Vermont Law School
Encyclopedia
Vermont Law School is a private, American Bar Association
accredited law school
located in South Royalton, Vermont
(a village of Royalton, Vermont
). The Law School has one of the United States' leading programs in environmental law
, and the Law School is currently (2011) ranked #1 in Environmental Law by U.S. News and World Report; in recent years, the school has been ranked #1 in 2009 and 2007, and #2 in 2008 (never lower than #2 since rankings began in 1991, #1 ranked 12 times). The Law School offers several degrees, including Juris Doctor
(JD), Master of Laws
(LL.M) in Environmental Law, Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP) (formerly known as Master of Studies in Environmental Law (MSEL)), and dual degrees with a diverse range of institutions, including the University of Cambridge, the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Thunderbird School of Global Management, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
.
The oldest and centermost classroom building on the campus is the town's original schoolhouse, built in 1892. In 2005 the former town schoolhouse (the original Law School building in 1973) was renovated and renamed Debevoise Hall, after one of the first deans of the law school, Thomas M. Debevoise. Practicing what it preaches, the Law School emphasized environmental concerns in the renovation, as well as historical preservation and design efficiency. Debevoise Hall was the only LEED Silver Certified renovation building project in the state of Vermont. Debevoise Hall continues to serve as classroom space and now also houses administration offices, the Environmental Law Center, and the Yates Common Room.
The James L. and Evelena S. Oakes Hall building was constructed and dedicated in 1998. Oakes Hall incorporates "green building" techniques along with the latest classroom technology.
Jonathon Chase, the late former dean of Vermont Law School, liked to joke that South Royalton was the only town in America "with a law school and no stop light." Vermont Law School holds the distinction of being the law school farthest from a traffic light, at 27 miles. As of September 2011, South Royalton does not have a stoplight.
As Vermont Law School offers a world-class environmental law program, the library maintains "an extensive interdisciplinary environmental collection, including journals, monographs, electronic resources, and other material related to the study of the environment and environmental law and policy".
as an institution of higher learning. Provisional ABA approval came in February 1975. Bells rang when the news arrived, and classes were canceled. A full complement of classes arrived on campus for the fall 1975 term. The law school's charter class graduated in spring 1976. Full approval by the ABA came in 1978, and the law school was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
(NEASC) in 1980. VLS became a member of the Association of American Law Schools
(AALS) in 1981.
, a statute passed by Congress requiring colleges and universities to allow military recruitment on campus or risk losing federal funding. VLS refused and in doing so gave up over a million dollars in federal funding. The school is also part of FAIR, or the Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights
, a consortium of 38 law schools and law faculties that challenged the Solomon Amendment in Rumsfeld v. FAIR, claiming that the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was discriminatory. The district court ruled for the Attorney General, but the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for the law schools. Oral arguments were heard before the Supreme Court
on December 6, 2005, and a unanimous ruling for the government was issued on March 6, 2006, in part because the government could directly require campuses to allow military recruitment, it can therefore also indirectly require the campuses to allow recruitment or forego funds.
(JD), the Law School offers several degrees and joint-degrees to qualified candidates, including degrees with other Universities. Possible degrees include a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Environmental Law, a Master of Laws (LL.M) in American Legal Studies, a Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP) (formerly known as Master of Studies in Environmental Law (MSEL)), and a Joint JD/MELP.
The Law School has partnered with a diverse range of American and international universities to develop dual-degree programs for qualified candidates. American schools partnered with VLS for dual degrees include: Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (JD/Master of Environmental Management), Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth (MELP/Master of Business Administration
), University of Vermont
Rubenstein School of Natural Resources (MELP/Master of Science in Natural Resources), Thunderbird School of Global Management
(JD/Masters of Business Administration), University of South Carolina
(MELP/JD), University of South Dakota
(MELP/JD), and Northeastern University School of Law
(MELP/JD).
International schools partnered with VLS for dual degrees include: University of Cambridge
(JD/master of philosophy), University of Cergy-Pontoise (France
), and University of Seville
(Spain
).
The average Class of 2009 graduate had $127,914 of student loan debt (yikes!).
