Courses

While the environmental law faculty and the CLEAR do not suggest a particular course sequence, we do suggest that you take as many of the environmental law course offerings as possible. The basic course, Environmental Law is taught every Fall semester. With one exception, Environmental Law Practice (sequenced to follow environmental law which is a pre-requisite, and thus taught in the Spring), all other classes may be taught only once every other year in either the Fall or Spring. Therefore, second and third year students interested in any of these classes should take them the semester they are offered, as they may not be offered again until two more academic years. These classes include: Interagency Environmental Cooperation, International Environmental Law: Emphasis Climate Change, Environmental Ocean and Coastal Law, Natural Resources and the Practice of Environmental Markets including Carbon Trading. UNC Law students may also take courses at Duke Law School and North Carolina Central Law School in environmental law if that course is not offered at UNC in the same semester. Descriptions of these classes may be found in the online course listings.

We also offer a course in energy law, which is related to environmental issues, and may be adding more courses in this area in the future.

Of these classes, one should focus on taking environmental law in the fall of the second year as it is a building block for many of the other classes.

Additionally, students should take Administrative Law as a building block class as soon as possible, and should also think about taking land use and real estate law. Depending on interests, other related courses may be Animal Law, Insurance Law, Health Law and others. Students may also look to avail themselves of externships with environmental organizations, such as the SELC, or a government agency. These are full time for one semester and usually taken in the third year or summer (though some second years are allowed).