Law Schedule of Classes

NOTE: Course offerings change. Classes offered this semester may not be offered in future semesters.

295.5E sec. 001 - Environmental Law Clinic (Fall 2026)

Instructor: Claudia Polsky  (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only | profile)
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Units: 4
Grading Designation: Credit Only
Mode of Instruction: In-Person

Course Start: August 17, 2026
Course End: December 03, 2026

Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 14
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 16
As of: 07/31 11:49 PM


The Environmental Law Clinic focuses on Environmental Justice and Environmental Health. Our issue docket spans local to national matters, and provides hands-on opportunities for students in litigation, administrative agency practice, legislative drafting, and policy formulation. The Clinic has three goals: making students creative and effective environmental advocates; serving client needs for pro bono representation; and making an environmental difference.

The Clinic seeks to address major environmental crises of our time in a way that promotes social, racial, and economic equity. Simply put: How can we create a new green economy that is both ecologically sustainable and more just?

Admission to the clinic is by written application. Students interested in participating in the Environmental Law Clinic should go to the Clinical Program Application page in early April for information about how to apply. For the Fall semester, the application will open on April 1, and will be due on April 8. (See: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/clinics/apply-to-the-clinics/.)


The Environmental Law Clinic Seminar (Law 291A; 2 units) is a co-requisite.


Attendance at the first class is mandatory for all currently enrolled and waitlisted students; any currently enrolled or waitlisted students who are not present on the first day of class (without prior permission of the instructor) will be dropped. The instructor will continue to take attendance throughout the add/drop period and anyone who moves off the waitlist into the class must continue to attend or have prior permission of the instructor in order not to be dropped.


Requirements Satisfaction:

When this Clinic and Seminar are taken in the same semester, they are counted together as satisfying one of the following requirements:

  • Experiential Requirement OR
  • Writing Requirement - Option 2
Together, they may satisfy either the Writing Requirement OR the Experiential Requirement, but not both. The Experiential and Writing Requirements cannot be combined.

Students who want the clinic/seminar to satisfy Option 2 of the Writing Requirement must obtain instructor approval and complete a paper or series of written work, with drafts, of 30 or more pages. To receive Option 2 credit, students must submit this form:
https://na3.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=db49abd6-616e-45e4-a912-e932cd3fb15c&env=na3-eu1&acct=ae094ebe-6750-44d8-a517-9886242ff735

In addition to the above-designated requirement choice, the units from this Clinic/Seminar fulfill the Race and the Law requirement.

Please contact Student Academic Advising and Support Services (SAASS) with any questions.


Exam Notes: (None) Series of papers or assignments throughout the semester
(Subject to change by faculty member only through the first two weeks of instruction)
Course Category: Clinics
This course is listed in the following sub-categories:
Environmental and Energy Law
Race and Law
Social Justice and Public Interest

Files:

If you are the instructor or their FSU, you may add a file like a syllabus or a first assignment.

Class materials may also be available on bCourses.berkeley.edu

Readers:
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Books:
Instructor has indicated that no books will be assigned.

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