Education
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, literally, 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.
Interested in Joining Earthrise Law Center?
Clinical Training Program
Students enrolled in Earthrise Clinic during the school year work 10-12 hours per week on actual environmental cases and administrative issues under the supervision of the clinical professors of the Earthrise Law Center. The clinic represents a broad spectrum of environmental organizations seeking to prevent or reduce pollution and protect wildlife, habitat, and ecosystems.
The matters selected by Earthrise Clinical Professors provide students with the opportunity to work on environmental litigation with the same depth, complexity, and potential impact, and for the same clients, as the leading environmental advocacy law firms in the country. 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, among others:
- Problem Solving
- Legal Analysis and Reasoning
- Communication
- Legal Research
- Factual Investigation
- Organization and Management of Legal Work
Examples of student work during their Earthrise year:
- Sierra Club, et al. v. PGE Settlement Locks in Oregon’s Clean Energy Future
- Earthrise Summer Law Clerk Gains Trial Experience
For many Earthrise students, the skills and confidence they develop in the course of the year enables them to make an immediate impact for their clients as a new lawyer. Please see our Alumni Accomplishments for information on what our alumni are doing now.
Earthrise welcomes Lewis & Clark rising 2L and 3L law students to apply to join our clinical training program. The application period for the 2013/2014 school year will open soon and close on Monday, May 20. Please click here for the application form and instructions!
Tomorrow’s Advocates Program
Earthrise Law Center’s Tomorrow’s Advocates program enables select Lewis & Clark law students to work full time for Earthrise during the summer months. The application period for Summer 2013 has closed. Watch this space for next year’s application process (usually January/February).
Alumni Accomplishments
We surveyed our alums about their professional lives and memories of Earthrise. They are an impressive bunch! Read the summary report.
Education News
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4/29/13 - April 4th marked the inaugural event of the new Lewis & Clark Law School Environmental Moot Court Advocate of the Year competition. Earthrise students shined! -
4/10/13 - The application period is now open for the 2013-2014 Earthrise Law Center Clinic. Learn more and download the application form. -
LC’s Environmental Moot Court team, which consisted of third-year students Andy Erickson, Maggie Hall, and Meredith Price, took second place at this year’s national competition at Pace Law school in New York, but according to their coach, Professor Craig Johnston, that doesn’t begin to tell the story.
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Contact Us
The Earthrise Law Center at Lewis & Clark Law School is located in Wood Hall.
Email earthrise@lclark.edu
Voice (503) 768-6851
Fax (503) 768-6642
Clinical Director
Craig Johnston
Executive Director
Karen Smith Geon
Address
Earthrise Law Center at Lewis & Clark Law School, 10015 SW Terwilliger Blvd, Portland, OR 97219
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