Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL) Degree Requirements

​​​​Required courses are subject to change. For more​ information, please view the latest Academic Regulations or contact the Office of the Registrar: registrar@vermontlaw.edu.

​​​30 cred​its​

Required Courses

All of the following courses:
Course Code Course Title Credits
ENV5226 Energy Law and Policy in a Carbon-Constrained World 3
​ENV5228 Energy Regulation, Markets, and the Environment 3
ENV5220 Environmental Economics and Markets 3​
​REQ7186 Legislation and Regulation Survey 3

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Project/Writing Requirement

May choose one ​​of the following courses:
Course Code Course Title Credits
CLI9427 Energy Clinic 3-6
CLI9437 Advanced Energy Clinic 3-6
ENV5303 Advanced Energy Writing Seminar 2
  Independent Research Project or AWR on an energy topic 4-10
  MERL Externship 4-10
  Participation in the Institute for Energy and the Environment research associate program  

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Energy Electives

At least six (6) credits from the following energy elective courses:
Course Code Course Title Credits
ENV5230 Global Energy Law and Policy 2
ENV5344 ​Alternative Fuels and Renewable Energy​ 3
ENV5375 ​Global Energy Justice​ 2
ENV5468 Oil and Gas Production and the Environment 2
ENV5469 ​Oil and Gas Development and the Environment​ 3​
ENV5550 Renewable Energy Project Finance and Development​ 2
ENV5510 Essentials of the Electric Grid - Engineering 1
ENV5511 Essentials of the Electric Grid - Business 1
ENV5512 Essentials of the Electric Grid - Legal 1
ENV5492 ​Renewable Energy Law and Policy​ 2

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​Remaining electives may be chosen from the courses and experiential options listed above and from the following list of approved courses.

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​Elective Courses​​
Course Code Course Title Credits
ADR6405 Arbitration​​ 2
ADR6410 Alternative Dispute Resolution​​ 3
ADR6412 Mediation​​ 2
ADR6415 Environmental Dispute Resolution​​ 3
ADR6420 Negotiation​​ 2
ADR6450 Advanced Dispute Resolution Writing Seminar​​ 2
​BUS6262 Social Enterprise Law​​ 2
BUS6305 Non-Profit Organizations​​ 3
BUS6350 Non-Profit Management​​ 2
CLI9302 Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic (JD or LLM students only) 6
CLI9326 Advanced Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic (JD or LLM only) 6
CLI9405 Dispute Resolution Clinic I​​ 4
CLI9427 Energy Clinic 4
CLI9428 Food and Agriculture Clinic 4
CLI9437 Advanced Energy Clinic 4
CLI9450 Land Use Clinic (JD or LLM students only) 6
DIV7620 Native Americans and the Law​​ 3
DIV7628 Indian Tribes as Government Stewards of the Environment​​ 2
ENV5105 Administrative Law​​ 3
ENV5108 Introduction to Agriculture and Food Law and Policy 3
ENV5112 Science for Environmental Law​​ 3
ENV5115 Environmental Law​​ 3
ENV5125 Land Use Regulation​​ 3
ENV5205 Air Pollution​​ Law and Policy 3
ENV5209 The Law of Toxics and Hazardous Substances 3
ENV5210 CERCLA Liability and Cleanup 3
ENV5212 Climate Change and the Law​​ 3
ENV5220 Environmental Economics and Markets​​ 3
ENV5223 Environmental Governance in the Developing World 2
ENV5226 Energy Law and Policy in a Carbon-Constrained World​​ 3
ENV5228 Energy Regulation, Markets and the Environment 3
ENV5229 Environmental Issues in Business 3
ENV5230 Global Energy Law and Policy 2
ENV5235 Natural Resources Law​​ 3
ENV5239 Land Transactions and Finance​​ 3
ENV5245 Water Resources Management 3
ENV5246 Water Quality​​ 3
ENV5250 Watershed Management​​ and Protection 3
ENV5303 Advanced Energy Writing Seminar​​ 2
ENV5305 Environmental Ethics​​ 2
ENV5306 Comparative Environmental Law Research​​ 2
ENV5310 Environmental Health Law​​ 2
ENV5335 Extinction and Climate Change​​ 2
ENV5336 Climate Change, Extinction and Adaptation 2
ENV5342 Legal Adaptations to Global Warming 2
ENV5343 Climate Change Adaptation in Human Systems 2
ENV5344 Alternative Fuels and Renewable Energy 2
ENV5346 New Frontiers in Environmental Policies 2
ENV5349 Regulating the Marine Environment​​ 2
ENV5350 Risk Assessment 2
ENV5356 Scientific Controversies​​ 2
ENV5365 Climate Change: the Power of Taxes​​ 2
ENV5375 Global Energy Justice 2
ENV5380 Food Regulation and Policy​​ 3
ENV5381 Local Farm and Food Law in Practice 3
ENV5383 Food Justice & Sustainability 3
ENV5401 Agriculture and the Environment 3
ENV5405 Ecosystem Conservation Strategies​​ 2
ENV5406 Animal Rights Jurisprudence​​ 2
ENV5408 The Law of Animals in Agriculture 2
ENV5410 The Farm Bill 2
ENV5411 Federal Regulation of Food and Agriculture 2
ENV Representing Farmers and Food Producers  
ENV5423 Ocean and Coastal Law​​ 3
ENV5430 Ecology​​ 3
ENV5446 Environmental Justice​​ 2
ENV5449 Environmental Litigation Workshop 2
ENV5462 Public Lands Management: Montana Field Study​​ 3
ENV5468 Oil and Gas Production and the Environment​​ 2
ENV5474 Land Conservation Law​​ 2
ENV5478 Global Food Security and Social Justice​ 2
ENV5479 Law and Policy of Local Food Systems​ 2
ENV5500 Environmental Aspects of Business Transactions​​ 2
ENV5510 Essentials of the Electric Grid​​: Engineering 1
ENV5521 Earth Law​​ 2
ENV5540 Public Health and Food and Agriculture Policy 2
ENV5561 ​Environmental Enforcement and Compliance​ 2
ENV5564 ​Peace, War and the Environment​ 2
ENV5561 Environmental Enforcement and Compliance​​ 2
ENV Animal Welfare Law  
GPP7819 Environmental Issues in Business Transactions (JD students only) 2
INT7412 Law of the European Union 2
INT7414 European Union Law Trento 2
INT7421 International Environmental Law​​ and Policy 3
INT7440 Comparative U.S.-China Environmental Law​​ 2
INT7445 European Community Environmental Law 2
INT7446 International Trade and the Environment​​ 2
INT7450 International Investment Arbitration and the Environment 2
JUR7307 Culture and the Environment​​ 2
JUR7330 Moral Philosophy for Professionals 2
JUR7333 Animal Law and Ethics 3
PUB7510 Legislation​​ 3
PUB7525 Legislative Clinic​​ 6
WRI7380 Advanced Environmental Legal Research​​​ 1
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Note: This page is offered as a quick, simplified glance of a complex topic. Please consult the Academic Regulations for full and official degree requirements.​ ​

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