Feed

Dapolito '12 Researches Rising Sea Levels, Human Organ Trafficking

Vermont Law School — 09 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Mollie Dapolito '12 recently published two articles in the ILSA Quarterly that explored important issues in international law and policy.

The articles were titled "Palua Seeks ICJ Advisory Opinion Regarding Climate Change and Rising Sea Levels" and "EULEX to Investigate Human Organ Trafficking in Albania." They were on pages 17-19 and 19-20, respectively.

"If Palau's proposal can garner a major of the UN General Assembly's favor, and ICJ were to issue an advisory opinion, the ICJ would need to answer some difficult legal questions," Dapolito wrote in the first article. "First and foremost, does the principle of trans-boundary environmental harm apply to GHG emissions and climate change?"

In the second article, she wrote: "It sounds like something straight out of a horror film -- innocent people killed to harvest their organs for sale on the black market. The stories are real and are currently under investigation by the European Union Rule of Law Mission to Kosovo (EULEX)."

Published by the International Law Student Association, the ILSA Quarterly is an academic magazine that features articles written by students, scholars and practitioners concerning timely issues of international law and related topics.

Muth '12: Turning Detroit's Vacant Lots into Urban Gardens

Vermont Law School — 07 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

In a recent essay in the Michigan Environmental Law Journal, Vermont Law School student Benjamin Muth '12 discusses how California's legal system for determining water rights could be applied to vacant land in Detroit to encourage urban farming, while preserving the city's legal ability to return vacant land to urban development in the future.

The essay is titled "An Urban Agriculture Permit System for Detroit's Vacant Land."

"Citizens of Detroit have already started urban agriculture plots, capitalizing on the benefits of urban farming: creating jobs in the community, bringing families closer, promoting health and strength, combating hunger, educating citizens, facilitating recycling and reuse, greening the city, lowering Detroit's carbon footprint, and even reducing crime," Muth wrote. "Efforts to create jobs and health through urban agriculture could have a significant role in Detroit's future.

"Instead of selling vacant land for urban agriculture, Detroit needs a permit system for urban agriculture on its vacant land that would foster light economic growth, support healthy communities, and be flexible enough to adapt to a growing city. A carefully tailored permit system is the best way to allow farmers to take full advantage of Detroit's vacant land, while preserving the city's authority to reclaim the land when urban development opportunities arise. If Detroit begins to prosper in the 21st Century, then the city will need a way to reclaim urban agriculture land without using eminent domain power."

More Law Schools Offering Energy Law Courses, Mihaly 13' Finds

Vermont Law School — 01 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Elena Mihaly '13, a research associate at Vermont Law School's Institute for Energy and the Environment, recently updated an IEE survey from 2009 that looked at the number of law schools that offer energy law courses.

In a research paper titled "Law School Interest in Energy Law Rising Fast," Mihaly found that a growing number of law schools not previously known for their energy or environmental law programs are starting to incorporate energy law courses into their curricula.

In the last two years, some of the nation's top law schools transitioned from offering no energy law courses to now including at least one in their course catalog, the paper's results show. Additionally, a majority of the nation's leading environmental law schools substantially added to their existing energy curriculum.

Mihaly attributes the trend, in part, to the increase in recent years of energy related issues making the news, including the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, the Arab Spring uprising's effect on oil production, hydrofracking of natural gas deposits in the United States and offshore oil drilling regulation after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

"As The New York Times recently reported, 'Not only the industry, but capitals around the world are trying to figure out how to plan for the new energy order,'" Mihaly wrote. "Lawyers will play a major role in shaping this new energy order. The more that law schools provide opportunities for law students to become familiar with energy law, the quicker new lawyers can join the energy policy dialogue and make a difference. The greater the amount of substantive knowledge that energy law professors can transfer to law students, the greater chance that those students can contribute to forming the future energy regulatory structure upon entering the legal profession."

