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Michael Dworkin and students studying outside.

Experience VLS

The law school you choose is not only an educational resource, it is also the environment you will live and work in for the next several years. Vermont Law School’s living and learning experience is one of a kind. Our community—surrounded by history, yet young and lively—attracts and engages smart students and prestigious faculty from across the country and around the globe. Together, we are a diverse, focused group of people working toward the highest level of legal education while also enjoying the many other aspects of our lives.

VLS is closely connected to Vermont’s organizations, political scene, and governance. Because Vermont is a small, progressive state, and VLS is its only law school, many of our students have the opportunity to work with the state legislature and judiciary, giving them exceptional opportunities to make an impact while gaining experience. In effect, Vermont becomes a laboratory for the national and international work they will do later in their careers.

Although our students come from a variety of places, they all appreciate what they find at VLS: strong intellectual challenges in a supportive context, a student-centered approach, a diversity of perspectives, and Vermont’s spectacular natural beauty. We offer opportunities to make a difference and an education that prepares you to be an agent of positive change, no matter what career path you pursue.

Snow along the banks of the White River.

Facts About VLS

  • We offer the largest number of environmental law courses in the country
  • More than half of our JD students enroll in experiential programs
  • In the past two years, over half of our faculty have been asked to testify as experts in state or federal hearings
  • Recent classes have included students from every U.S. state
  • The National Jurist named VLS one of the best law schools for women
  • Between a quarter and a third of VLS graduates pursue law careers in public service or in the government

Student Life

The VLS rugby team.

Life at VLS is a balanced blend of work, social and cultural activities, and public service. More than 35 student organizations have been established, and many of our conferences and key events are student-run.

The Debevoise Hall bell tower.

The Campus

Within our beautiful rural campus setting, we are both grounded and wireless—mindful of tradition and the history of our buildings, yet technologically advanced and environmentally conscious.

The Vermont State House.

The Region

This is classic New England at its best, with stellar outdoor recreation opportunities—hiking to Kent's Ledge, kayaking in the White River, skiing and snowshoeing out your back door—as well as easy access to Boston, Montreal, Burlington, Woodstock, and Hanover, N.H.

The Community and the World

VLS students, faculty, and alumni seek and create opportunities to work on the issues that concern all of us—such as land use, energy, and smart growth—through clinics, public service, jobs at nonprofits, international partnerships, conferences, and advocacy.