March 11, 2014

Environmental law program receives top U.S. News ranking

Lewis & Clark Law School’s Environmental Law Program tied for No. 1 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2014 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’s Environmental Law Program tied for No. 1 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2014 annual rankings of law schools. The ranking was produced through a survey of faculty from across the country teaching in the environmental law field.

“We’re thrilled to receive this honor once again,” said Robert Klonoff, dean of the law school. “Our faculty and students offer the very best to the public and private sectors, as well as the judiciary, in the way of innovative environmental policies and programs to address one of the most critical and pressing issues of our time.”

The environmental law program has consistently ranked number one or number two in the U.S. News rankings for more than 15 years. The program offers JD, LLM, and Master of Studies (for non-lawyers) degrees, and provides students one of the widest range of subject areas available in the field, as well as unique clinical and internship experiences. Students work on influential legal cases, draft public policies, and present written and oral arguments through two on-campus clinical programs—Earthrise Law Clinic or International Environmental Law Project—and the environmental moot court program.

Lewis & Clark Law School has served as a leader in the field of environmental law since it founded the program in 1970, the first of its kind in the country. It is also home to the first law journal dedicated to environmental issues, Environmental Law.

“We are always proud to be recognized by U.S. News as a leading environmental law program,” said Janice Weis, associate dean and director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program. “We are also proud to deliver a truly comprehensive program that is dedicated to teaching our students all sides of environmental and natural resources law. This means our graduates are best prepared to succeed in the courtroom and in advising clients.”

In addition to the first-place finish in the environmental law field, the law school jumped eight places to No. 72, and the part-time law program ranked No. 7 in the 2014 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.”

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