U.S.-China Partnership Students Research Environmental, Public Health Issues

Vermont Law School — 27 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School students Allison Cameron '13, Heather Croshaw '13, Nat Green '13, Sara Imperiale '13, Brian Marshall '13 and Jeffrey Polubinski '13 recently were chosen to be part of the U.S.-China Partnership for Environmental Law's annual joint research projects (JRP).

The projects engage VLS students in year-long collaborative research with partner law students from Sun-Yat San University, Renmin University and China University of Policy and Law. The VLS students traveled to China in December to meet with their Chinese counterparts, discuss the projects and present their research. Topics included waste disposal, vehicle emissions, nuclear regulation, energy security, hydropower and renewable energy development.

The VLS students presented their research results together with their SYSU, Renmin and CUPL counterparts and are expanding their knowledge of China's legal system and environmental laws. Professors from VLS and the Chinese law schools supervise particular projects based on their students' research areas.

The Partnership also organized meetings with officers from the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou and the Beijing Embassy for the students. Returning to Vermont for the spring semester, the JRP students will continue to refine and finalize their project papers. They will also present their research projects to the VLS community in the spring.

Cameron remained in Beijing to be the first student to participate in the partnership's exchange program with Renmin University. In July last year, the Partnership and the Renmin University School of Law signed two agreements to allow semester-long student exchanges between the two institutions and collaboration between VLS and Renmin.

Dapolito '12 Analyzes Human Rights in ISLA Quarterly

Vermont Law School — 28 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Mollie Dapolito '12 wrote two articles recently in ILSA (International Law Student Association) Quarterly about human rights.

The first article, titled "Flomo v. Firestone: U.S. Federal Court Holds Corporations Can Be Liable Under ATS," examines the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit's ruling in Flomo v. Firestone, which alleges forced child labor on rubber plantations in Liberia. The court found that corporations can be held liable and sued for human rights violations under the Alien Tort Statute. "An artfully written opinion by the Honorable Richard Posner rejected the 2nd Circuit's reasoning in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, which held that corporations could not be liable under the ATS. This left the Kiobel decision as the lone outlier, setting this case up for potential U.S. Supreme Court review," Dapolito wrote. The Supreme Court has since granted cert for this issue.

The second article, titled "The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia Prepares for its Second Trial - Case 002," analyzes the ECCC tribunal's proceedings for its second trial of the four senior-most living members of the former Khmer Rouge regime for grave violations of the Geneva Convention, crimes against humanity, genocide, homicide, torture and religious persecution. "All four members on trial in Case 002 have cast blame elsewhere and have expressed no remorse or guilt for wrongdoing," Dapolito wrote. "This trial for Case 002 begins in the face of many criticisms of the ECCC tribunal, including that it has been a failure due to perpetual funding problems, interference from the Cambodian government, and a general lack of support from the international community."

ILSA Quarterly is an academic magazine with articles by students, scholars and practitioners about timely issues of international law and related topics, ILSA projects, study abroad programs, LL.M. programs and career opportunities in the field of international law.

Read the articles, which are on pages 6-7 and 11-12, respectively.

Crafton '12, Miller '12 Analyze Vermont's Wildlife Management

Vermont Law School — 25 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST

A paper by Vermont Law School students Meredith Crafton '12 and Patrick Miller '12, titled "The Nelson Amendment," was recently listed on SSRN's Top Ten download list for Animal Law eJournal.

The paper examines the Vermont Legislature's handling of "Pete the Moose," a young moose calf living within a privately owned, 700-acre captive game facility. Pete, who was the focus of a grassroots campaign to prevent his allegedly imminent destruction, became the central figure in a debate over whether a private party could possess any ownership interest in wildlife animals.

