Curriculum Guide · Courses

Professors Victoria Arroyo and Gabriel Pacyniak

J.D. Practicum 029 | 3 credit hours

This course will examine the evolving legal and policy developments concerning global climate change, and provide students the opportunity to engage in hands-on work with policymakers in addressing the issue. Lawmaking institutions are struggling to keep pace with the challenge of climate change at the same time as law is being used as a tool to promote governmental and private party responsiveness to climate risks. The course will examine international, federal, state, and private party approaches, including the evolving treaties, statutes, regulations, and court decisions concerning this subject. Students will prepare papers and make presentations in class and to outside “clients” on topics being analyzed for states through the work of the Georgetown Climate Center of Georgetown Law (www.georgetownclimate.org). The Center works with states and communities on crafting policy strategies to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change and to adapt to the consequences of climate change. Class participation will be graded.

Prerequisite: Environmental Law. Prerequisites: Students must complete the required first-year program prior to enrolling in this course (part-time and interdivisional transfer students may enroll prior to completing Criminal Justice, Property, or their first-year elective).

Students may not concurrently enroll in this practicum course and a clinic (except Street Law) or another practicum course. Students may concurrently enroll in this practicum course and an externship.

THIS IS A PRACTICUM COURSE.

This is a 3 credit course. Two credits will be awarded for the 2-hour weekly seminar and 1 credit for approximately 5 hours of supervised work per week, for a minimum of 11 weeks. Note: Both the seminar portion and the supervised work will be graded.

Students who enroll in this course will be automatically enrolled in both the seminar and practicum components and may not take either component separately. A student wishing to withdraw from the course will be withdrawn from both the seminar and field work components.