For law students, environmental law isn’t just some niche elective you take to feel virtuous these days. Between regulatory whiplash in Washington, climate litigation, ESG fights, and state-level enforcement, lawyers who understand environmental and administrative law are helping shape billion-dollar decisions. It’s a practice area that’s quickly becoming one of the legal profession’s biggest battlegrounds. As agencies rewrite rules, courts reshape long-standing doctrines, and companies scramble for guidance, environmental law offers students a chance to build a career that’s both relevant and in demand.
The National Jurist’s preLaw magazine recently released its ranking of the best law schools for environmental law on its Environmental Law Honor Roll, highlighting schools for the strength of their programs. Here’s the methodology that was used:
preLaw magazine grades law schools based on the breadth of their curricular offerings. The scores are figured as follows: 30% for a concentration, 24% for a clinic, 12% for a center, 12% for an externship, 9% for a journal, 8% for a student group, 5% for a certificate and added value for additional offerings.
preLaw magazine grades law schools based on the breadth of their curricular offerings. The scores are figured as follows: 30% for a concentration, 24% for a clinic, 12% for a center, 12% for an externship, 9% for a journal, 8% for a student group, 5% for a certificate and added value for additional offerings.
Legal work isn’t slowing down, and the firms that win won’t be the ones working harder — they’ll be the ones working smarter.
Without further ado, according to preLaw magazine, these are the law schools that earned A+ grades for their environmental law programs (listed in alphabetical order):
George Washington University
Lewis & Clark Law School
University of Arizona
University of Colorado
University of Minnesota
University of New Mexico
University of Oregon
University of Wyoming
Click here to read all about the programs highlighted in this Honor Roll.
Congratulations to all of the law schools that made the cut for this important ranking.
LexisNexis sat down with John Ursin, Managing Partner at Schenck Price, to learn how the firm is using legal AI to strengthen client service and daily legal work.
Top law schools for environmental law [preLaw magazine / National Jurist]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky , X/Twitter , and Threads , or connect with her on LinkedIn .
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