"The fight to save Pete and the subsequent legislation invoke important traditional and contemporary issues of property rights, hunting rights, and animal rights, including the privatization and domestication of wildlife, the importation of big game into Vermont, and the ethics of allowing such facilities to operate in this state," the paper said. "This legislation, known as the 'Nelson Amendment,' was enacted, without discussion, as part of the fiscal year 2011 Joint Appropriations Act. The Amendment may have 'stayed' Pete's demise, but it eroded fundamental principles of wildlife management and hunting regulations by effectively rewarding a private landowner's continued attempts to thwart wildlife regulations and illegally entrap wild animals on his property. The facility where Pete lives and the Amendment threaten the health of wildlife in Vermont and the state's authority to manage and regulate that wildlife."

Read the paper.

Read media coverage on Pete the Moose's recent death.

Changala, Foley Analyze Legal Issues for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Vermont Law School — 19 Sep 2011 18:52:18 EST

Energy Law Journal's spring 2011 issue had an article by Vermont Law School students Danielle Changala '13 and Paul Foley '10 that analyzed how plug-in hybrid electric vehicles can be integrated into existing legal regimes for the regulation of electricity.

Using Vermont as a case study, they identified the key legal issues that must be resolved for widespread fleet penetration of PHEVs to be achieved. The issues involve integrated resource planning and transmission cost allocation for PHEVs‘ anticipated cumulative impact on base load and peak electric demand; statewide charging infrastructure development; and integration with the smart grid.

Changala and Foley concluded that such a legal analysis should be used to inform economic modeling of PHEV fleet penetration both in Vermont and nationwide.

Read the article.

Colin Hagan '12 Named Switzer Environmental Fellow

Vermont Law School — 07 Sep 2011 04:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Colin Hagan '12 has been selected as a Switzer Environmental Fellow by the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation.

This year, the Switzer Foundation awarded 20 fellowships for emerging environmental leaders who are pursuing graduate degrees and are dedicated to positive environmental change in their careers.

Hagan is completing his law degree at Vermont Law School, where he is an editor of the Vermont Law Review, a member of the National Environmental Law Moot Court Team and a Research Associate at the Institute for Energy and the Environment.

He has spent the better part of a decade working to reduce the environmental consequences of domestic energy production. After graduating from Furman University in South Carolina, he received a Compton Mentor Fellowship, through which he helped successfully prevent the construction of a conventional coal fired power plant and published a grassroots guide to local climate impacts in the state.

Hagan later helped to advance federal climate and energy policies as a Federal Policy Associate at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. He represented the organization before Congress, helped organize congressional briefings and draft legislation and authored numerous articles about the potential for energy efficiency and renewable energy generation in the Southeast. He also helped lead the organization's response to the Tennessee Valley Authority's 2008 coal ash spill.

While at VLS, he has worked on Clean Air Act litigation as a Summer Law Clerk with the Clean Air Task Force in Boston, Mass., and researched constitutional issues related to federal environmental policy as a Research Assistant for the Environmental Tax Policy Institute at VLS.

At the Institute for Energy and the Environment, Hagan researches privacy concerns related to smart grid deployment for a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, liability regimes for carbon capture and sequestration projects, and integrating renewable energy into the electric grid in collaboration with researchers at Carnegie Mellon University.

In 2011, he was selected to join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of General Counsel's Summer Honors Program, where he works in the Air and Radiation Law Office.

Holli Brown Named Co-Winner of ELI's “Endangered Environmental Laws” Writing Competition

Vermont Law School — 10 May 2011 04:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School's Holli Brown '12 recently was named co-winner of the sixth annual ELI-ABA-NAELS "Endangered Environmental Laws" Student Writing Competition.

Brown and William Gignilliat, a second-year student at the University of Georgia School of Law, will share a $2,000 cash award and receive publication in the Environmental Law Reporter, the Environmental Law Institute's flagship journal and the most often cited law review covering environmental and natural resource issues.

"This year's winners each explore cross-cutting environmental law issues in light of recent events," said ELI Senior Attorney Jay Austin. Brown's entry, "The Attack on Frack: New York's Moratorium on Hydraulic Fracturing and Where It Stands in the Threat of Takings," examines whether a state moratorium on hydrofracking could result in a compensable taking of private property under the Fifth Amendment.

