LL.M. in Energy and Environmental Law

The new LL.M. program in Energy and Environmental Law at UConn School of Law will engage students and develop their expertise in global energy needs, climate change, renewable energy policy, environmental policy and land use.

Through the Center for Energy & Environmental Law, students will have the opportunity to move beyond the classroom to practice-based learning opportunities, including:

• Externships with state agencies, law firms, energy and environmental corporations, and regulated utilities;
• The Semester in DC program, which places students at such federal agencies as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy; and
• Applied research in a range of areas.

Students will have opportunities to attend lectures and events with science and research departments at the University of Connecticut and other institutions. The flexible and unique program will prepare students to integrate energy and environmental disciplines into their work, making them singularly valuable in their chosen professional fields.

UConn School of Law is in the residential West End of Hartford, Connecticut, on a lovely Gothic-style campus that is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Cultural and recreational opportunities abound in the area, which is just two hours from New York and Boston.

Degree Requirements

Students enrolled in the LL.M. program in Energy and Environmental Law at UConn School of Law must:

• Complete a minimum of 24 credits,
• Complete a 2 or 3 credit writing requirement, and
• Maintain a C+ grade point average.

International students enrolled in the LL.M. program on a visa can complete the program in two or (with permission) three consecutive semesters of full-time study beginning in the fall term in late August or in the spring term in mid-January. U.S. students can enroll either full-time or part-time with the expectation that they will graduate within five years.

All courses are open to LL.M. candidates as well as J.D. candidates, and only a few courses have required prerequisites. LL.M. students may choose to enroll in the CEEL Externship Clinic. International students are required to take both U.S. Law & Legal Institutions and Legal Research and Writing.

How to Apply

Applications are considered on a rolling basis. International student applications should generally be received by June 15th for Fall enrollment, or November 15th for Spring enrollment. Applications received before these dates will be given priority consideration. Admissions decisions will generally be made within several weeks of receipt of a complete application.

The admissions committee considers the applicant’s academic performance, intellectual curiosity, and professional experience. Admission is selective and limited to those who demonstrate academic excellence.

Eligibility to Apply

Applicants are required to hold or expect to receive a degree from an ABA-approved law school or from a recognized law faculty outside the United States before matriculating in the LL.M. program at UConn School of Law and must also meet the school’s English fluency standards.

There are a few exceptions to the degree requirements that create additional flexibility in admissions. Students who are enrolled in the first degree in law that is a five-year program may apply to the LL.M. program while in the fourth or fifth year of the first degree. Students who are enrolled in an integrated masters and Ph.D. program in law may apply to the LL.M. program when all their coursework is complete. Finally, students in a four-year first degree in law program may apply for admission in their fourth year with permission of their home institutions. The UConn School of Law LL.M. degree would be awarded after confirmation that the home institution awarded the student a first degree in law.

Important Dates

June 15, 2016 – Application Deadline for Fall Semester 2016 November 1, 2016 – Application Deadline for Spring Semester 2016 August 18, 2016 – Fall Semester Orientation