SUMMER
IN VERMONT 2025
LIST OF COURSES BY TERM
TERM ONE
Animal Undercover Investigations
Climate and Environmental Sustainability
FAA5360
CLM5901.01
Ecology ENV5430
Food System Equity and Critical Race Theory
Introduction to Cannabis Law
Ocean and Coastal Law
EJU5220
FAA5901.01
ENV5423
Three Essentials of the Electric Grid
Module A:
Engineering Essentials
Module B: Business Essentials
Module C: Legal Essentials
TERM TWO
Biodiversity Protection
Environmental Justice
Farmworkers and the Law
ENG5510
ENG5511
ENG5512
ENV5412
EJU5446
FAA5350
Land Conservation Law ENV5474
Offshore Wind Permitting ENG5402
TERM THREE
Federal Environmental Policy Under Trump II
International Climate Litigation
Prosecuting Environmental Crimes
Renewable Energy Development
The Rights of Nature
TERM FOUR
Animal Welfare Science and Ethics
Environmental Governance Field Study
Global Environmental Governance
Introduction to Global Energy Law and Policy
ENV5901.01
CLM5902.01
ENV5902.01
ENG5901.01
ENV5903.01
ANM5902.01
ENV5224
ENV5904.01
ENG5902.01
Introduction to the Farm Bill FAA5902.01
Montana Public Lands Field Study
ENV5905.01
Editor: Donna Kowalewski
Cover Image: “Election Night Moon,” Wall Quilt © Anne Standish, Cambridge, Vermont annestandish.com
Quilt based on a photo by Peter Ralston, Rockport, Maine. November 7, 2022 ralstongallery.com
SUMMER SESSION
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND POLICY
Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) has led the nation in environmental law and policy education since our founding fifty years ago. Our multidisciplinary program is not only the largest, but also consistently ranks among the best. At its heart is a mission to develop leaders who are committed to environmental protection and adept at working at the intersection of law, policy, science, economics, and ethics. Among our many degrees, we offer an Executive Master of Environmental Policy (EMEP), Master of Climate and Environmental Policy (MCEP), Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL), and Master of Public Policy (MPP) with tracks in animal protection, clean energy, justice reform, and food and agriculture. We also offer LLM degrees in Environmental Law, Energy Law, Food and Agricultural Law, and Animal Law, as well as joint degrees that allow students to combine a JD degree with any of the master’s or LLM degrees.
For more information on applying to Vermont Law and Graduate School’s degree programs, contact the Admissions Office at 888-277-5985, admiss@vermontlaw.edu, or visit our website at vermontlaw.edu
THE FACULTY
Summer Session faculty include Vermont Law and Graduate School professors and practitioners in specialized fields. Visiting faculty come from national and international nonprofit organizations, environmental groups and research centers, consulting firms, federal and state government agencies, academic programs at other law schools, and private practice.
THE STUDENT BODY
Students attending Summer Session include Vermont Law and Graduate School JD, master’s, and LLM candidates; JD candidates from other law schools; and non-degree-seeking students such as environmental journalists, practicing attorneys, and citizen advocates.
DISTINGUISHED ENVIRONMENTAL SCHOLARS
Eachsummer,theschoolhostsscholarswhopresentlecturesandparticipateincolloquia andinformalgatheringsofstudentsandfaculty.Our2025scholarsare:
ClimateLawScholar: Madison Condon, Boston University School of Law
EnergyLawScholar: Mijin Cha, University of California Santa Cruz
EnvironmentalLawScholar: Marianne Engelman Lado,Director of the Environmental Justice Lab at New York University School of Law
AnimalLawScholar: Kristen Stilt, Brooks McCormick Jr. Animal Law & Policy Program, Harvard Law School
HOT TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW LECTURE SERIES
A midday lecture series on a wide range of current issues in environmental law runs throughout the summer.This free, online series is open to the public.The lectures are each worth oneVermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.
SUMMER HOUSING
Apartments and homes in South Royalton and the surrounding towns are available for sublet fromVermont Law and Graduate School students.Visit our housing database at vermontlaw.edu/housing.
THE AREA
TheWhite River, which borders the campus, offers swimming, canoeing, tubing, and fishing. Scenic back roads are favored by cyclists and runners. Hikers enjoy the local hills as well as the Appalachian and LongTrails nearby. South Royalton is a two-and-ahalf hour drive from Boston and Montreal.
CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION (CLE)
Practicing attorneys may take summer courses for Continuing Legal Education credits. Vermont Law and Graduate School is an accredited provider of CLE credits for Vermont; residents of other states should check with their state bar association for CLE credit guidelines.
TERM ONE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Weekend Intensive: Animal Undercover Investigations (2 credits)
FAA5360
May 29, 1 to 5 pm; May 30, 1 to 5 pm; May 31, 8 am to 12 pm and 1 to 5 pm; June 1, 8 am to 12 pm and 1 to 5 pm
Cheryl Leahy
What are undercover investigations? Why do animal advocacy organizations conduct them? In this course, students will explore a variety of legal considerations as they relate to conducting undercover investigations of animal operations. Specifically, students will examine the intersection of criminal law, tort, and ethical issues, as well as what does and does not constitute actionable animal cruelty. We will discuss evidentiary issues, taking action, pursuing litigation, and corporate liability. We will examine how undercover investigations have changed the legal landscape for animals as well as the methods by which the industry has pushed back at this animal advocacy tactic. Throughout the course, we will discuss the ways in which undercover investigations and resultant prosecutions implicate social justice issues, assessing whether the stated goal of deterrent effect outweighs the potential disparate impact on individual low-wage workers.
Weekend Intensive: Climate and Environmental Sustainability (1 credit)
CLM5901.01
June 6, 11 am to 1 pm and 3 to 5 pm (Burlington, Vt.); June 7, 11 am to 1 pm and 3 to 5 pm (South Royalton, Vt.)
