The Clinic, which was founded in 1983, teaches students to be effective advocates for the National Wildlife Federation, other environmental justice and conservation organizations, and local governments. The course has both a clinical and a classroom component. For clinical work, students participate in administrative and civil litigation, comment on proposed rules and permits, submit public records requests, and draft legislation. Topics include environmental justice, climate change, natural resources & wildlife management, pollution control, and utility regulation. In the classroom, the focus is on representing organizations, practicing in an administrative law framework, effective client counseling, improving research skills (including through the use of AI), and obtaining public records. Students must enroll concurrently in the 4-credit clinic and the 3-credit seminar. Credits count toward New York’s pro bono requirement. There are no prerequisites or corequisites, but having taken courses that cover administrative or environmental law would certainly be helpful.