The annual competition--co-sponsored by ELI's Endangered Environmental Laws Program, the Constitutional Law Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, and the National Association of Environmental Law Societies--invites law students to analyze issues at the intersection of constitutional and environmental law. The winning articles will be published in ELR News & Analysis in the fall of 2011.

VT Law School Student Wins Prestigious National Award

Vermont Law School — 27 Apr 2011 04:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Ben Leoni '11 has been selected by the Burton Awards for Legal Achievement as a winner of the 2011 Distinguished Legal Writing Awards. Leoni is the first VLS student to win the award, which is the highest honor in legal writing in the United States.

The VLS Legal Writing Program nominated Leoni's article, "Resolving Disputes in the Northern Forest: Lessons From the Connecticut and Moosehead Lakes," which was published in the Fall 2010 issue of the Vermont Law Review. The article dealt with environmental dispute resolution among private landowners and other stakeholders in the public land-use debate over logging, development, recreation and conservation in the vast forest stretching across northern New England.

Tyrrell's, Zhang's Papers Make SSRN Top Ten List

Vermont Law School — 21 Apr 2011 04:00:00 EST

The Institute for Energy and the Environment's Global Energy Fellow Marianne Tyrrell's "Federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Laws" paper is listed second in the SSRN's all-time Top 10 download list for Journal of ERN: Other European Economics: Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environmental Studies. Global Energy Fellow Zhen Zhang's "Smart Grid in America and Europe" paper is also in the Top 10 download list since February in the same journal.

BLSA Hosts Minority Voices Symposium

Vermont Law School — 07 Feb 2011 05:00:00 EST

VLS marked Black History Month with a Minority Voices symposium Feb. 4 featuring a panel of distinguished attorneys, government professionals and professors. The symposium was hosted by the Black Law Students Association. Pictured are, left to right, VLS professors Michele Martinez Campbell and Mark Latham, Dartmouth Professor Bruce Duthu and Mikael Moore, a Congressional chief of staff.

VLS Teams Make Final Four in ABA Regional Negotiation Competition

Vermont Law School — 16 Nov 2010 05:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School's two dispute resolution teams posted a strong showing Nov. 13 when they both made the regional final four at the American Bar Association's annual Negotiation Competition. The competition, which was hosted by Harvard Law School, included 16 teams. Four teams were selected to move to the final round, including VLS students Jordan Wimpy '12 and Kayvon Hejazi '12, who finished in second place, and Christopher Foy '12 and Matthew Harold '12, who finished fourth. Read more.

VLS Selects Negotiation Competition Winners

Vermont Law School — 27 Oct 2010 04:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School's Dispute Resolution Program held its intra-school showdown Sept. 11 as part of the American Bar Association's annual Negotiation Competition. VLS selected its top three teams from among a dozen that competed to determine who would represent the school in the ABA's 2010-2011 regional, national and international negotiation competitions. The winning teams were Christopher Foy ‘12 and Matthew Harold ‘12, Kayvon Hejazi ‘12 and Jordan Wimpy ‘12, and Ruth White '12 and Laura Colangelo ‘12. VLS won the ABA regional negotiation competition in 2000 and 2004 and the national competition in 2005. VLS also won the ABA regional client counseling competition in 2007.

Dispute Resolution Society Scores Victory

Vermont Law School — 04 Oct 2010 04:00:00 EST

The Dispute Resolution Society scored a major victory Oct. 2-3 in New York City when Laura Colangelo '12, Ruth White '12, and Hannah Jannicelli '11 won the Negotiation round of the Securities Dispute Resolution Triathlon at St. John's Law School. They outscored 22 other law schools and faced Cornell when they put in their winning performance. "We're very proud of their accomplishment but also with the commitment and energy they put into preparing for the event," said Associate Professor Sean Nolon, director of of Vermont Law School's Dispute Resolution Program. "Also, this was also a team effort—many members of the Dispute Resolution Society pitched in over the last two weeks to moot, do research and offer advice. Also, Professor Bud Carey met with the team twice on late nights at the last minute to go over the minutiae of securities law. Vermont Law School was well prepared and well represented."

