2020 Summer Session Classes
Term 1
ENV5423/Ocean and Coastal Law
Long neglected by lawmakers despite its essential ecological functions, the marine environment has increasingly been the focal point of conservation and natural resource management efforts. As a foundation for studying the laws that govern the marine environment, the course considers the natural components of estuarine, coastal, and marine ecosystems and the current conservation issues confronting them.
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Semester
2020 Summer - Term 1ENV5430/Ecology
Ecology is an integrative science that can provide insight into many contemporary environmental problems. Through visits to a variety of field sites in central Vermont, readings, and lectures, this course will explore the principles of ecology using a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach. Course work stresses the inventorying of biotic and physical components of a landscape (pieces), examining how these pieces are distributed (patterns), and determining what forces drive these patterns (processes).
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2020 Summer - Term 1ENV5510/Three Essentials of the Electric Grid: Engineering Essentials
This course sets out, in three linked modules, the fundamental knowledge that professionals should have for working in the closely intertwined fields of energy and the environment. Students may take one, two, or three modules for one credit each.
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Semester
2020 Summer - Term 1ENV5511/Three Essentials of the Electric Grid: Business Essentials
This course sets out, in three linked modules, the fundamental knowledge that professionals should have for working in the closely intertwined fields of energy and the environment. Students may take one, two, or three modules for one credit each.
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Semester
2020 Summer - Term 1ENV5512/Three Essentials of the Electric Grid: Legal Essentials
This course sets out, in three linked modules, the fundamental knowledge that professionals should have for working in the closely intertwined fields of energy and the environment. Students may take one, two, or three modules for one credit each.
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2020 Summer - Term 1RSJ7330/Restorative Justice in Educational Institutions
This course explores how restorative justice approaches can provide important alternatives to more traditional responses to harm within educational settings. Restorative justice has three primary applications in school settings, which includes both K-12 schools and higher education. Restorative circles are commonly used to build and strengthen relationships between students and with their teachers. Restorative practices help develop “social-emotional learning.” Restorative conferences are used in response to conflict and misconduct.
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2020 Summer - Term 1WRI7380/Advanced Environmental Legal Research
This one-credit course provides in-depth exposure to the most useful, efficient strategies and resources for environmental law research, including specialized science and statistical information resources, international environmental law research, advanced administrative law research, legislative history, environmental updating services, etc. The course is designed to prepare students to research environmental legal materials and non-legal materials for use in law school and in practice.
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2020 Summer - Term 1Term 2
ENV5230/Global Energy Law and Policy
Climate Change, driven by greenhouse gas emission coming from energy is one of the most important environmental problems that we face today. Latin America, with 590 million inhabitants, is responsible for 9% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. 80% of those emissions come from four countries; Brazil Venezuela, Mexico and Argentina. 42% of the GHG emissions come from energy. It is estimated that if global temperature rise by 2,5 C, the effect on GDP could be as much as 5% of Regional GDP.
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2020 Summer - Term 2ENV5446/Environmental Justice
The environmental justice movement is aimed at avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating disproportionately adverse human health and environmental impacts, including social and economic impacts, on minority and/or low-income communities, and for those communities to be engaged meaningfully in environmental decision-making processes. This course examines this environmental and public health problem.
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2020 Summer - Term 2ENV5474/Land Conservation Law
This course examines the potential and limitations of litigation against the industrial agriculture system. We will touch on the most common causes of action used in federal courts, as well as several new theories good food movement advocates are testing. In considering these approaches we will discuss their legal elements and remedies, how they can be used to advance a narrative about the current food system, and the ways in which they might be combined with policy advocacy.
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2020 Summer - Term 2ENV5480/Environmental Crimes
Environmental crime is the most common federal offense committed by U.S. corporations, and among the most profitable criminal activity in the world. Explore this specialized practice, from the relevant investigative agencies, through the benefits of “speaking” indictments, to the applicable federal sentencing guidelines. Students will examine the major pollution prevention and wildlife protection statutes, as well as the Title 18 offenses with which they are most often paired (e.g., conspiracy, false statements, obstruction of justice).
