Earthrise
Education
The Earthrise Student Experience
Earthrise Law Center provides two opportunities for rising 2L, 3L and LLM Lewis & Clark Law students: the academic year clinic and the summer clerkship.
The Earthrise Clinic
In addition to 2 hours of class time, students enrolled in the clinic during the school year work 10-12 hours per week on actual environmental cases under the supervision of the clinical professors of Earthrise Law Center. 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. Unlike an externship, enrolling in the clinic fulfills a student’s “highly specialized” requirement and professional responsibility credits and does not count toward the cap on ungraded credits.
The clinic represents regional and national environmental organizations seeking to prevent or reduce pollution and protect wildlife, habitat, and ecosystems. 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 close one-on-one and small group relationships fostered by our 1:3 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
The deadline for applications for fall of 2017 is now March 24, 2017.
Learn how to apply to the clinic.
Read below for stories involving student experiences.