Karen McGaffey
This course will provide an in-depth look at current climate and sustainability
regulation, as well as the issues arising from voluntary climate pledges and sustainability policies. Although the course will focus on laws in the United States, it will consider them within the broader context of international efforts. Students will develop a strong understanding of current legal requirements, the factors driving companies to develop and implement climate and sustainability policies, laws governing “greenwashing,” and best practices for complying with and anticipating legal requirements in this area.
Ecology (3 credits)
ENV5430
June 2, 4, 9, and 11, 9 am to 12 pm; June 3, 5, 10, and 12, 9 am to 4 pm
Walter Poleman and Tom Lautzenheiser
Ecology is an integrative science that can provide insight into many contemporary environmental problems. Through visits to a variety of field sites in central Vermont, readings, and lectures, this course will explore the principles of ecology using a handson, interdisciplinary approach. Course work stresses the inventorying of biotic and physical components of a landscape (pieces), examining how these pieces are distributed (patterns), and determining what forces drive these patterns (processes). Topics will include interpreting the natural and cultural histories of a landscape, biodiversity conservation, and the scientific method, among others. This course requires minimal previous scientific understanding. This is a limitedenrollment course.
Weekend Intensive: Food System Equity and Critical Race Theory (1 credit)
EJU5220
May 30, 1 to 5 pm; May 31, 9:30 to 11:30 am and 1:30 to 4 pm; June 1, 9 am to 12 pm
Dãnia Davy
At the turn of the twentieth century, Blacks owned 16-19 million acres of land; today, they own less than two million acres. Significant legislation and institutional policy perpetuate antiblack racism, which is firmly rooted in disproportionate property dispossession. The corresponding wealth inequities in land have far-reaching implications for political, economic, and health inequities. This course will explore the unique opportunities presented by agriculture system policy to create a model for eliminating systemic anti-blackness. The course will lay an analytical foundation through examining readings on critical race theory and agriculture policy. The course will explore, as a case study, the policy priorities of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, a nonprofit cooperative association serving Black farmers, landowners, and cooperatives as they advocate for a community-led, cooperatively owned, equitable food system.
Weekend Intensive: Introduction to Cannabis Law (1 credit)
FAA5901.01
June 6, 11 am to 1 pm and 3 to 5 pm (Burlington, Vt.); June 7, 11 am to 1 pm and 3 to 5 pm (South Royalton, Vt.)
Benjamin Varadi and Timothy Fair JD’12
Cannabis law is a rapidly evolving field, integrating constitutional, administrative, criminal, agricultural, and transactional law. In this intensive survey, we will explore these and other essential considerations through a practitioner’s lens. Our analysis of contemporary law and policy will be informed by historical context as we discuss how to counsel clients and engage with lawmakers in shaping the future of newly regulated industries.
Ocean and Coastal Law (3 credits) ENV5423
May 27–30, June 2–5 and 9–12, 9 am to 12 pm
Josh Eagle
Long neglected by lawmakers despite its essential ecological functions, the marine environment has increasingly been the focal point of conservation and natural resource management efforts. As a foundation for studying the laws that govern the marine environment, the course considers the natural components of estuarine, coastal, and marine ecosystems and the current conservation issues confronting them. We will review domestic and international laws and treaties relating to coastal management, pollution, protected areas, endangered species, fisheries, marine mammals, wetlands, marine spatial planning, and offshore energy resources, and examine alternative approaches to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. The course considers the effectiveness of these legal regimes in providing rational and comprehensive management and protection of marine resources in the face of emerging threats from climate change, crashing fish stocks, and energy shortages, focusing on current events such as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the International Whaling Commission debate over commercial whaling, and climate change threats to the Arctic.
Three Essentials of the Electric Grid (three 1-credit modules)
Module A: Engineering Essentials ENG5510
May 27–30, 9 am to 12 pm
Chris Root
The engineering realities of energy infrastructure systems can greatly constrain the choices that lawyers and policy analysts might otherwise make. This module will cover the engineering fundamentals inherent in electric power grids and will explain how these
engineering realities affect market and regulatory choices.
Module B:
Business Essentials
June 2–5, 9 am to 12 pm
Steven Letendre
ENG5511
This module will explore the key aspects related to the finances of the electric grid with a particular focus on understanding energy project finance and economics, including how they relate to a utility’s revenue requirement. The course will introduce students to basic financial statements, the importance of understanding tax impacts, and how to construct and evaluate a basic financial model for a distributed energy project, such as a solar or energy storage resource.
Module C: Legal Essentials ENG5512
June 9–12, 9 am to 12 pm
Caroline Reiser
With the rise in urgency to address the climate crisis, the U.S. will need to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy. This module will examine this transition in the electric power sector, exploring in practice how the power of law and policy can be brought to bear through clean energy advocacy to make much-needed progress on mitigating the worst impacts of climate change. Through classroom discussion and exercises, this course will use real case studies related to “hot” issues for today’s electricity regulators, stakeholders, and market participants and explore substantive policy and skillsbased knowledge, demonstrating how practitioners in the field are advancing clean energy policies at the national, regional, state, and local levels.
TERM TWO
Biodiversity Protection (2 credits)
ENV5412
June 16–18 and 23–26, 8:30 am to 12 pm
David Takacs
Across the globe, wildlife and its habitat are increasingly threatened by human-caused habitat destruction, exploitation, poaching, illegal trade, invasive species, disease, and climate change. This course examines what biodiversity is, the growing threats to it, and U.S. and international laws to combat those threats. The course focuses on statutes, case law, environmental ethics, and current controversies to highlight legal, scientific, and political strategies for protecting biodiversity. Particular emphasis is placed on the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Environmental Justice (2 credits)
June 16–18 and 23–26, 1 to 4:30 pm
EJU5446
TBD
Since 1979, the environmental justice movement is aimed at avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating proportionately adverse human health and environmental impacts, including social and economic impacts, on minority, indigenous, and/or lowincome communities, and for those communities to be engaged meaningfully in environmental decision-making processes. This course examines this environmental and public health problem. It explores how environmental justice concerns are framed and addressed/resolved through, among other things, acts of civil disobedience;
federal, state and local government initiatives; litigation; citizens’ suits; public comment letters; collaborative problem solving; and alternative dispute resolution. This course examines the extrinsic link between environmental justice and sustainable development, and how the EPA, the ABA, and NGOs have been engaged in a number of initiatives to secure sustainable communities for all in the U.S.
