Environmental Law Program

Miami Law’s Environmental Law Program is unique due to its South Florida location, enabling the focus on the prism of issues affecting the environment — from maritime to real estate to land use to the cruise industry to environmental law to law of the sea. The Program also offers a unique intersectionality with other University of Miami graduate programs in marine affairs, land use, architecture, and business. With a Concentration in Environmental Law and an Environmental Justice Clinic, the program trains students to become future attorneys, policy makers, and scholars in the field of environmental law locally, nationally, and internationally.

 

Academics

The Environmental Law Program offers a wide array of opportunities both in and out of the classroom for students to pursue focused studies on environmental law.

Cards

Environmental Justice Clinic

The Environmental Justice Clinic (EJC) advocates for and seeks to empower low-and moderate-income communities who disproportionately bear the environmental, economic, and health burdens of the development, implementation, and enforcement of the law. It was launched in 2016 as Environmental Justice Project in Miami Law’s Center for Ethics and Public Service under Professor Tony Alfieri and later became full-fledged clinic.

Concentrations

For students who wish to focus on environmental law in their legal studies, Miami Law enables them to pursue an Environmental Law Concentration or Area of Focus. Students who meet all requirements receive a notation in their transcript.

UN Climate Change Treaty Negotiations

Through the efforts of ELP Director Jessica Owley, the University of Miami has obtained official accredited observer status in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) treaty-making meetings. UM students have participated in the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP) since 2019 as part of their coursework in UN Climate Change Negotiations. Attending the annual COP is an invaluable tool to learn about international negotiations and the treaty-making process.

Everglades Law & Policy Field Course

This compressed course will provide an overview of the law and policy of Everglades restoration through a blend of field visits and classroom learning. It covers state and federal environmental regulations and legal frameworks, and their implications. This class is held off-campus in the Everglades.

  • Applications for the 2025 Field Course are now closed. Please watch this space for further announcements.

Cards

Joint Degrees

For students who wish to pursue an in-depth specialization in the law and its intersection with related sciences, the Program builds on the University of Miami’s outstanding joint degree programs.

Events

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  • 2024-25 Environmental Law and Policy Hack

    Final Round:
    • Date & Time: March 24, 2025, 09:45 AM - 12:45 PM
    • Venue: Frost Institute of Chemistry and Molecular Science
    • Format: Hybrid - Zoom link available on request to Valerie Fajardo (rvfajardo@law.miami.edu)
    • Finalists:
      • Chapman University School of Law
      • Makerere University School of Law
      • University of Pittsburgh School of Law
    • Competition Judges:
      • Anya Freeman, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Kind Designs
      • Keith Hirokawa, Distinguished Professor of Law, Albany Law School
      • Mauricio Rodas, Visiting Fellow, Penn Institute for Urban Research & Former Mayor, Quito, Ecuador

    The University of Miami School of Law and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University are hosting the final round of the 2024-25 Environmental Law and Policy Hack Competition. The Hack Competition is a problem-solving event that invites students across the world to propose an innovative and practical response to a current environmental challenge and awards seed funding to support implementation of the winning concept. 

    This year’s Hack Competition challenged participants to reimagine how capital can flow to nature-based solutions and resilient infrastructure. In this final round, the teams will be presenting their innovative approaches—ranging from policy interventions and regulatory changes to new financial structures—to scale investment in projects that protect communities, improve health outcomes, and build climate resilience.

    Announcement @ NY Climate Week! Competition Details
       

  • Books & Beverages with Prof. Rob Verchick

    The Octopus in the Parking Garage: A Call for Climate Resilience

    The Environmental Law Program proudly presents Books & Beverages with Prof. Rob Verchick to discuss his latest book, The Octopus in the Parking Garage: A Call for Climate Resilience, winner of the 2023 Choice of Outstanding Academic Title. Miami Herald’s lead climate change reporter, Alex Harris, will be leading the session, which will feature key themes, including risk management, adaptation, and climate resilience as climate justice.

    This event is part of Resilience 365, a two-day conference during Miami Climate Week organized by the UM Climate Resilience Institute. It is co-sponsored by the Environmental Law Society, Office of Sustainability, Abbess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, Rosenstiel School Department of Environmental Science and Policy, School of Communication Department of Journalism and Media Management, HOPE Public Interest Resource Center, and Office of Intellectual Life.

    Register  Buy the book

     

    Headshot of Speaker 1 Headshot of Speaker 2 The Octopus in the Parking Garage Book Cover 

  • 2025 Environmental Law Writing Award


    The Environmental Law Program and the Environmental Justice Clinic are giving the 2025 Environmental Law Writing Award to a student or group of students who have produced exceptional written work that focuses on environmental law.

    We welcome insightful and impactful papers on topics such as climate change, environmental justice, sustainable development, air and water quality, land use, ocean and coastal law, and other related areas of environmental law. 

    Submission Guidelines
    1. This award is open to all UM Law students.

    2. Your paper should address a topic in environmental law.

    3. Submissions must be student work. If co-authored, all authors must be current UM Law students.

    4. The paper should be at least 15 pages, double-spaced.

    5. Citations should follow the Bluebook Rules of Citation.

    6. Please anonymize your submission (no identifying information in the document).

    The deadline for submissions is March 11, 2025. Questions can be directed to Valerie Fajardo at rvfajardo@law.miami.edu

Student Life

With the guidance of ELP faculty and partners in learning, our students have participated and won in renowned domestic and international competitions.

Competitions

Cards

National Environmental Moot Court Competition

Hosted by Pace Law School and well-known for its challenging problems, the event attracts teams from all over the United States.

International Environmental Moot Court Competition

The Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition is the world's largest moot court competition devoted exclusively to global environmental challenges. Regional rounds are held in Africa, East Asia, Eastern and Central Europe, Ireland, India, Latin America, North America, and Southeast Asia. The International Finals are held at Stetson University College of Law.

Environmental Law and Policy Hack Competition

The Law and Policy Hack is an exciting competition organized by Pace Law School. This year, it is co-organized by the Environmental Law Program. In the Law and Policy Hack, students are given a real life problem and work with an interdisciplinary team to propose a solution. Miami Law sent a team for the first time in 2021 and placed in the top three and qualified for the finals.

Student Organizations

Accordion Group

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  • Environmental Law Society

    Examines policy issues and career opportunities in environmental law and promotes the environmental interests of the school and students to the local and national community. It also hosts lectures and networking opportunities.

    Learn More

  • Maritime Law Society

    The maritime law society educates its members in the field of maritime law and supports the area’s maritime community via lectures and events with the Admiralty Bar.

    Learn More

  • Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Law Society

    The society focuses on several aspects of real estate law including real estate transactions, development, probate, trusts & estates, construction, finance, and hospitality.

    Learn More

  • Student Animal Legal Defense Fund

    This program enhances the welfare and legal status of all nonhuman animals; its primary goals are to educate concerning the issues and laws that affect animals and to influence positive change.

    Learn More

Help Us Make a Difference

The Environmental Law Program benefits from the generous charitable contributions to offer high-quality and timely instruction in environmental law and adjacent legal fields to the University of Miami’s law and graduate students.

If you're interested in contributing to our work, please contact Valerie Fajardo at rvfajardo@law.miami.edu

 

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