Vermont Law and Graduate School

Hot Topics | The Long Tail of Nikolai Vavilov: On the Trail of the World's Centers of Plant Biodiversity in a Post-Colonial Era
2026-07-23 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.This session, “The Long Tail of Nikolai Vavilov: On the Trail of the World’s Centers of Plant Biodiversity in a Post-Colonial Era,” will be presented by Mark Schapiro, VLGS Center for Agriculture and Food Systems Law Media Fellow.

A century ago, Russian botanist Nikolai Vavilov identified the Earths’ centers of biodiversity. Today, big-ag and big-pharma are headed to those centers in search of climate-resilient plants. Schapiro will discuss how access to genetic resources is being reshaped by the rise of indigenous rights, emerging international covenants and assertions of national sovereignty.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | Environmental Security in the Earth's Polar Regions
2026-07-21 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Environmental Security in the Earth’s Polar Regions,” will be presented by Mark Nevitt, Emory University School of Law and VLGS Climate Law Distinguished Scholar, and Bob Percival, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

The Power of Policy
2026-07-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
Join Graduate School Dean Dan Bromberg for a virtual event centered on policy and the vital role it plays. We’ll explore the powerful mechanism of policy and how public policy professionals are central to communities navigating challenges and building resiliency.

Dean Bromberg will highlight the work of our students and alumni as well as the unique opportunities VLGS has to offer. The session will include a Q&A, as well as information on how to apply.

Reserve your spot in the webinar by clicking here.

*This event is geared toward prospective master’s students.

Hot Topics | What Robin Hood Tells Us About Climate Competitiveness
2026-07-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “What Robin Hood Tells Us About Climate Competitiveness,” will be presented by Bruce Piasecki of AHC Group, Inc.

One of the most effective ways we communicate with each other, and move our society forward, is through stories and fables that endure. The tale of Robin Hood, more appealing than the usual diatribes about climate risk, is now 700 years old. What does this tale tell us about the human psyche, the needs for the redistribution of wealth, and our primary prejudices about business and society?

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | Climate Advisory Opinions in International Tribunals
2026-07-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Climate Advisory Opinions in International Tribunals,” will be presented by David Wirth of Boston College Law School.

Led by the International Court of Justice in the Hague, three international tribunals have now delivered transformative advisory opinions on the international legal obligations of states to address anthropogenic climate disruption. After describing the advisory opinion process and purpose, this presentation will explore the catalytic impact of these judgments on the public international law of climate protection, including their relationship to treaty efforts such as the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate—from both of which the U.S. is now withdrawing.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | Environmental Liabilities in the Texas Oilfields
2026-07-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Environmental Liabilities in the Texas Oilfields,” will be presented by Martha Pskowski, VLGS Environmental Law Media Fellow.

Over a century of oil drilling in Texas has left hundreds of thousands of wells and myriad other aging assets. While some oil companies reap record profits, others are unable to fulfill their obligations to retire their assets and clean up environmental damages. Learn about how landowners, advocates, and regulators are responding to the growing crisis.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | Federal Climate Policy: Demolition and Reconstruction
2026-07-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Federal Climate Policy: Demolition and Reconstruction,” will be presented by Sean Donahue of Donahue, Goldberg & Herzog.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Alumni Weekend 2026
2026-06-26 08:00 - 2026-06-28 17:00 | Vermont Law and Graduate School, 164 Chelsea St., South Royalton, VT, 05068
Join Swans in South Royalton for a joyful summer gathering honoring 50 years of Vermont Law and Graduate School. Alumni from every class are invited to come together for a weekend of special events—including celebrations for milestone classes ending in 1s and 6s, a tribute to our inaugural Class of 1976, a reflection on our environmental law and policy legacy, and a Taste of Vermont event highlighting the best of the region. Come reconnect, reflect, and celebrate the community that has shaped generations.

Learn more by clicking here.

Hot Topics | Reporting From the Frontlines of the Assault on Climate and Environmental Health and Justice Law, and on Those Leading the Resistance
2026-06-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Reporting From the Frontlines of the Assault on Climate and Environmental Health and Justice Law, and on Those Leading the Resistance” will be presented by Antonia Juhasz, VLGS Environmental Law Media Fellow.