Weekend Intensive: Farmworkers and the Law
(1 credit)
FAA5350
July 20–22, 10 am to 12 pm and 1 to 3 pm
Emma Scott
There are over two million farmworkers growing, tending, harvesting, and packing agricultural products in the United States, yet they have long been excluded from core labor protections. This course looks at the ways law and policy have failed these essential workers and the movements, campaigns, and worker-led initiatives seeking to address these deficits. The course materials bring together sociological insights with legal analysis to ensure students understand the context in which law and policy operate. Focus areas include wage and hour law, the H-2A visa program, the joint employer standard, occupational health and safety, and worker-led organizing efforts.
Land Conservation Law (2 credits)
ENV5474
June 16–18 and 23–26, 8:30 am to 12 pm
Jessica Jay JD/MSEL’97
Increasingly important in our efforts to protect ecological diversity, climate resiliency, historic places, working lands, scenic viewsheds, open spaces, and public uses of land are conservation tools and processes such as donation of conservation easements, purchase of sensitive lands, and private/public partnerships for land conservation. Students will research and review the
swiftly developing body of law and legal issues accompanying the use of conservation easements and will gain a practical understanding of both the legal and nonlegal dimensions of land conservation transactions involving conservation easements. In addition, students will actively engage in the progression of a conservation easement transaction, beginning with early negotiations, drafting, and financial/ tax analysis, and proceeding along a spectrum to donation, amendment and termination evaluation, violation, and enforcement. Each student will be responsible for engaging in role-playing exercises throughout the conservation transaction process to assess various financial/tax scenarios, identify and resolve disputes related to the conservation transaction, and negotiate and draft a conservation easement.
Offshore Wind Permitting (1 credit)
ENG5402
June 20, 1 to 5 pm; June 21, 9:30 to 11:30 am and 1:30 to 4 pm; June 22, 9 am to 12 pm
Joshua Belcher JD/MSEL’08
Offshore wind development in the U.S. is a multi-billion dollar industry with companies investing in offshore leases from the federal government and in the development, construction, and operation of massive offshore wind farms. This course will examine the statutory and regulatory frameworks that govern offshore renewable energy leases, the permitting requirements associated with project development and construction, and the ways in which permitting requirements have been challenged in courts and by the recent change in administration. Students completing this course will obtain a firm understanding of the permitting framework for offshore wind projects and the potential legal challenges associated with their development, construction, and finance.
Federal Environmental Policy
Under Trump II (1 credit)
July 7–10, 9 am to 12 pm
Sean Donahue
TERM THREE
ENV5901.01
In this course we will survey the second Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts broadly to alter federal environmental policy, including its efforts to undo numerous Biden Administration rules and to reverse or terminate numerous federal climate policies. We will examine the roles of legislation, litigation, rule-making, and public advocacy for supporters and opponents of these efforts. Course requirements will include readings, participation in class discussions, and a short paper.
International Climate Litigation (1 credit)
CLM5902.01
include a simulated argument before an international tribunal, providing practical experience in international legal proceedings. No prior exposure to international law, climate law and policy, comparative law, or international tribunals is expected or required.
Prosecuting
Environmental Crimes (1 credit)
ENV5902.01
July 14–17, 1 to 4 pm
Deborah L. Harris
July 14–17, 9 am to 12 pm
David A. Wirth
This course examines the rapidly evolving field of international climate litigation. Students will explore legal actions addressing climate change across various jurisdictions and tribunals, including the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). A focal point of the course will be an in-depth examination of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on the obligations of states in respect of climate change, currently under advisement with a judgment expected in 2025. The course also addresses structural attributes and examples of climate litigation in foreign jurisdictions such as the Netherlands, Colombia, Pakistan, Germany, and Australia. The course emphasizes skill development, enabling students to effectively address emerging issues in this dynamic field. It will likely
Congress established three avenues for enforcing federal pollution and wildlife statutes—administrative, civil, and criminal. This course explores when criminal prosecution is the appropriate choice and how to build the most impactful case. See, through past prosecutions, how to raise public awareness of and change conduct that threatens human health and the environment.
Renewable Energy Development
(1 credit)
July 7–10, 9 am to 12 pm
ENG5901.01
Brian Potts JD’04 and Karen McGaffey
This course will provide an in-depth look at the legal and regulatory issues associated with the development and project financing of renewable energy projects such as wind, hydro, solar, and battery storage. After completing this course, students will have a solid understanding of how to help vet the economics of renewable projects and get them permitted, financed, built, hooked-up to the grid, and operational.
The Rights of Nature (1 credit)
July 7–10, 9 am to 12 pm
James Salzman
ENV5903.01
Can law save the planet? This course investigates a legal movement that in recent years has been the subject of enormous interest and excitement both in the United States and abroad. Known as the Rights of Nature, this approach
begins from the premise that existing environmental law is inadequate to the problems of climate change, mass extinction, and habitat loss. It proposes strategies based on granting legal personhood to aspects of nature. The course explores both the promise and problems with this strategy around the globe while also excavating the field’s origins, current practice, and future.
TERM FOUR
Animal Welfare Science and Ethics (1 credit)
ANM5902.01
July 28–31, 1 to 4 pm
Heather Rally
A broad and rapidly evolving field of law has developed concerning the welfare of animals that are used for a variety of human purposes, including food, entertainment, research, and companionship. Animals used for these purposes often endure a wide range of abuses that diminish animal welfare while also having an impact on humans. Public views about such uses of animals are rapidly changing. The class will combine traditional principles of animal welfare laws and advocacy with laws typically applied in the wildlife conservation context, such as the Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts. This class will examine the role of law in understanding and reforming the relationship between humans and animals and improving the condition of animals maintained for human profit and entertainment. Students in the class will learn the role of legal institutions and regimes in promoting animal welfare. Past and current litigation, regulatory, and legislative efforts on behalf of animal welfare will be covered, with case studies and current developments.