Jane Graham Presents at IUCN Colloquium

Vermont Law School — 29 Sep 2010 04:00:00 EST

Jane Graham, LLM candidate, recently made a presentation, titled "Protecting the Marine Resources of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary from Climate Change through the National Marine Sanctuaries Act: A Hidden Sanctuary for Climate Change Litigation?" at the 8th International Union of Conservation of Nature Academy Colloquium on Biodiversity and Climate Change in Ghent, Belgium. "My presentation was a success and was very well received," Graham said. "It was a wonderful, educational and fun experience. I attended a variety of interesting panels, and it was intriguing to see how issues overlapped across boundaries and ecosystems." Read the paper.

Jane Graham's Article Discusses National Marine Sancutaries Act and Climate Change

Vermont Law School — 02 Jul 2010 04:00:00 EST

Jane Cynthia Graham, an LLM candidate, published an article, "The National Marine Sanctuaries Act: A Sanctuary for Climate Change Litigation?", in the American Bar Association's Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources' Marine Resources Committee July 2010 newsletter. The article highlights the intersection of climate change and marine resources law by examining the potential role of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act in an era of climate change. Read the article.

Andrew Delany's Paper Makes SSRN Top Ten Download List

Vermont Law School — 24 Jun 2010 04:00:00 EST

A paper by Andrew Delaney '10 on the NFL's tax status has made the SSRN's Top Ten download list. Read the paper. Click here for Tax Law: Practitioner Series eJournal Top Ten, here for Tax Law & Policy eJournals Top Ten and here for Top Ten Papers for Antitrust & Regulated Industries eJournals.

Kendra Brown Receives NBLSA Scholarship

Vermont Law School — 04 May 2010 04:00:00 EST

Kendra Brown 1L received the National Black Law Students Association's Sandy Brown Memorial Scholarship at the NBLSA's 42nd annual convention in Boston in March. Brown was selected based on her essay discussing the declining enrollment of African-Americans in law school and steps the NBLSA can take to bolster their representation in law school. Brown also was named the National Congressional Liaison Specialist for the NBLSA for the coming school year.

Molly Watson Chosen for NRDC Fellowship

Vermont Law School — 23 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST

Molly Watson 2L was selected by the Environmental Law Center for a 2010 summer fellowship at the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, D.C. As part of the fellowship, she will receive a $5,000 stipend donated by a Vermont Law School trustee.

Franey Presents Paper at New England Water Environment Association

Vermont Law School — 21 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST

Tara Franey 2L presented a paper, co-authored with Allison Buckley 3L, on "Composting Toilets: Alleviating Regulatory Barriers to an Integrated Green Solution" at the annual conference of the New England Water Environment Association.

Andrew Delaney Published in Sports Law Journal

Vermont Law School — 21 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST

Andrew Delaney 3L had his article, "The NFL Network Versus Cable Providers: Throwing a Penalty Flag on the Fans," published in the Willamette Sports Law Journal, Fall 2009, Vol. 7, Issue 1. Read the article at http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/journals/sportslaw/publications.php

Lillian Kortlandt to be Published in Wildlife Law Journal

Vermont Law School — 21 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST

Lillian Kortlandt 3L's article, "On Borrowed Time: Captive Breeding Programs for Critically Endangered Animals and how C.I.T.E.S. Could be Restructured to Increase Success," is slated to be published in the Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy in issue 13, volume 4.

