Curriculum

Each year, Berkeley Law offers a spectrum of environmental and energy law courses.  The curriculum is concerned not only with the basic legal elements—statutes, regulations, and cases—but also with the broader structure of environmental and energy law and policy. The program prepares students to navigate the existing regulatory system as well as to contribute to the ongoing process of reform.  If you are interested in a particular subject, please contact us and we are happy to discuss upcoming offerings in that area.

Also see the current environment & energy courses page, for up-to-date course offerings.


ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY COURSES

Recently offered courses include:

Introductory Courses

  • Environmental Law & Policy
  • Energy Law & Policy
  • Introduction to Energy Law
  • Introduction to Environmental Justice

E&E Electives

  • Renewable Energy Law & Policy
  • Land-Use Law
  • Ocean & Coastal Law
  • Energy Project Development & Finance
  • International Environmental Law
  • Water Law
  • Environmental Justice
  • Climate Change & the Law
  • Public Lands and Natural Resources Law
  • Environmental Transaction Law
  • Environmental Law Writing Seminar
  • The Law of Hazardous Waste
  • Disasters and the Law

Foundational Public Law Courses

  • Administrative Law
  • Legislation & Statutory Interpretation
  • Local Government Law
  • Federal Indian Law

CROSS-REGISTRATION

Berkeley Law’s environmental and energy programs are part of a larger community of
programs on the UC Berkeley campus. We encourage law students to take advantage of the classes available at other departments at UC Berkeley. Likewise, students at other departments are invited to explore the offerings in the environmental and energy fields here at law school.

More information for law students

More information for students in other departments


CONCURRENT DEGREES

Berkeley Law students can engage in multiple interdisciplinary concurrent degree programs.  If you are interested in a concurrent degree, please note that students often need to apply separately to Berkeley Law and their grad school of interest for admission into each program.  Students are encouraged to talk with the faculty at both the law and grad school of their choice in order to find potential mentors or advisors.

More information on concurrent degree programs


Field Placements

Internships and externships during the academic year provide an opportunity to apply the knowledge and ideas learned in the classroom, gain practical experience in an environmental practice, and work with practicing environmental and energy lawyers. The law school grants academic credit to students who participate in approved internships, most of which are with nonprofit environmental organizations and government agencies. A typical internship requires a commitment of two to three days each week for four to six units of credit.

Popular internships and externships with nonprofit and governmental organizations include those with:

  • Earthjustice
  • Environmental Defense Fund
  • The Nature Conservancy
  • Natural Resources Defense Council
  • The Sierra Club 
  • California Air Resources Board
  • California Attorney General’s Office 
  • California Coastal Commission
  • California Energy Commission
  • California Public Utilities Commission
  • US Environmental Protection Agency
  • US Department of Justice
  • Governor’s Office of Planning and Reserach
  • San Francisco Baykeeper
  • US Department of Agriculture
  • US Department of the Interior

Students also have held internships in organizations dealing with international environmental issues, such as the EPA’s Office of General Counsel (International Activities Division) and the International Maritime Organization.

More information on the Field Placements Program