Environmental Governance Field Study (1 credit)
ENV5224
Week of August 4 (Offsite in China)
Robert Percival
Following the Global Environmental Governance course, students are invited to participate in an optional field trip, contingent on the state of travel restrictions, where they can examine firsthand how developing countries are using law to cope with environmental challenges. Prerequisite: Global Environmental Governance. Instructor permission is required; contact the Environmental Law Center for further information.
Global Environmental Governance (1 credit)
ENV5904.01
July 21–24, 1 to 4 pm
Robert Percival
This course introduces students to the challenges faced by developing countries in creating, implementing, and enforcing effective environmental laws and policies. It compares systems of environmental governance in developing countries with a particular focus on countries in Asia and Africa. Many of these countries,
despite accounting for only small shares of global environmental problems like climate change, are among the principal victims of them. Building on the work of Vermont Law’s U.S.-Asia Partnership, this course examines several case studies that illustrate how environmental law and policy is evolving in the developing world.
Introduction to Global Energy Law and Policy (1 credit)
ENG5902.01
July 28–31, Time TBD
Anna Butenko
This course explores the current policy framework in a particular region outside of the United States with a focus on clean energy policies. The course will explore the region’s policy development process, the current energy policy framework, policies implementing global and regional climate commitments, and emerging issues.
Introduction to the the Farm Bill (1 credit)
FAA5902.01
July 21–24, 9 am to 12 pm
Jonathan Coppess
Throughout the history and political development of federal food and agricultural policies—from their origin in the 1930s (the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl) through the most recent farm bill debate in Congress—American food and agricultural policies have been the subject of strenuous debate and criticism. Contemporary criticisms include concerns about the health of people and the environment, while other concerns focus on federal spending and governmental footprint. Much attention is focused on the Farm Bill, omnibus Federal legislation that authorizes myriad food and agricultural policies for the nation. This class provides an introduction to these policies and to the difficult, complex, but incredibly resilient Farm Bill. The class is designed to introduce federal agricultural and food policies while also helping develop an
understanding of public policymaking, Congress, and Federal legislation. It will cover farm assistance, risk management, natural resource conservation, lowincome food assistance, and other related policies. Students will also learn about the Congressional budget disciplines and partisan polarization, with a focus on the impacts these have had on the process of policymaking and legislating. At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to understand the scope of the Farm Bill, analyze the programs and policies authorized by it, and articulate nuanced views on the substantive policy issues, political dynamics, and legislative processes of the modern Farm Bill.
Montana Public Lands Field Study (2 credits)
ENV5905.01
July 21–25 (Offsite in Montana)
Chelsea L.M. Colwyn MELP’11
TheMontanaFieldStudy is a unique experientiallearningopportunity. ThisclassfocusesonNationalForest Management.Studentsexperienceforest management,wilderness,recreation,and roadlessissuesfirst-handinthewildsof MontanaandIdaho.Almosttheentireclass isheldinthefield;wecampandhikeinto remoteplaces.Instructorpermissionis required;contacttheEnvironmentalLaw Centerforfurtherinformation.
SUMMER 2025 COURSES BY CATEGORY
TERM ONE
See pages 3-5 for course info
TERM TWO
See pages 5-6 for course info
ANIMAL LAW
LAND USE
ETHICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Ocean and Coastal Law
Biodiversity Protection
Ecology
Land Conservation Law
Environmental Justice
INTERNATIONAL
Ocean and Coastal Law
FIELD STUDY Ecology
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
ENERGY
WEEKEND INTENSIVES
Ocean and Coastal Law
Three Essentials of the Electric Grid
Climate and Environmental Sustainability
Animal Undercover Investigations
Introduction to Cannabis Law
Food System Equity and Critical Race Theory
Land Conservation Law
Farmworkers and the Law
Offshore Wind Permitting
TERM THREE
See pages 7-8 for course info
TERM FOUR
See pages 8-9 for course info
Animal Welfare Science and Ethics
The Rights of Nature
Federal Environmental Policy Under Trump II
Prosecuting Environmental Crimes
International Climate Litigation
Montana Public Lands Field Study
Animal Welfare Science and Ethics
Introduction to Global Energy Law and Policy
Global Environmental Governance
Montana Public Lands Field Study
Environmental Governance Field Study
Animal Undercover Investigations WEEKEND INTENSIVES
Food System Equity and Critical Race Theory
Food System Equity and Critical Race Theory
Farmworkers and the Law
Renewable Energy Development
Introduction to the Farm Bill
Introduction to Global Energy Law and Policy
Food System Equity and Critical Race Theory
Farmworkers and the Law
Offshore Wind Permitting
SUMMER FACULTY
JOSHUA BELCHER JD/MSEL’08
Partner, Holland & Knight LLP
Belcher has an international, multidisciplinary practice guiding clients through mergers and acquisitions, financings, project development, and energy and environmental commodities transactions, with a focus on helping companies identify and manage complex environmental and regulatory business risks. He has extensive experience in both the development and acquisition of utility-scale energy projects, including wind (onshore and offshore), solar (onshore and floating), solar plus storage, renewable natural gas, biomass, and combined heat and power facilities. He has advised several offshore developers in the nuances of federal law applicable to the leasing, siting and permitting of offshore wind projects and related infrastructure. He received his JD and Master of Studies in Environmental Law degrees from Vermont Law and Graduate School.
