Water and Environmental Law Certificate of Concentration
Water and Environmental law lies at the intersection of environmental responsibility and society's use of and impact on the natural world. The curriculum spans local, national and international laws. Professional opportunities vary from advocacy to regulatory compliance. This concentration provides McGeorge students with an opportunity to deeply explore the body of knowledge necessary to pursue a career working in water and environmental law.
How to Apply
Apply by submitting the online application, which requires that you attach your resume and Statement of Purpose (at least 200 words on why you want to obtain the certificate of concentration and how it fits into your career goals). This application should be submitted at your earliest stages of planning, and in no case may be submitted after the Add/Drop Deadline of your final law school term. Students must schedule an appointment with the Faculty Director to plan their required curriculum and activities.
Requirements & Curriculum
Students must complete three required and at least two elective courses as designated below for a minimum of 13 total units (nine required plus at least four elective units including a capstone). Not every course will be offered every academic year so please plan carefully. Please contact the Concentration Directors if you need course planning assistance.
One elective must be the capstone course with a significant writing requirement, as designated by the Concentration Directors each academic year. For Directed Research, Externships for Credit, or Legislative & Public Policy Clinic, work must be focused on water or environmental issues and approved in advance by the concentration directors. Upon request and approval, the Concentration Directors may vary the requirements of this program for good cause.
| 13 units minimum required for completion of Concentration | ||
| CORE COURSES (complete all three) | ||
| LAW 230 | Water Resources Law | 3 |
| LAW 500 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| LAW 507 | Environmental Law | 3 |
| ELECTIVE COURSES (complete one or more from this list) | ||
| LAW 235 | Environmental Practice | 3 |
| LAW 509 | Special Topics in Environmental Law (Ocean & Coastal Law) | 2 or 3 |
| LAW 510 | Natural Resources Law | 3 |
| LAW 511 | Climate Change Law & Policy | 2 |
| LAW 560 | Land Use Planning | 2 |
| LAW 620 | International Environmental Law | 3 |
| LAW 621 | International Water Resources Law Seminar | 3 |
| LAW 990 | Directed Research (Advance approval required) | 1-2 |
| Externship with an environmental or water law focus (Advance written approval required; a maximum of three Externship units may be earned towards the elective courses requirement) | 3 | |
| ADDITIONAL ELECTIVE COURSES (optional to complete up to one from this list) | ||
| LAW 209 | Local Agency Practice | 2 |
| LAW 576 | Cap. Lawyering and Pol. Making | 2 |
| LAW 853 | Legislative & Public Policy Clinic | 3 |
Questions?
Contact Professors Jennifer Harder jharder@pacific.edu | 916.739.7189 or Rachael Salcido rsalcido@pacific.edu | 916.739.7354, co-directors of the Water and Environmental Law Certificate of Concentration