Clinics and Experiential Programs
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
accredited law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
located in South Royalton, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
(a village of Royalton, Vermont
Royalton, Vermont
Royalton is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,603 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of Royalton, South Royalton, and North Royalton...
). The Law School has one of the United States' leading programs in environmental law
Environmental law
Environmental law is a complex and interlocking body of treaties, conventions, statutes, regulations, and common law that operates to regulate the interaction of humanity and the natural environment, toward the purpose of reducing the impacts of human activity...
, and the Law School is currently (2011) ranked #1 in Environmental Law by U.S. News and World Report; in recent years, the school has been ranked #1 in 2009 and 2007, and #2 in 2008 (never lower than #2 since rankings began in 1991, #1 ranked 12 times). The Law School offers several degrees, including Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(JD), Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(LL.M) in Environmental Law, Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP) (formerly known as Master of Studies in Environmental Law (MSEL)), and dual degrees with a diverse range of institutions, including the University of Cambridge, the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Thunderbird School of Global Management, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Profile of the 2010 JD Entering Class
- JD Class: 233
- LSAT 75th percentile: 159
- LSAT Median: 156
- LSAT 25th percentile: 153
- GPA 75th percentile: 3.55
- GPA Median: 3.37
- GPA 25th percentile: 3.13
- Students of Color: 27 (13%)
- Median Age: 26
- States and Territories: 44
- Undergraduate Institutions: 153
- Merit Scholars: 109
Campus
Vermont Law School's 13 acre (53,000 m²) campus resides in South Royalton, central Vermont. The campus is set just above the broad banks of the White RiverWhite River (Vermont)
The White River is a river in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River.The White River rises at Skylight Pond south of Bread Loaf Mountain near the crest of the Green Mountains. The river flows east to the town of Granville, where it receives the outflow from the...
.
The oldest and centermost classroom building on the campus is the town's original schoolhouse, built in 1892. In 2005 the former town schoolhouse (the original Law School building in 1973) was renovated and renamed Debevoise Hall, after one of the first deans of the law school, Thomas M. Debevoise. Practicing what it preaches, the Law School emphasized environmental concerns in the renovation, as well as historical preservation and design efficiency. Debevoise Hall was the only LEED Silver Certified renovation building project in the state of Vermont. Debevoise Hall continues to serve as classroom space and now also houses administration offices, the Environmental Law Center, and the Yates Common Room.
The James L. and Evelena S. Oakes Hall building was constructed and dedicated in 1998. Oakes Hall incorporates "green building" techniques along with the latest classroom technology.
Jonathon Chase, the late former dean of Vermont Law School, liked to joke that South Royalton was the only town in America "with a law school and no stop light." Vermont Law School holds the distinction of being the law school farthest from a traffic light, at 27 miles. As of September 2011, South Royalton does not have a stoplight.
Julien and Virginia Cornell Library
The Julien and Virginia Cornell Library opened in 1991. The Cornell Library contains over 250,000 print volumes, including primary and secondary legal materials focusing on state, national, and international law. Its reference section includes legal encyclopedias and dictionaries and reference sources including bibliographies and form books. The library also possesses a collection of microforms including congressional documents, state session laws, and briefs. The library's electronic collection includes access to LexisNexis and Westlaw and other online gateways and databases, as well as a large catalog of full-text electronic journals and books and databases offering primary legal materials.As Vermont Law School offers a world-class environmental law program, the library maintains "an extensive interdisciplinary environmental collection, including journals, monographs, electronic resources, and other material related to the study of the environment and environmental law and policy".
History
Vermont Law School was established by Anthony Doria in the summer of 1973 with 113 students. In December 1973, VLS was certified by the Vermont State Board of EducationVermont State Board of Education
The Vermont State Board of Education supervises, and manages the Department of Education and the public school system. The board makes regulations governing attendance and records of attendance of all pupils; standards for student performance, adult basic education programs, approval of independent...
as an institution of higher learning. Provisional ABA approval came in February 1975. Bells rang when the news arrived, and classes were canceled. A full complement of classes arrived on campus for the fall 1975 term. The law school's charter class graduated in spring 1976. Full approval by the ABA came in 1978, and the law school was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. is the U.S. regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation for all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten to the doctoral level, in the six-state New England region. It also provides accreditation for some...