ANNA BUTENKO
Fulbright-Schuman Innovation Scholar at the Institute for Energy and the Environment, Vermont Law and Graduate School
Butenko is carrying out her doctoral research in energy law and economics at Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC) of Tilburg University and at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Her research focuses on regulatory responses to innovation in the energy sector, and namely on legal framework for local energy in Europe and in the Netherlands. Butenko holds a master’s degree in law from the Universities of Tilburg and Leuven and a master’s degree in European Studies from the Universities of Groningen and Uppsala. She has developed her energy
markets and regulations expertise working for the leading Dutch energy consultancy, DNV GL Oil & Gas, as a gas markets, policy, and strategy consultant for four years. Prior to joining DNV GL, Butenko worked for Gasunie, the mother-company of the Dutch gas transmission system operator, as policy and regulation analyst. She is a research fellow for the Platform on International Energy Governance, as well as board member of the Research Colloquium on Energy and Climate Governance at the Netherlands Institute of Government (NIG). Butenko is a member of the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE), European Environmental Law Forum (EELF), and the Dutch Energy Law Association (De Nederlandse Vereniging voor Energierecht, NeVER).
CHELSEA L.M. COLWYN MELP’11
Staff Attorney, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Colwyn has worked as a Fulbright Scholar in Adelaide, South Australia, studying environmental water buybacks; a research fellow with Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Water and Justice Program, studying the history of the U.S. Forest Service and California water law; a Hansard Society Research Fellow at the London School of Economics, studying England’s privatized water sector; and at American Rivers. She received her JD degree from Yale Law School, where she was selected as a Wyss Scholar for western conservation; her MELP degree from VLGS; and her BA degree from Dartmouth College.
JONATHAN COPPESS
Leonard and Lila Gardner-Illinois Farm Bureau Family of Companies Endowed Associate Professor of Agricultural Policy, Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jonathan Coppess is the author of two books on the legislative history and political development of farm policy, The Fault Lines of Farm Policy, 2018; and Between Soil and Society, 2024. He is a member of the farmdoc project and a frequent contributor to farmdoc daily. He leads the Gardner Agricultural Policy Program and the Policy Design Lab. Jonathan previously served as chief counsel for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, as well as on a temporary, part-time basis as a special counsel. Prior to his service on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Jonathan served as the administrator of the Farm Service Agency at USDA and legislative assistant to Senator Ben Nelson. Prior to his time in Washington, D.C., Jonathan was a litigation associate at Freeborn & Peters LLP in Chicago, Illinois. Jonathan grew up on his family’s farm in Western Ohio, earned his bachelor’s from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his juris doctor from The George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C.
DÃNIA DAVY
Owner, Land & Liberation LLC
With nearly twenty years of professional experience supporting historically excluded land stewards and their communities, founder Dãnia Davy, Esq., offers right-sized, expert client services in the areas of funder relations, government relations, public relations, and risk mitigation. Prior to her current role, Davy
led state-level policy advocacy for Oxfam in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Carolina, amplifying the leadership of feminine and minoritized peoples on the front lines of worker abuses and climate change. She has served as director of land retention and advocacy at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/ Land Assistance Fund. Davy began her legal career as a Skadden Fellow at the NCABL Land Loss Prevention Project, implementing a project she designed that provided community education and estate planning services to improve Black farmers’ access to legal services in the rural South. She currently serves on the board of the Southern Rural Development Center. She received her BA degree from Brown University and her JD degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
SEAN DONAHUE
Partner, Donahue, Goldberg, & Littleton Donahue’s practice is focused on appellate litigation, with a focus on complex environmental and administrative law cases in federal and state appellate courts. He served as law clerk to then-D.C. Circuit Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and to Justice John Paul Stevens. After entering practice at Jenner & Block, he spent four years at the Appellate Section of the Department of Justice’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division. Since establishing his own practice in 2002, he has represented environmental and public health organization parties in numerous major environmental and clean energy cases in the Supreme Court and the courts of appeals. He has taught at Iowa College of Law, Washington & Lee University School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, and Stanford Law School. He received his JD degree from the University of Chicago Law School.
JOSH EAGLE
Solomon Blatt Professor, Joseph F. Rice School of Law, University of South Carolina
Josh Eagle’s research focuses on natural resources law and, in particular, on property law, ocean and coastal law, and wildlife law. Professor Eagle is a co-author of two law school textbooks, Ocean and Coastal Resources Law and Natural Resources Law and Policy, and the author of many law review articles, peer-reviewed articles, and book chapters. He has served on two National Academy of Sciences study committees, multiple state working groups, and has testified before state legislatures, Congress, and at the White House. Before becoming a professor, Eagle practiced law at the National Audubon Society and the U.S. Department of Justice and helped found the Stanford Fisheries Policy Project.
TIMOTHY FAIR JD’12
Founder, Vermont Cannabis Solutions
Fair has been a vocal advocate for both cannabis and overall drug policy reform for most of his adult life. Since becoming an attorney in 2012, he has been fortunate enough to be part of the statewide movement to legalize cannabis in Vermont. Fair has been featured on a number of podcasts and radio shows, including “The Ganjapreneur Podcast,” VPR’s “Vermont Edition,” Paris Marketing’s “Creative Warrior” podcast, and a weekly segment on the “In The Weeds” radio show. Fair has spoken on the topic of cannabis law at numerous seminars and events across the country and helped design and teach the first continuing legal education course on Cannabis Business Law in Vermont. He received his JD degree from Vermont Law and Graduate School.
DEBORAH
L. HARRIS
Former Chief, Environmental Crimes Section, U.S. Department of Justice
Previously, Harris supervised an office of 42 prosecutors responsible for the prosecution of environmental and wildlife crimes nationwide. She coordinated national legislative, policy, and training efforts in the criminal enforcement program, and co-chaired the Department’s Environmental Crimes Policy Committee. She has worked in the Environmental Crimes Section since November 1999. Prior to that, she was a staff attorney for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Harris received her LLM in trial advocacy from the Georgetown University Law Center, her JD degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and her BA degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
JESSICA JAY JD/MSEL’97
Founding Partner, Conservation Law, P.C.