Juhasz will offer a discussion of her reporting from Washington, DC, California, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Florida, Maryland, and more, exposing the legal wranglings and on-the-ground impacts of assaults to fundamental legal protections for climate and environmental health and justice, and on those people leading the resistance, in Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, and The New York Times.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | Before the Window Closes: Mainstreaming Disaster Law into Post-Assad Syria's Environmental Peacebuilding Agenda
2026-06-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Before the Window Closes: Mainstreaming Disaster Law into Post-Assad Syria’s Environmental Peacebuilding Agenda,” will be presented by Dr. Kirsten Bookmiller JD’26 of Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Ecological degradation and disaster vulnerability became deeply intertwined during the 2011–2024 Syrian conflict. This talk contends that integrating disaster law is a necessary component of post-war reconstruction and long-term peace in Syria.

Tune into the livestream here.

Hot Topics | Land Use, Land Access, and Urban Agriculture
2026-06-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Land Use, Land Access, and Urban Agriculture,” will be presented by Liz Turner of Vermont Law and Graduate School.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | Congress Killed the Farm Bill: Lessons for Public Policy and Legislative Development
2026-06-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Congress Killed the Farm Bill: Lessons for Public Policy and Legislative Development,” will be presented by Jonathan Coppess of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and VLGS’s Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Distinguished Scholar.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | Challenges and Opportunities in Sustainable Marine Aquaculture
2026-06-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Challenges and Opportunities in Sustainable Marine Aquaculture,” will be presented by Kamaile Turčan, University of Hawai‘i and VLGS Aquaculture Law Distinguished Scholar.

This lecture will explore the legal, technological, ecological, and ethical dimensions to the emerging marine aquaculture industry in the United States.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

How to Brief a Case
2026-06-10 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Join Professor Dayna Smith JD’20, director of our Academic Success Program (ASP), for an introduction to one of the most common assignments you will have in law school: briefing a case. You will also have a chance to learn and ask questions about ASP, a unique academic resource for our students.

Please register in advance by clicking here.

*This webinar is geared toward prospective JD students.

Hot Topics | Environmental Advocacy and Defamation in the SLAPP Era
2026-06-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Environmental Advocacy and Defamation in the SLAPP Era” will be presented by Jared Carter JD’09 of Vermont Law and Graduate School and Heather E. Murray of Cornell Law School. Professors Carter and Murray will discuss defamation law and how defamation claims have recently been used as a sword to attempt to silence environmental advocacy organizations. Their talk will consider the recent rise in SLAPP suits against advocacy organizations and propose ideas about how the law might adapt to protect advocacy organizations and their First Amendment rights.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Lecture on Legal Writing
2026-06-03 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
Join us to experience a mock lecture on legal writing taught by Beth McCormack, dean of the law school.

Please register in advance by clicking here.

*This event is geared toward prospective JD students.

Hot Topics | From Farm to Market: Tracking Worker Exploitation in Aquaculture Supply Chains
2026-06-02 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session will be presented by Martha Mendoza, VLGS’s Aquaculture Media Fellow.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | Beyond Personhood: How the World Is Reimagining Nature's Place in Law
2026-05-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by VLGS’s Environmental Law Center. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Beyond Personhood: How the World is Reimagining Nature’s Place in Law,” will be presented by Grant Wilson of Earth Law Center. Wilson surveys how movements to incorporate nature directly into legal systems—as a rights-holder and beyond—are advancing across the globe, and what regional differences in culture, politics, and spirituality reveal about where the field is headed.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Mapping Your Future: Alumni Career Insights
2026-05-27 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
Reserve your spot in this special admissions webinar to meet Vermont Law and Graduate School alumni and learn about their employment experiences after graduation.

Please register in advance by clicking here.

*This event is geared toward prospective JD students.

Financial Aid Updates and Q&A
2026-05-20 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
Join us virtually to meet Melissa Erickson JD’10, director of Financial Aid, and Jeani Stella-Devani, associate director of Financial Aid. Have your questions answered and hear the latest updates on financing your law school journey.

Please register in advance by clicking here.

*This event is geared toward admitted and prospective JD students.

Commencement 2026: Commencement Reception
2026-05-17 12:00 - 14:30 | Debevoise Back Lawn at Vermont Law and Graduate School, 164 Chelsea Street, South Royalton, Vermont
Following Vermont Law and Graduate School’s 50th Commencement Ceremony, a reception that includes food, champagne, and a steel drum band will immediately follow the ceremony on the Debevoise Hall Back Lawn. The reception is free and open to all graduates and their families.