(NEASC) in 1980. VLS became a member of the Association of American Law Schools
Association of American Law Schools
The Association of American Law Schools is a non-profit organization of 170 law schools in the United States. Another 25 schools are "non-member fee paid" schools, which are not members but choose to pay AALS dues. Its purpose is to improve the legal profession through the improvement of legal...
(AALS) in 1981.
Solomon Amendment
Vermont Law School is one of two law schools in the U.S. to refuse cooperation with the Solomon AmendmentSolomon Amendment
The 1996 Solomon Amendment is the popular name of 10 U.S.C. § 983, a United States federal law that allows the Secretary of Defense to deny federal grants to institutions of higher education if they prohibit or prevent ROTC or military recruitment on campus.- History :Named for U.S. Representative...
, a statute passed by Congress requiring colleges and universities to allow military recruitment on campus or risk losing federal funding. VLS refused and in doing so gave up over a million dollars in federal funding. The school is also part of FAIR, or the Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights
Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights
The Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights was an association of American law schools seeking to overturn the Solomon Amendment. It has filed suit in a case, Rumsfeld v. FAIR, heard by the Supreme Court on December 6, 2005. On March 6, 2006, FAIR lost the case....
, a consortium of 38 law schools and law faculties that challenged the Solomon Amendment in Rumsfeld v. FAIR, claiming that the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was discriminatory. The district court ruled for the Attorney General, but the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for the law schools. Oral arguments were heard before the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
on December 6, 2005, and a unanimous ruling for the government was issued on March 6, 2006, in part because the government could directly require campuses to allow military recruitment, it can therefore also indirectly require the campuses to allow recruitment or forego funds.
Academics
As well as the Juris DoctorJuris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(JD), the Law School offers several degrees and joint-degrees to qualified candidates, including degrees with other Universities. Possible degrees include a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Environmental Law, a Master of Laws (LL.M) in American Legal Studies, a Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP) (formerly known as Master of Studies in Environmental Law (MSEL)), and a Joint JD/MELP.
The Law School has partnered with a diverse range of American and international universities to develop dual-degree programs for qualified candidates. American schools partnered with VLS for dual degrees include: Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (JD/Master of Environmental Management), Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth (MELP/Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
), University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
Rubenstein School of Natural Resources (MELP/Master of Science in Natural Resources), Thunderbird School of Global Management
Thunderbird School of Global Management
Thunderbird School of Global Management is a private business school whose main campus is located in Glendale, Arizona. Founded in 1946 by retired U.S...
(JD/Masters of Business Administration), University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
(MELP/JD), University of South Dakota
University of South Dakota
The University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current...
(MELP/JD), and Northeastern University School of Law
Northeastern University School of Law
Northeastern University School of Law is a law school in Boston, Massachusetts. From the time of its founding in 1898, the law school's mission has focused on addressing the needs of students and of society....
(MELP/JD).
International schools partnered with VLS for dual degrees include: University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
(JD/master of philosophy), University of Cergy-Pontoise (France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), and University of Seville
University of Seville
The Universidad de Sevilla or University of Seville, in English, is a top-ranked European university in Seville, Spain. Founded under the name of Colegio Santa María de Jesús in 1505, the University of Seville, with a student body of over 50,000, is one of the top-ranked universities in the country...
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
).
Post-graduation employment
23.5% of the Class of 2009 were known to be working for law firms in the private sector nine months after graduation. 11% of the Class of 2009 were unemployed nine months after graduation. . These employment statistics are self-reported and not audited by an independent third party.The average Class of 2009 graduate had $127,914 of student loan debt (yikes!).
Centers, institutes, clinics, and programs
Law Centers and Research Institutes- Environmental Law Center--The Environmental Law Center (ELC) began in 1978 with eight master's degree students. Today, the ELC its program is consistently top-ranked by U.S.News & World Report, and confers both the Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP) and Master of Laws in Environmental Law (LLM) degrees. The Class of 2008 included 87 students receiving these master's degrees.