Jay represents easement holders and landowners to conserve working landscapes and environmentally significant properties in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West. She engages easement holders, professionals, and landowners in educational workshops. She teaches Land Conservation Law at Denver University Law School. She collaborates with the conservation community to defend conservation easements and their incentives, shape emerging conservation law and policy, and inspire new conservation endeavors. Jay received her JD and MSEL degrees from Vermont Law and Graudate School and her BA degree from Bowdoin College.
TOM LAUTZENHEISER
Senior Conservation Ecologist, Central/ West, Massachusetts Audubon Society
Lautzenheiser is an expert field naturalist concentrating on plants, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, and landscape interpretation. He is also a
skilled community ecologist with particular interest in wetlands and rich northern hardwood forests. Lautzenheiser is responsible for guiding ecological management planning for Massachusetts Audubon’s 33,000-acre sanctuary network and works with his land protection, science, and property management colleagues to ensure that Massachusetts Audubon’s activities consistently achieve their conservation goals. He received his BS degrees in biology and environmental studies from Tufts University and his MS degree in natural resource planning/ ecological planning from the University of Vermont.
CHERYL LEAHY
Director, Legal Practice Resources, The Brooks Institute
Leahy is a solo practitioner in animal law-related litigation and estate planning. Her animal law practice includes work that leverages undercover investigations. She is also the director of the newly launched Legal Practices Resources Program (PRP) at the Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy. The purpose of the PRP is to provide practical resources and a network of support to introduce and improve the skills of lawyers in representing animal interests. The PRP fills crucial gaps to move lawyers (whether newer or seasoned and no matter their primary practice discipline) with a passion for animals to effectively utilize their skills to maximize impact for animals. Leahy earned her JD from UCLA School of Law and her BA from the University of Chicago in Environmental Studies. She is a member of the bar in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and California, and is based in Los Angeles. She currently serves on a number of boards and committees, including the board of Animal Outlook, the advisory board of Animal Activist Legal Defense Project at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and the Executive Committee for the Los Angeles County Bar Association Animal Law Section.
STEVE LETENDRE, PHD
Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs, Fermata Energy
Letendre works to promote policies, regulations, and wholesale market reforms that unlock the value that V2G offers to the grid and customers. He has also worked collaboratively with numerous organizations including the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, California Air Resources Board, Green Mountain Power, and Smart Electric Power Alliance, among others. He has published over 100 technical reports and articles, which have been featured in numerous leading energy journals. Letendre holds a master’s degree in economics from Binghamton University and a doctorate in energy policy from the University of Delaware.
KAREN MCGAFFEY
Firmwide Lead, Energy Law, Perkins Coie, LLP
McGaffey has more than 30 years of experience practicing environmental and energy law. She counsels clients on compliance and regulatory matters under federal and state environmental laws, advises them on the environmental aspects of business transactions, and represents them in environmental litigation. McGaffery co-leads Perkins Coie’s national energy law practice. With an emphasis on project development, she counsels clients on the development of all types of energy facilities, including wind, solar, hydrogen, renewable fuels, electricity storage, and transmission lines. McGaffery regularly advises clients on strategic business and policy matters concerning energy facility siting, renewable energy, climate change, and sustainability.
ROBERT PERCIVAL
Director of the Environmental Law Program, Robert F. Stanton Professor of Law, University of Maryland
Percival served as a law clerk for Judge Shirley M. Hufstedler of the Ninth Circuit and for Supreme Court Justice Byron R. White, and spent six years as an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund. He has served as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School and Georgetown University Law Center. He is the principal author of the most widely used environmental law casebook. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing in 2008 and has worked with China’s Supreme People’s Court, the National People’s Congress, the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the China Council on International Cooperation for Environment and Development. He has presented lectures at more than 30 Chinese universities and in 2009 he represented the U.S. State Department on a lecture tour of China. Percival received his JD and MA degrees from Stanford University and his BA degree from Macalester College.
WALTER POLEMAN
Senior Lecturer, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont
Poleman teaches courses in integrated field science, landscape ecology, and measurements and mapping of natural resources. He also serves as the director of the Place-based Landscape Analysis and Community Engagement (PLACE) Program, a partnership of the University of Vermont and Shelburne Farms, which provides local residents with a forum for exploring and understanding the natural and cultural history of their town landscape. He received his BS degree in biology from Cornell University and his MS and PhD degrees from the University of Vermont.
BRIAN POTTS JD’04
Partner, Husch Blackwell
Potts has appeared in more than 50 administrative proceedings and dozens of federal and state court cases. He has been involved in billions of dollars’ worth of business transactions and has helped his clients obtain regulatory approvals to build more than $4 billion dollars’ worth of utility infrastructure in various states, including conventional power plants, transmission lines, wind farms, and solar facilities. He is a contributor at Forbes.com, where he regularly offers commentary on energy and environmental law topics. Potts received his LLM degree from the University of California Berkeley, his JD degree from Vermont Law and Graudate School, and his BS degree from Centre College.
HEATHER D. RALLY
Independent Consultant
Rally has led investigative and enforcement actions in cases of abuse of animals in roadside zoos, circuses, and other captive-animal exhibits in the U.S. She has specific training in marine mammals and serves on the Advisory Committee of the Whale Sanctuary Project and as a veterinarian for the Oceanic Preservation Society. She has been a featured speaker in several professional forums and has lectured on wildlife conservation and animal welfare topics at colleges and universities across the country. She has published numerous articles on ocean conservation and wildlife and is a co-author of the chapter on “Animal Welfare and the Endangered Species Act” in the third edition of the American Bar Association treatise on The Endangered Species Act Law and Policy (2021). Rally received her DVM degree from the Western University of Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, and her BS degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
CAROLINE REISER
Senior Staff Attorney, Climate & Energy, NRDC
Reiser litigates and advocates as a member of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Sustainable FERC Project, a coalition-based initiative housed within NRDC that promotes the transition to a clean, low-carbon, and sustainable energy future. She previously advocated in support of communities impacted by the nuclear fuel chain as part of NRDC’s nuclear team. Before joining NRDC, Reiser worked as an attorney for Emory Law School’s Turner Environmental Law Clinic. Reiser is a graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara and the University of Irvine School of Law.
