Natural Resources Law Institute

The Natural Resources Law Institute (NRLI) provides a focus for legal scholarship at Lewis & Clark’s law school. The NRLI supports work by an annual research fellow, distinguished faculty visitor, and visiting scholars from around the globe, as well as faculty research. The institute has coordinated more than 20 educational programs dealing with natural resources law, several of which have been conducted nationwide. NRLI also conducts intensive, specialized environmental law trainings for federal judges, government agencies, and judges and lawyers in other countries.

The Institute cosponsors with a student group, Environmental Law Caucus, an annual series of Environmental Colloquia at the law school, attracting local, regional, and national speakers on a range of topics. These colloquia are free and open to the public.

NRLI provides nearly all of the law clerks under contract to the Bonneville Power Administration’s Office of General Counsel. Students placed at BPA work on issues of fish and wildlife restoration, regional power management, environmental impacts, endangered species, and rate setting.

The NRLI News, a biannual newsletter, reports on activity at the law school and provides a variety of information useful to practitioners and scholars on environmental and natural resources issues in short, informative articles.