For more information on all the Commencement festivities, please click here.

VLGS Commencement Ceremony
2026-05-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Royalton Town Green, 194 Chelsea St., South Royalton, Vermont, 05068
Vermont Law and Graduate School’s 50th Commencement Ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 10 a.m. on the Royalton Town Green.

A reception that includes food, champagne, and a steel drum band will immediately follow the ceremony on the Debevoise Hall Back Lawn. The reception is free and open to all graduates and their families.

Click here to watch the livestream.

For more information on all of the Commencement festivities, please click here.

Commencement 2026: Commencement Soiree!
2026-05-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Debevoise Back Lawn at Vermont Law and Graduate School, 164 Chelsea Street, South Royalton, Vermont
Join us for an evening of festive fare and celebration! This free event—immediately following the awards ceremony—honors the accomplishments of the Class of 2026 and is open to all graduates, their families, and the broader VLGS community.

We hope to see you there!

For more information on all the Commencement festivities, please click here.

Commencement 2026: Awards Ceremony
2026-05-15 17:00 - 18:00 | Chase Community Center, 164 Chelsea St., South Royalton, VT, 05068
Join us as we recognize a few exceptional students from the Class of 2026 for their outstanding service, stewardship, and leadership.

This event will take place both in person and virtually. Click here to watch the livestream.

Learn more about all the Commencement festivities by clicking here.

Commencement 2026: Online Learning Program Celebration
2026-05-15 12:30 - 13:30 | Virtual
Join us virtually to celebrate the graduates of the Online Learning Program!

Click here to join the celebration via Microsoft Teams.

Commencement 2026: Cultural Celebration
2026-05-14 17:30 - 19:00 | Chase Community Center, 164 Chelsea St., South Royalton, VT, 05068
Join us for a Cultural Celebration to honor graduating members of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA), Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA), Black Law Students Association (BLSA), and Native American Law Students Association (NALSA).

This event will take place both in person and virtually. Click here to watch the livestream.

Learn more about all the Commencement festivities by clicking here.

Moot Court Debate Simulation
2026-05-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Join us to experience a live moot court debate, followed by a Q&A session with a current student, a professor, and an alum to discuss the moot court opportunities available at Vermont Law and Graduate School.

Please register in advance by clicking here.

*This event is geared toward prospective JD students.

Emerging Issues in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementation
2026-05-06 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtual
Vermont Law and Graduate School and The Clark Group, LLC invite you to an informative webinar covering emerging issues in NEPA implementation. A group of experts from practice and government will cover a range of key topics as outlined below. There will also be time for Q&A. Please register in advance to receive the Zoom link.

Welcome and IntroductionLisa Mahoney, Esq.President and Owner, The Clark Group, LLC

Legislative and Judicial Changes Affecting NEPA PracticeChristophe Courchesne, Esq.Director of the Environmental Law Center, Vermont Law and Graduate School

Overview of Changes to NEPA and CEQ PrioritiesJomar Maldonado, Esq.Director for the National Environmental Policy Act, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)

AI and NEPAP.E. (Pam) Hudson, Esq.Environmental Attorney Hudson Danko Engineering, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB

Learn more about our esteemed panelists below.

*This webinar is eligible for continuing legal education (CLE) credit. If you live outside of Vermont, please consult your jurisdiction about obtaining credit.

Click Here to Register

Meet the Panelists

Lisa Mahoney, Esq.

Lisa Mahoney is the President and Owner of The Clark Group. Over the past twenty five years, Ms. Mahoney has served as an environmental and communications expert in both the government and private sector.

As President of The Clark Group, she manages the company’s day-to-day operations and provides clients with expertise in environmental compliance, policy, regulatory development, and communications. Her background as both an ecologist and attorney provides her with a unique understanding of and experience with how to develop and implement strategies for environmental compliance and stakeholder engagement on complex environmental issues. Ms. Mahoney previously served as Chief of Environmental Programs for the Department of Homeland Security’s US-VISIT Program and as an agency representative to the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Early in her career, Ms. Mahoney worked for the Department of Justice as an environmental protection specialist. She is a member of internationally-focused environmental organizations such as the International Association for Impact Assessment and has served as NEPA Working Group Chair for the National Association of Environmental Professionals.