CHRIS ROOT
Chief Operating Officer, Vermont Electric Power Company
Root joined Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) as chief operating officer in March 2014. He previously served as senior vice president of Network Strategy, a branch of National Grid. He completed the Program for Management Development at Harvard University Graduate School of Business and has authored, co-authored, and presented papers at various forums. He received his BS degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern University and his MS in engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
JAMES SALZMAN
Donald Bren Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California Santa Barbara and University of California Los Angeles
In more than seventy articles and seven books, Professor Salzman’s broad-ranging scholarship has addressed topics spanning trade and environment conflicts, the history of drinking water, environmental protection in
the service economy, wetlands mitigation banking, and the legal and institutional issues in creating markets for ecosystem services. He has lectured on environmental law and policy on every continent except Antarctica and has served as a visiting professor at Yale, Stanford, and Harvard, as well as at universities in Australia, Sweden, Israel, Italy, and Portugal. Prior to teaching, he worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the OECD, and as the European Environmental Manager for Johnson Wax. Professor Salzman received his MSc and JD degrees from Harvard and his BA degree from Yale College.
EMMA SCOTT
Director, Food and Agriculture Clinic, Vermont Law and Graduate School
Scott is an associate professor and the director of the Food and Agriculture Clinic at VLGS. Her work focuses on food system workers and food system policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Previously she served as the associate director of the Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) and a lecturer on law at Harvard Law School. Scott primarily led FLPC’s advocacy on farm bill policy, food system workers, and improvement of USDA programs and services. She was the supervising attorney for the Mississippi Delta Project and led FLPC’s partnerships in the Mississippi Delta region. Prior to joining FLPC, Scott served as an attorney-fellow at California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation in the Labor and Civil Rights Litigation Unit (supported by Justice Catalyst). At CRLAF, Scott’s practice focused on group representation of workers from immigrant communities in employment litigation, with an emphasis on farmworkers and the H-2A visa program. Before that, she clerked on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California for the Hon. John A. Mendez for two years,
assuming the position and responsibilities of senior law clerk in her second year. She received her BS in Social Sciences, magna cum laude, with a concentration in Cross-Cultural Studies and International Development, from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and her JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School.
DAVID TAKACS
Professor of Law, University of California Hastings College of the Law
Takacs has been a consultant for international NGOs and U.S. government agencies, analyzing legal and policy issues pertaining to REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and global climate change. His scholarly work addresses carbon offsetting, biodiversity conservation law, the human right to water, and legal personhood for nonhuman entities. Before his legal career, he was a professor in Earth Systems Science & Policy at CSU Monterey Bay, a lecturer in the John S. Knight Writing Program at Cornell, and a Peace Corps Forestry Volunteer in Senegal. Takacs received his JD degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law, his LLM degree from the School of Oriental & African Studies at the University of London, and his BS, MA, and PhD degrees from Cornell University.
BENJAMIN C. VARADI
Assistant Professor of Law, Vermont Law and Graduate School
Prior to joining VLGS, Varadi was an attorney in private practice, primarily representing cannabis entrepreneurs, as well as leaders in other emerging industries, regulated vices, and cultural outskirts. He was previously a partner at a New Orleans firm, a research fellow at the Tulane Center for Intellectual Property Law and Culture, managing attorney of the Common Ground Relief
Legal Clinic, and a guest lecturer at the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law Technology and Legal Innovation Clinic. He has taught continuing legal education and industry workshops on a wide variety of legal and technical topics. He is a member of the board of directors for Firefly Gathering, a permaculture and earth skills education resource. He received his JD degree from Tulane University Law School and his BA degree from Burlington College.
DAVID A. WIRTH
Professor of Law, Boston College Law School
Wirth teaches environmental, administrative, public international, and foreign relations law. Previously, he was senior attorney and co-director of international programs for the Natural Resources Defense Council and attorneyadvisor for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs for the U.S. Department of State. He is the author of more than five dozen books, articles, and reports on international environmental law and policy for both legal and popular audiences. A graduate of Yale Law School, he holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemistry from Princeton and Harvard, respectively.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Please visit vermontlaw.edu/summer to apply and register for Summer Session classes. Registration for non-Vermont Law and Graduate School students opens on May 1, 2025. Registrations will be accepted on a space-available basis. A nonrefundable $60 application fee is required of all non-Vermont Law and Graduate School students and must be paid at the time of application. These are graduate-level courses; normally, only those with undergraduate degrees will be considered for registration. However, undergraduate students may enroll with the director’s permission.
NON-VERMONT LAW AND GRADUATE SCHOOL STUDENTS
If you are taking courses for non-law, graduate, or JD credit to transfer to another institution, please submit:
■ a résumé including education, name of degree and date earned, and job history
■ official transcripts from your most recent degree program
■ a letter of good academic standing that gives written permission from your home institution to transfer credits there
■ $60 nonrefundable application fee (payable to Vermont Law and Graduate School)
If you are auditing courses, please submit:
■ a résumé including education, name of degree and date earned, and job history
■ $60 nonrefundable application fee (payable to Vermont Law and Graduate School)
Please note: Summer Session registration is not an application to Vermont Law and Graduate School’s degree programs. If you wish to apply to our degree programs, please contact the Admissions Office at admiss@vermontlaw.edu for information. No supporting documents or deposits are required of Vermont Law and Graduate School students.
TUITION AND FEES
Tuition must be paid prior to the first day of class. No payment plans are offered during Summer Session. Students should inform the Registrar immediately in writing (registrar@vermontlaw.edu) of a decision to withdraw prior to the start of a class. Interest on unpaid balances will accrue at 12 percent per annum. Registration and transcript holds may also occur. All students (degree seeking and non-degree seeking) who are enrolled in the Summer Session program are charged a non-refundable $225.00 Summer Student Administrative Fee.