Five VLS Students Selected as Schweitzer Fellows

Vermont Law School — 21 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST

Five Vermont Law School students have been selected as 2010-11 New Hampshire-Vermont Schweitzer Fellows. Kelly Connolly 1L aims to improve the health of local elderly people by creating a pet therapy visitation program. Renee Gregory 2L plans to help rural domestic abuse victims by working with Have Justice-Will Travel. Maximilian Merrill 1L aims to address the mental and physical health needs of at-risk youth by creating an outdoor mentoring program. Allison Silverman 1L plans to partner with local certified energy auditors and Efficiency Vermont to initiate home energy audits and weatherization improvements. Michelle Tarnelli 1L aims to improve the safety and health of children in Vermont by developing an awareness program with Vermont officials that will tour school districts.

Robert Scharf to be Published in Journal of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees

Vermont Law School — 18 Mar 2010 13:49:40 EST

Robert Scharf '10 had his article, "More Work for Trustees, Less Compensation, A Review of Trends in IFP Fee Waivers in Chapter 7 Filings," which he co-wrote with Raymond Obuchowski '80, published in NABTalk: Journal of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (spring 2010).

Campbell, Cosentino-Roush Earn Marine Policy Fellowships

Vermont Law School — 12 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST

Megan Campbell and Shannon Cosentino-Roush, both '09, were selected as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Knauss Marine Policy Fellows for 2010. Vermont is entitled to two Knauss fellowships each year and this is the first time both were awarded to VLS students. Jeffrey Augello '03 is a previous recipient. Shannon is spending her fellowship year with NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement in the International Fisheries Division. Among other tasks, she is planning an international fisheries conference in Mozambique. Megan is at the U.S. Department of State, Office of Oceans and Polar Affairs, as an extended continental shelf task force fellow. She is working on law of the sea issues.

Matt Reudelhuber Paper Published in Reports of the Finnish Environment Institute

Vermont Law School — 28 Jan 2010 20:38:08 EST

Matt Reudelhuber's paper entitled "SYKEre 25/2009 United States Climate Change Policy: Assessing avenues for greenhouse gas reductions under the Obama Administration" has been published in the Reports of the Finnish Environment Institute.

Read the abstract and download the PDF on the Finnish Environmental Institute website.

Jon Meyers to be Published in Hastings West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law and Policy

Vermont Law School — 15 Oct 2009 18:53:46 EST

John Meyer's paper "Using the Public Trust Doctrine to Ensure the National Forests Protect the Public From Climate Change" is forthcoming in the Hastings West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, Volume 16, issue 1, Winter 2010 (published December 09)

Caitlin Callaghan Acknowledged for Work on EPA Document

Vermont Law School — 15 Sep 2009 18:56:23 EST

Caitlin A. Callaghan was acknowledged for her work on The Lean and Chemicals Toolkit, which was based on her MELP internship at EPA's Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation, National Center for Environmental Innovation, Policy and Program Change Division during summer, 2009.

Read the EPA's The Lean and Chemicals Toolkit

Ferrell Ryan to be Published in University of Denver Law Review

Vermont Law School — 15 Sep 2009 18:49:13 EST

Ferrell Ryan's paper "Banning Felt Soles in Vermont: A Call for State Legislative Response to the Spread of Invasive Didymo" is forthcoming in fall in Volume 13, Issue 1 of the University of Denver Water Law Review.

Supreme Court Adopts Postion Laid Out in VLS Students' Amicus Brief

Vermont Law School — 04 Dec 2008 20:06:04 EST

Students in Professor Hanna's Women and the Law course examining the legal issues associated with a domestic violence case decided to get involved. They wrote and filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on the impact the case would have on victims of domestic and sexual violence. In January 2009, the Supreme Court heard the case, received the amicus brief, and adopted the position laid out in it. The position was eventually written by Justice Ginsberg.

Read the full story

Sally Adams Takes Second Place in ABA's Family Law Writing Competition

Vermont Law School — 15 Oct 2008 19:03:40 EST

In 2008, VLS student Sally Adams received 2nd place in the American Bar Association Family Law essay competition. Her essay appeared in the Family Law Quarterly.

Wilkerson's Paper Makes SSRN Top Ten

Vermont Law School