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Semester
2020 Summer - Term 2ENV5902.01/Food Impact Litigation
This course examines the potential and limitations of litigation against the industrial agriculture system. We will touch on the most common causes of action used in federal courts, as well as several new theories good food movement advocates are testing. In considering these approaches we will discuss their legal elements and remedies, how they can be used to advance a narrative about the current food system, and the ways in which they might be combined with policy advocacy.
Professor(s)
Semester
2020 Summer - Term 2RSJ7315.1/Peacemaking Courts
This course introduction begins with the exploration of the roots of peacemaking from indigenous nations within our national border. Students will learn about differing world views, tribal justice systems (through Native voices), and tensions between Native justice systems and western model court systems. In addition, students will learn about current efforts to nurture communication, collaboration and common ground between the two.
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Semester
2020 Summer - Term 2Term 3
ADR6416/Negotiating Environmental Agreements
This experiential seminar teaches the skills necessary to effectively negotiate and develop mutual gains solutions in the environmental context. It does so through a blend of lectures, scenarios, case studies, and role-play simulations. Students will explore a range of processes that can be used to productively resolve environmental disputes, examine the advantages and disadvantages of adversarial and collaborative approaches, and learn the art and science of mutual gains negotiation, conflict management, and consensus building.
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2020 Summer - Term 3CRI7333.1/Juvenile Justice and Law
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2020 Summer - Term 3ENV5233/Environmental Governance and the Private Sector
This class examines the push for more private sector accountability and governance in environmental matters (such as EDG and CSR policies) and how this relates to legal requirements. The class also looks at private sector environmental governance. In particular, the class will examine the concept of business sustainability drivers and practice, private environmental governance, including the growth of market models, and what legal standards apply.
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2020 Summer - Term 3ENV5361/Forest Policy and Law
This intensive 2.5-day course will introduce students to the significant policy and legal issues affecting forests and forest management, using the forests of New England as a case study.
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2020 Summer - Term 3ENV5550/Renewable Energy Project Finance and Development
This course will provide an in-depth look at the legal and regulatory issues associated with the development and project financing of renewable energy projects such as wind, hydro, solar, and battery storage. After completing this course, students will have a solid understanding of how to help vet the economics of renewable projects and get them permitted, financed, built, hooked-up to the grid and operational.
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2020 Summer - Term 3ENV5561/Environmental Enforcement and Compliance
This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of enforcement of the federal pollution control laws. The course will describe the basic regulatory structure of the pollution control laws, and then analyze in detail how to apply the administrative, civil judicial, and criminal enforcement tools available to federal and state regulators, for gaining compliance with environmental standards. We will then delve into the practice of civil enforcement, including methods for investigating and establishing potential violations, selection of the appropriate enforcement response, calculati
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Semester
2020 Summer - Term 3ENV5902.02/The International Law of Food
This course, one of the few if not the only in the world to address this critical subject matter, identifies and analyzes contemporary international legal and policy issues related to food including supply, safety, security, subsidies, and trade. Students will master legal and structural analytical tools for addressing these increasingly important challenges of concern to all global citizens. The material includes the roles of international institutions, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Wor
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2020 Summer - Term 3Term 4
ENV5410/The Farm Bill
American farm and food policy has long been the subject of strenuous debate and criticism. In recent years, prominent criticism has come from a movement of consumer and environmental interests concerned that the way we eat and how we support producers impacts our health, natural resources and the environment. Other interests raise concerns that about Federal spending and government footprint. Regardless of the reason, all of them look to the farm bill. The farm bill, however, is difficult; hard to understand and challenging to change policies that have proven incredibly resilient over m
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2020 Summer - Term 4ENV5422/Animal Welfare Law
In recent years, a broad and rapidly evolving field of law has developed concerning the welfare of animals that are used for a variety of human purposes, including food, entertainment, research, and companionship. Animals used for these purposes often endure a wide range of abuses that diminish animal welfare while also impacting humans.
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2020 Summer - Term 4ENV5424.01/Current Issues in Western Resource Litigation
The vast majority of the United States’ public lands – National Parks, National Forests, National Wildlife Refuges – are located in the West. Increasing conflicts over resource use, such as extraction versus preservation and motorized versus non-motorized recreation, has led to thousands of court cases in the last three decades. Courts play a major role in public land management. This class explores the intersection of environmental and administrative law with public land management.
