The University of Colorado at Boulder Law School

LLM in Natural Resources Law

Advanced Natural Resources Law in the Heart of the Rocky Mountain West

Colorado Law’s LLM in Natural Resources Law provides U.S. and international law graduates and attorneys with advance study, research, experiential learning, and extracurricular and networking opportunities. A broader and deeper understanding of the current issues in natural resources law will significantly forward the career of anyone interested in working for law firms, universities, government, or non-profits.

Colorado Law is especially proud of its long and deep tradition in the field of environmental and natural resources law. Ranked consistently among the very best in the country, Colorado Law’s Environmental and Natural Resources Program is one of the strongest and deepest programs of its kind.

Nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, the Law School is ideally situated for the advanced study of natural resources law. Vast tracts of local, state, and federal public lands are literally at our doorstep, and the region is home to rich and diverse wildlife. Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region also boast some of the largest reserves of conventional mineral resources as well as abundant renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar.

LLM Candidates
The LLM in Natural Resources Law is designed for attorneys who want in-depth knowledge of the legal issues and doctrine involved in America’s natural resources. Colorado Law will select students from the pool of U.S. law school graduates and graduates of universities outside of the U.S. who hold a law degree or its equivalent in education or practical experience. The LLM will benefit:

• Recent law graduates who want specialized training in natural resources law
• Attorneys working in natural resources law who want specialty credentials to improve their marketability
• Attorneys who want to transition into the field or have cross-disciplinary skills
• Graduates or attorneys who may want to teach natural resources law
• International law graduates who want to study U.S. natural resources legal system

Requirements & Curriculum
LLM students choose in-depth study in a range of environmental and natural resources law courses. Students may also choose to work with clients through the clinic or work closely with faculty on a research project. To earn the LLM, students must complete 26 credit hours in courses relevant to natural resources law and policy. For international students, the program begins in early July with a specially designed course on the American legal system. For all students, the program concludes with the preparation of a major research paper suitable for publication. In order to remain in the LLM program, the student shall maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 72 and complete all required courses within one year.

Summer Courses
Introduction to American Legal Systems (Required for international students)
Electives in water law and wildlife law may be available

Fall Courses
Administrative Law*
Foundations in Natural Resources Law and Policy*
Alternative Dispute Resolution
American Indian Law I
Energy Law and Regulation
Environmental Law
Land Use Planning
Mediation
Mining and Energy Law
Natural Resources Clinic
Oil and Gas
Water Law
Seminars in natural resources law topics (vary from year to year)
Independent Legal Research

Spring Courses
Seminar in a natural resources law subject or Independent Legal Research (major research paper suitable for publication; students are encouraged to take additional time through the end of June to complete the paper)*
Advanced Natural Resources Law (Field Course)
Energy Insecurity and Sustainable Energy
International Environmental Law
Land Conservation Law
Law, Science and Policy of a Changing Climate
Legislation
Natural Resources Clinic
Public Land Law
Seminars in natural resources law topics (vary from year to year)
Graduate-level courses that satisfy LLM credit hour requirements may be available through CU-Boulder’s substantial Environmental Studies Program, with the approval of the Director of the LLM program.

Not all courses are offered each semester
*Required course, if not previously taken

Beyond Curriculum

• Colorado Law’s Natural Resources Law Center is a research and policy center dedicated to informing and influencing natural resources law and policy. The Center accomplishes its mission by engaging in research and publication, through outreach activities such as sponsoring conferences, workshops and other programs, and by engaging law students to help solve natural resources problems. The Center is the chief sponsor of the LLM Program in Natural Resources Law at Colorado Law. Through the Center and its faculty, LLM students will have the opportunity to attend meetings with policymakers, assist with Center research projects, and participate in the Center’s conferences and programs.
• Colorado Law’s Center for Energy and Environmental Security provides a nonpartisan forum to develop innovative ideas dealing with energy and environmental security issues. Since global climate change and oil scarcity present the greatest environmental challenges of the 21st century, CEES moves beyond research to create practical real-world solutions that address local, state, national, and international issues.
• Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law and Policy is a student-run journal and one of the few publications dedicated to the legal and policy implications of international environmental issues. Articles focus on global climate change, transboundary pollution, protection of biodiversity, and international environmental conventions. CJIELP offers an excellent opportunity for LLM students seeking to publish their research papers.
• The Environmental Law Society is comprised of law students with strong personal and professional interests in natural resources law and policy. Each semester they organize group service outreach activities and outdoor adventures, and each member volunteers for at least one outreach effort. The ELS raises funds for scholarships to help fund summer internships for students and to help defray the cost for students attending environmental law conferences. Society members also assist the Natural Resources Law Center to plan its annual summer Martz, now in its 30th year.
• Events & Networking: Colorado Law hosts about 300 events each year, 25 of those are on environmental and natural resources issues, from workshops and lunchtime roundtables to multi-day conferences and contemporary lectures attended by more than 300 people.
  

Faculty
Colorado’s renowned natural resources and environmental law faculty are passionate about teaching and dedicated to engaging students both in and out of the classroom. They include leading experts in their fields of interest and they have a record of success informing and influencing public policy debates at all levels of government.

Resident Faculty
William Boyd: Law, Science, and Policy of a Changing Climate; Energy Law and Regulation
Lakshman Guruswamy: International Environmental Law, Energy Insecurity and Sustainable Energy
Sarah Krakoff: American Indian Law I
Mark Squillace: Advanced Natural Resources Law (Field Course), Environmental Law
Charles Wilkinson: Public Land Law, Water Law, Foundations of Natural Resources Law

Adjunct Faculty
Ruth Becker: Land Conservation Law
Hank Brown: Legislation
Steve Clymer: Alternative Dispute Resolution
Christine Coates: Mediation
Joe Feller: Natural Resource Litigation Clinic
Roger Flynn: Mining and Energy Law
Bruce Kramer: Oil and Gas
Karin Sheldon: Water Law