Tuition Rates per Credit (classes are 1, 2, or 3 credits)
$1,872.00For-credit rate for JD students (not applicable for accelerated/AJD students)
$1,508.00For-credit rate for VLGS master’s or LLM credits
$1,450.00For-credit rate for transfer credits
$650.00Per-credit rate for Certificate Program
$200.00Audit rate for VLGS alumni
$400.00Audit rate for all others
REFUNDS
Federal regulations require a student to pick up, or make arrangements to receive, their refund check within 21 days of notification that the check is available. Checks will be
voided and funds will be returned to the student’s lender after the 21-day period. Students may add or drop courses before the second class meeting. Students visiting VLGS for summer courses must email the Registrar’s Office at registrar@vermontlaw.edu or go to the Registrar’s Office before attending the second class to report the drop. Tuition charges will be adjusted with no financial penalties during the add/drop period. Written notice (Request to Withdraw form or email to registrar@vermontlaw.edu) is required in order to receive any applicable tuition credit. If no written notification is received, no adjustments will be made to the student account. Students who submit written notification of withdrawal after the second class meeting are subject to the tuition credit schedule: vermontlaw.edu/resources/billing-information/withdrawalsbalances-due-and-refunds. The portion of tuition credit will be calculated on a daily pro-rata basis beginning with the first day of classes until the date of written notification of withdrawal. There is no tuition credit after 60% of the session has been completed. Appeals to the above policy or calculation for special circumstances may be made in writing to the Business Office at studentaccounts@vermontlaw.edu. Transcript requests will not be released for any student who has an outstanding balance with Vermont Law and Graduate School until the balance and any applicable interest is paid in full.
TITLE IV REFUNDS
Should any payments received for a student be made in full or part by any Federal Financial Aid, the Financial Aid Office is required by federal regulations to calculate a Return to Title IV Funds (R2T4) amount for any student who withdraws. A withdrawal includes students who are dismissed, take a leave of absence, or who discontinue enrollment in classes on or after the first day of class. A Return to Title IV Funds (R2T4) is the amount of unearned aid you received at the beginning of the term that must be returned to the federal aid program. Vermont Law and Graduate School will return any unearned aid to the applicable lender on the student’s behalf. The student will then be required to repay the unearned aid back to Vermont Law and Graduate School to the extent there is a balance on the student account. Any aid received in excess of the earned amount is considered unearned. The earned portion of the aid is calculated on a daily basis using calendar days of the semester in which the student withdrew. Vermont Law and Graduate School scholarships will be adjusted based on the same calculations as Federal Financial Aid.
JOINT DEGREE STUDENTS
Summer courses may be taken for master’s or JD credit but may not be shared without prior approval from the Registrar. If courses are shared, there is additional cost involved. Students are encouraged to meet with Student Accounts (studentaccounts@vermontlaw. edu) in the Business Office to review how sharing summer courses affects their tuition accounts. Vermont Law and Graduate School bills the total cost of the master’s and LLM degree programs, including the master’s portion of the JD/master’s joint degree, on a per-credit basis.
COURSE LOAD
A maximum of 11 credits is allowed. Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the ELC staff director. Students enrolled in a full course load of 11 credits are advised not to take more than one two-week course per two-week term, unless enrolled for only one twoweek term.
QUESTIONS?
Please contact us at 800-227-1395, or visit us on the web at vermontlaw.edu/summer.
FINANCIAL AID
Financial aid for the summer is available to qualifying students. For more information, visit vermontlaw.edu, or contact us at 800-227-1395 ext. 1235 or finaid@vermontlaw.edu
VERMONT LAW AND GRADUATE SCHOOL JOINT DEGREE CANDIDATES
Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Financial Aid Office will automatically determine eligibility for summer financial aid for Vermont Law and Graduate School students enrolled in the JD/master’s joint degree program upon notification by the Registrar of a completed summer registration. Students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at studentaid.gov by March 1, 2025.
VER MONT LAW AND GRADUATE SCHOOL MASTER’S AND LLM CANDIDATES
Financial aid for master’s and LLM students is determined upon acceptance to VLGS and receipt of a completed FAFSA. Awards are made on an annual basis and include funding for three terms. Summer may be the beginning or end of a student’s academic year. For priority processing, master’s and LLM candidates seeking financial aid should submit a completed FAFSA online at studentaid.gov by March 1, 2025.
SUMMERS-ONLY MASTER’S CANDIDATES
Students enrolled for summer semesters only may be eligible for financial aid. Awards for the summer semester will be made after receipt of a completed FAFSA. The priority deadline is April 1, 2025. The FAFSA may be completed online at studentaid.gov. A student must be enrolled at least half-time (three credits in the master’s program) to be considered eligible for financial aid. Applicants must be registered for classes at Vermont Law and Graduate School prior to the determination of financial aid.
JD OR GRADUATE CANDIDATES FROM OTHER SCHOOLS
Financial aid may be available to students who are transferring credits to degree programs at other institutions and who are enrolled at least half-time (three credits in the master’s program). Your home institution will require that a consortium agreement be completed by VLGS to confirm enrollment status, tuition, fees, and related costs. Financial aid for the summer is certified and disbursed by the home institution.
This publication was prepared in March 2025 and is intended to serve as a general source of information about Vermont Law and Graduate School. Provisions in the catalog are not to be regarded as an agreement between the student and Vermont Law and Graduate School. The school reserves the right to change courses, programs, schedules, requirements, regulations, policies, procedures, and tuition and fees, or to make other changes that the school considers necessary or desirable.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Anne Standish is an award-winning artist, achieving recognition at local, regional, and national quilt shows. Her roots are in sewing and quilting, and art quilts are her avocation. She has devoted much of her creative energy to finding new ways to make representational images of real places with fabric, photographs printed onto fabric, thread, and paint. For her work featured on the cover, she created dense color and texture to interpret a photo by Maine photographer Peter Ralston. Anne is a long-time resident of Cambridge, Vermont, and is active with several groups devoted to promoting fiber arts in northern Vermont. annestandish.com