Environmental Litigation: Theory and Practice

This course enables students to engage in hands-on training and provides them with practical skills necessary for competent professional legal service in the practice of environmental law. Students will participate in weekly lectures, supplemented by pretrial and trial workshops. Through carefully designed simulation exercises, students will learn how to litigate an environmental law case from start to finish while developing a full range of practice skills such as: understanding major environmental laws and the significance of key provisions, venue, pleading, depositions, other discovery, and motions. Students will also receive instruction in relevant trial advocacy skills. The course will also briefly cover appeals and how to handle media inquiries and use media as an advocacy tool. There is a strong emphasis on experiential learning through the practice and application of basic skills in classroom exercises. The course culminates in a final simulated trial where students bring together the skills acquired throughout the semester. Students receive candid critique and feedback from the practitioners who have worked with them throughout the course. Students completing the course earn three experiential learning credits and one skills credit.