Earthrise Law Center provides two opportunities for rising 2L, 3L and LLM Lewis & Clark Law students: the academic year clinic and the summer clerkship.
Preparing tomorrow’s advocates to defend our natural heritage
Earthrise Law Center maximizes its impact through the work of talented and committed law students. While Earthrise’s staff attorneys retain ultimate responsibility for case prosecution, students play a vital role at Earthrise by participating in all phases of the clinic’s work. Students draft pleadings and motions, formulate arguments and strategy, and participate in client contacts.
In addition to receiving invaluable hands-on experience, students earn law school credit for their work with Earthrise. The environmental clinic class supplements student casework by providing additional instruction on the practice of environmental law. The class meets once per week. Class topics include informal discussions about current projects, lectures on aspects of environmental practice, and contact with local practitioners.
The environmental community reaps benefits from increasing the pool of law school graduates with substantial real-world experience and training. Earthrise students and externs are tomorrow’s advocates for our natural heritage. Many Earthrise alums now lead the charge in working to preserve and protect the environment as attorneys in public interest, government, and private practice.
Clinic class of 2024-2025
The Earthrise Clinic
Earthrise Law Center offers a 3 credit per semester clinic during the fall and spring semesters. Students enrolled in the clinic during the school year work on actual environmental cases under the supervision of Earthrise’s three clinical professors. Students are assigned to work on a variety of cases across a broad spectrum of environmental issues utilizing statutes such as the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act. They delve into the details of a case, present the facts to the class and collaboratively devise winning strategies. The matters on the docket provide students with the opportunity to work on litigation on in depth, complex, and environmentally important lawsuits. Students will interact directly with clients and make connections that will benefit their future careers. The clinic represents an array of environmental organizations seeking to prevent or reduce pollution and protect wildlife, habitat, and ecosystems.
The close one-on-one and small group relationships fostered by our 1:3 or 4 faculty-to-student ratio encourages strong student development in fundamental lawyering skills, including:
Problem Solving
Legal Analysis and Reasoning
Communication
Legal Research
Factual Investigation
Organization and Management of Legal Work
Litigation Strategy
Each week, students are expected to attend and participate in a 2-hour classroom component, meet with a supervising attorney, as well as work 10 hours outside of class on average each week on cases as assigned. Grading is currently on a pass/no pass basis, but Earthrise may adopt the grading system currently used for externships. Class attendance is mandatory. Depending on the work in the clinic, there is a possibility that a WIE paper can be completed. Prior professor permission and consent is needed. Talk to an Earthrise professor for more information. Students who enroll in Earthrise also are eligible to take Earthrise Ethics, a two-semester, one credit per semester course that satisfies the Professional Responsibility graduation requirement.
Unlike an externship, enrolling in the clinic fulfills a student’s “highly specialized” requirement and professional responsibility credits, if they take Earthrise Ethics.
To learn about How to Enroll in the Earthrise Clinic, click here.
To learn about Earthrise’s Tomorrow’s Advocates Summer Clerkship program, click here.
Lewis & Clark Law School’s Environmental Law Program tied for No. 1 in U.S. News & World Report’s2014 annual rankings of law schools. The ranking was produced through a survey of faculty from across the country teaching in the environmental law field.
Lewis & Clark Law School jumped nine places to 58th in the U.S. News & World Report 2013 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.” Lewis & Clark is also ranked one of the top 15 law schools in the western United States.