Ms. Mahoney also served on the Board of the Vermont River Conservancy. Ms. Mahoney earned a Juris Doctor and Master’s Degree in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology at Tulane University.

Christophe Courchesne, Esq.

Christophe Courchesne has litigated environmental cases for nearly two decades. Before joining Vermont Law and Graduate School in 2022, he was Deputy Chief of the Energy and Environment Bureau and Assistant Attorney General at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, leading work on the climate crisis, federal policy, environmental and racial justice, and clean energy. Prior to his bureau leadership, Professor Courchesne was Chief of the Environmental Protection Division at the AG’s Office, with oversight of the division’s civil enforcement docket, federal litigation and advocacy challenging Trump-era regulatory rollbacks, and defense of Massachusetts environmental agencies. Professor Courchesne was previously a Senior Attorney at Conservation Law Foundation, an associate in the environmental, energy, and land use practices at Goodwin Procter LLP, and a law clerk for the Honorable Robert Cordy at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He has been admitted to practice in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and various federal courts.

Professor Courchesne received his Juris Doctor cum laude from Harvard Law School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, summa cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Jomar Maldonado, Esq.

Jomar Maldonado is the Director for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) at the Council on Environmental Quality. In this role, he provides policy guidance to Federal agencies and regulatory interpretation to assist with their compliance with NEPA. Jomar has over 20 years of environmental policy and legal experience within the Federal government working on environmental review matters such as NEPA, Endangered Species Act, Floodplain Management, Wetlands Protection, and similar requirements. Prior to joining CEQ Jomar worked as the Project Development Team Lead within the Office of Environmental Review and Project Development for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). His career includes experience as an environmental attorney at FHWA and as the Environmental Officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In his various roles he has worked on many complex issues such as assignment of NEPA responsibilities to states, initiatives to expedite permitting of Federal projects, resiliency/hazard mitigation, floodplain reviews, environmental review of the National Flood Insurance Program, Buy America requirements, contract administration for highway projects, environmental justice considerations, and tolling and innovative financing for highways.

Jomar is originally from Puerto Rico. In 2000, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science from the University of Puerto Rico. He earned a joint Juris Doctor and Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Maryland in 2003. Jomar teaches a National Environmental Policy Act course at the University of Maryland’s School of Law each fall. He lives in Maryland with his wife, Lynnette, and two sons, Gabriel and Miguel.

P.E. (Pam) Hudson, Esq.

Pam recently retired from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Chief Counsel after serving a long tenure with the Department of the Navy’s Office of General Counsel. She is a regular speaker on NEPA issues at environmental conferences and training seminars. She is the author of the Annual NEPA Case Law Review (2014 – Present) and has authored eighteen federal agency, academic, and peer-reviewed articles.

Her most recent experience includes serving as a senior environmental law attorney with the FAA’s Airports and Environmental Law HQ branch, and as a Deputy Counsel for Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southwest, supervising legal teams in acquisition, labor and employment, real estate, and environmental. She supported the Department of Justice litigating federal NEPA claims and drafted agency NEPA regulations and policy.

Pam provides legal sufficiency and technical reviews on projects involving airport development, transportation, construction, real estate actions, grants, acquisition actions, commercial space transportation, land withdrawals, management plans, and Navy fleet testing and training exercises.

She is an alumna of Florida State University College of Law, where she was the Beverly Stout McLear Environmental and Land Use Scholar.

Click Here to Register

Mock Contracts Lecture
2026-05-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Join Professor Joseph Brennan for a mock first-year Contracts lecture to peek inside the legal principles governing enforceable agreements.

Raising Growth Capital Beyond Vermont
2026-04-30 11:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Hosted by the Vermont Small Business Law Center, this two-hour webinar with live Q&A is designed for Vermont small businesses looking to raise larger amounts of capital and grow beyond local markets and lenders. The session focuses on national-scale capital options such as angel investment and venture capital, as well as alternative methods of fundraising.

Our team of experts will break down how outside investment works, what investor expect, and how capital decisions can affect ownership, control, and the long-term direction of your business. You will also learn common pitfalls to avoid as you scale and how to prepare your business for serious investment conversations.

Sponsored by the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), this program is ideal for entrepreneurs seeking growth-oriented capital and a clearer understanding of the legal landscape around raising national-level investment capital. Bring your questions and join the conversation.

This virtual event is free, but registration is required.

This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SSBCI-21031-0036 awarded to Vermont State Colleges/Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