- Institute for Energy & the Environment--The Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) is a national and international resource for energy law and policy. The institute offers a full course curriculum and a certificate of concentration during the academic year and through its Energy Summer seminars; distributes scholarly, technical, and practical publications; provides forums and conferences for professional education and issue development; and serves as a center for graduate research on energy issues, with an environmental awareness. The Institute’s research team is selected from top students in the energy and environmental programs at Vermont Law School. IEE student researchers work on some of the most pressing energy concerns the world faces today,including energy self-reliance, carbon sequestration, and renewable energy sources. The Institute maintains the IEE blog focused on current events and research.
- Environmental Tax Policy Institute--The Institute analyzes ways in which taxation can address environmental problems. As a resource for the public and private sectors, non-governmental organizations, the press and academia, the Institute seeks to better inform the public policy debate about the role of environmental taxes at the local, state and federal levels.
- Land Use Institute--The Land Use Institute (LUI) addresses intensifying land use law and policy issues at the local, national, and international levels that critically pertain to the development of a sustainable society. These issues include application of smart growth principles, ecological planning, affordable housing, flood hazard mitigation, improving the confluence of energy and land use regulatory decision-making and other permitting processes, and land conservation strategies. LUI works with VLS faculty and students, and other nonprofit legal and professional planning partners, to provide sound and innovative information, experience, and education to advance the practice of land use law and planning. This mission is served through direct support for local and regional planning agencies, forums and conferences for issue development, preparation of legislation affecting critical land use issues, education and training for state and local land use planners and regulators, practical and scholarly publications, and graduate professional teaching.
Clinics and Experiential Programs
- Environmental & Natural Resource Law Clinic--The clinic's advocacy has produced significant accomplishments and raised visibility of environmental issues, including winning a major victory for the endangered gray wolf; protecting wetlands and tributaries; standing up for the health of individuals threatened by the mining operations of a major, multi-national company; and defending a sacred tribal site. Student clinicians work on behalf of public interest, environmental, and conservation organizations, and learn how to find their way through the complex maze of laws and procedures that regulate economic development and resource extraction activities.
- South Royalton Legal Clinic--The South Royalton Legal Clinic (legal clinic for the area's low-income residents) was established in 1979. In 2007–08, the clinic supervised 58 clinicians and work-study students and handled a caseload of 119 cases.
- General Practice Program--The General Practice Program (GPP) was instituted in 1987. The GPP is recipient of the American Bar Association's E. Smythe Gambrell Award for Professionalism, a national award for law schools and other organizations in recognition for advancing professionalism in the practice of law.
Publications
Vermont Law School students publish two legal journals, the Vermont Law Review and the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law on a regular basis several times a year. Both journals publish in print and online. In addition to regular publication, both journals sponsor annual symposia.See also
- List of colleges and universities in the United States
- List of colleges and universities in Vermont
- Peter A. BradfordPeter A. BradfordPeter A. Bradford is a former member of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and former chair of the Maine and New York utility commissions. He teaches energy policy and law at the Vermont Law School and has taught at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies...
, current professor at Vermont Law School, former member of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNuclear Regulatory CommissionThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975... - Douglas M. CostleDouglas M. CostleDouglas Michael Costle was one of the architects of the United States Environmental Protection Agency , and he served President Jimmy Carter as EPA Administrator from 1977 to 1981.- Early life and education :...
, former Dean of Vermont Law School and former Environmental Protection Agency Administer - Gus Speth, current professor at Vermont Law School, co-founder of Natural Resources Defense CouncilNatural Resources Defense CouncilThe Natural Resources Defense Council is a New York City-based, non-profit, non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing...
- Robert Rachlin, current professor at Vermont Law School
- Benjamin K. SovacoolBenjamin K. SovacoolBenjamin K. Sovacool is a Visiting Associate Professor at Vermont Law School and founding Director of the Energy Justice Program at their Institute for Energy and Environment. He was formerly an Assistant Professor and Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore.Sovacool's research...