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2020 Summer - Term 4ENV5425/Clean Transportation Law and Policy
Transportation is the leading source of climate pollution in the United States. This course is focused on a key pathway to reduce those harmful emissions: the electrification of our cars, trucks, and buses. We’ll examine the current federal landscape for regulation of tailpipe emissions and the range of clean transportation policy options, including a particular focus on the role of electric utilities and how electric vehicles can support a smarter, cleaner electricity grid.
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Semester
2020 Summer - Term 4INT7440/Comparative U.S.-China Environmental Law
This course examines how China and the United States—the two countries with the greatest impacts on the planet’s environment—are using law to respond to environmental challenges. After an introduction to the history and structure of environmental law, the course compares approaches to regulation used in China with those employed by the U.S.
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2020 Summer - Term 4RSJ7320.1/New Approaches to Domestic and Sexual Violence
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2020 Summer - Term 4Friday only Term
ENV5497/End Use Energy Efficiency
The course provides an overview of energy efficiency policies, programs and measures at the Federal and state levels. It covers the systems, policies and legal frameworks enabling energy efficiency to serve as an energy resource to the energy system and electric grid. It also highlights new approaches to program design, including the role of behavioral science and energy cultures in engaging customers and expanding access to energy efficiency.
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Semester
2020 Summer - Fridays OnlyENV5901.01/Conservation Agriculture Policy
This one credit course examines state and federal conservation agriculture policies with an emphasis on Vermont’s Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs). Students will be exposed to the variety of state and federal conservation programs designed to assist farmers in achieving conservation compliance. The course will include 3 farm visits where students will see specific types of conservation practices implemented by farmers to protect natural resources and increase air, water, and soil quality on- and off-farm.
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Semester
2020 Summer - Fridays OnlyENV5901.02/Advanced Communications for Environmental Advocates
A Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter covering environmental issues for the Boston Globe teaches this course. A practicum taught in workshop style, this course develops communications skills to help advocates communicate clearly and effectively with the public. The emphasis of this course is on writing and students will gain insights through detailed feedback and workshopping. The course is unique in its emphasis on communicating complex issues to a general audience, a skill that is compelling for employers and typically takes advocates years to hone.
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2020 Summer - Fridays OnlyFull Semester
FAM7710.01/Estates
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2020 Summer JD - Full TermFAM7715.01/Family Law
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2020 Summer JD - Full TermLIT 7210 E1/Evidence
Considers the rules governing the admissibility of testimonial, physical, documentary, and demonstrative evidence in trials and other formal legal proceedings. Topics considered include relevance, prejudice, competency, hearsay, opinion, impeachment, and privilege.
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Semester
2020 Summer JD - Full TermREQ 7186 E1/Legislation and Regulation Survey
This course will provide students an introduction to the legislative process, regulatory agencies, and agency law-making. Students will learn to navigate modern U.S. government institutions and processes, with a particular emphasis on the legislative process and the administrative state. Key topics include the structure and animating principles of the U.S.
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Semester
2020 Summer JD - Full TermREQ 7265 E1/Professional Responsibility
The study of a lawyer's professional obligations based on the ABA's Model Rules, ethical rules from selected jurisdictions, and other laws and traditions governing professional conduct. Students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to identify ethical dilemmas and acquire the tools to help resolve them.
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Semester
2020 Summer JD - Full TermREQ 7265 E2/Professional Responsibility
The study of a lawyer's professional obligations based on the ABA's Model Rules, ethical rules from selected jurisdictions, and other laws and traditions governing professional conduct. Students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to identify ethical dilemmas and acquire the tools to help resolve them.
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2020 Summer JD - Full TermREQ7255/Appellate Advocacy
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2020 Summer - Full TermWRI 7352 E1/Bar Exam Skills and Tactics
Skills-development course designed to provide students with the analytical, test-taking, writing, and study skills that are critical to students' success on the bar exam and in the practice of law. The course consists of an intensive substantive and analytical review of major multistate bar exam subjects and of numerous writing and practice assignments.
Professor(s)
Semester
2020 Summer JD - Full Term2020 Summer Session Classes
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