STANDARDS & PROCEDURES

[as amended to Spring 2001]

Beginning in 1995, the Boston College Law School Environmental Law Society has administered a program granting the Certificate in Environmental and Land Use Law to students who satisfy Academic, Research & Writing, and Practical-Service Experience requirements in the field. The requirements and procedures of the Certificate program sponsored by the student organization are summarized below.

2004-2005
ELS OFFICERS
President:
Leila Amineddoleh
Programs Director:
Mandy DeRoche
Treasurer :
Andrew Vasicek
Career Development:
Jeffrey Perlman
Communications Director:
Nisha Talwar

I. ACADEMIC (Minimum of 19 credits and 6 courses with average of B or better)

Goal: To assure that students have a core of substantive knowledge.

A. Mandatory courses:

1. Environmental Law
2. Administrative Law

B. Required Course Selection: At least two of six (minimum of 6 credits from this category):

1. Land Use Law
2. Regulation of Hazardous and Toxic Materials
3. Frontiers in Environmental Law and Policy
4. Toxic Torts
5. Environmental Compliance and Performance Counseling
6. Animal Law
7. Clean Air and Clean Water
8. International Environmental Law
9. Environmental Law-Teaching Seminar
C. The remaining credits can be fulfilled by the courses below or other courses from category B.

1. International Organizations
2. Advanced Property: Property and Society
3. Advanced Property: The Commercial Lease
4. African Law and development
5. Scientific and Expert Evidence
6. Real Estate Transactions
7. Energy Law and Deregulation
8. Housing Policy and Law
9. Environmental Law Seminar: Current Topics
10. Local Government Law
11. Advanced Legal Writing &emdash; environmental focus, Professor Rooney
12. Food and Drug Regulation
13. Environmental Clinical Program, Office of Attorney-General
14. Urban Legal Laboratory Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
15. London Program: externship at FIELD, the Foundation for Internat'l Environment Law & Dev't, Univ. of London
16. Environmental Moot Court
17. Other upper level environmental/land use law courses and seminars, as available
18. Other environmental/land use-related courses (including courses at other law schools, or non-legal courses) as approved by the Certificate Committee.

II. RESEARCH AND WRITING (One of the following, subject to approval by the Committee)

Goal: The student should have experience pursuing a topic in environmental or land use law in depth, and be competent in research in matters of environmental and land use law.

1. Publish an article in the field of environmental law, preferably in a legal or environmental periodical.
2. Work as a research assistant for a professor doing research in a field of environmental law, producing a substantial written product.
3. Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review
4. Complete a significant piece of legal work product during the course of employment, internship or pro bono work.

III. PRACTICAL/PUBLIC SERVICE EXPERIENCE (One of the following).

Goal: To help student acquire practical legal skills. The practical experience should also help students explore individual areas of interest and encourage active participation and service to the community and the legal system by students from all years.

1. Testify in an administrative or legislative hearing. (This activity is feasible for first year students).
2. Independently initiated pro bono project.
3. Professional employment in environmental/land use law: Must involve legal work. [i.e. summer job ]
4. Internship with an environmental/land use law organization: The internship should entail a substantial ongoing project with appropriate supervision. [i.e. internship completed during school year]
5. BCLS Clinical program on an environmental or land use related project.
6. Other environmental or land use professional work, subject to approval of the ELS executive board.
The student must submit a brief report of the public service activity to ELS, including a brief description of the work accomplished, approximate hours worked and duties. Reports will be kept on file in the ELS office in order to assist students looking for summer jobs or internship opportunities in the future.

IV. PROCEDURE:

Students preparing an environmental/land use law specialization should establish a Certificate File with the Environmental Law Society, during the first year or early second year of their JD studies.

A month before graduation, students should prepare a folder containing an annotated copy of the Certificate's Requirements, indicating all elements they have completed or will have completed by the date of graduation, and submit the folder to the current President of the Environmental Law Society, with a copy to the faculty advisor.

The Environmental Law Society executive board will review the file as presented in the folder and prepare a recommendation. Files recommended for grant of the Certificate will be processed by the faculty advisor and Certificates prepared, to be conveyed by the president or other officer and the faculty advisor at the law school's annual pre-graduation awards convocation.

Students may not double-count classes, writing or work experiences in order to fulfill multiple requirements.