The urgency of climate change, rising sea levels, and pollution have placed the role of law and lawyers front and center in the struggle to protect our planet. As an environmental lawyer, you can work on legislating for environmental protection to representing cases relating to contaminated spaces and endangered species protection to reconciling the challenges between land development and water use and conservation.
Miami Law offers an extensive environmental law curriculum, an Environmental Law Program, and an Environmental Law Concentration next to the largest subtropical wetland ecosystem in North America. Our interdisciplinary offerings with the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science and the Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy bridge the gap between science and the law. Whether your goal is to work in a law firm, as in-house counsel, in a government setting, or at a non-profit organization, nationally or globally, Miami Law will prepare you to be a leader in environmental law.
Some Facts about Miami and Miami Law:
Listed as a "leader in environmental law" in Pre-Law Magazine spring 2024 edition.
South Florida, one of the most unique ecosystems in the world, has the 3rd largest U.S. national park, and the largest mangrove ecosystem in Western Hemisphere - the Florida Everglades National Park, about 30 minutes from campus, and the only living tropical reef in the continental U.S.
“Environmental law seeps into every area of practice and [externship at] the Department of Transportation [gave] me an opportunity to work on numerous issues of land use...Learning about how land use, property and environmental issues all intersect [was] fascinating and broadened the range of issues to consider in my pursuit of environmental justice.”
Kelly Cox, J.D./M.P.S. ‘16 in Marine Affairs Director of Everglades Policy, National Audubon Society Tavernier (Florida Keys), FL
Courses*
Administrative Law
Admiralty Law
Affordable Housing
Animal Law
Business and Human Rights
Climate Change
Climate Change and Human Rights
Climate Change Law and Policy
Climate Finance
Coastal Law
Community Equity Innovation and Resource Lab
Companion Animals and the Law
Conservation, Tourism, and Development
Construction Law
Disaster Law
Emerging Forms of Philanthropy and the Role of Private Foundations in Effecting Social Change
Energy Law
Energy Regulation in an Age of Transition
Environmental Appellate Advocacy
Environmental Law
Environmental Legal Research
Environmental Planning and the Environmental Impact Statement
Environmental Regulation of Real Property
Everglades Law and Policy
Evolution of Product Liability
Fisheries and Wildlife: Law & Policy
Florida Topics in Environmental Law & Policy
Florida Tort Law
Food, Animals, and Environmental Policy
International Climate Negotiations
International Environmental Law
Large Scale Litigation
Law of Green Buildings
Law of International Treaties
Law of the Sea
Legal Environment of the Cruise Industry
Legal Protection of the Ocean and Its Biodiversity
Legislation
Marine Ecology and the Law
Natural Resources
Non-Profit Organizations and Social Enterprises
Planning and Zoning
Pro Bono / Public Interest Law Ethics
Protection of Living Marine Resources
Public Interest Law Seminar
Public Interest Litigation in Private Practice
Real Property and Government
Regulatory Compliance, Corporate Governance, and Sustainability
Researching the Administrative State
Rights of Nature
Scientific Evidence
Social Justice Engagement
Social Justice Lawyering
Space Law
State and Local Government
Statistics for Lawyers
The Freedom of Information Act
Toxic Torts & Toxic Regulation
Treaty Interpretation
UN Climate Negotiations
Urbanization, Capitalism, and Development
Water Resources Policy
Wetlands Regulation and Real Property
*Course list is not exhaustive and does not set out a path of study.
"I came to UM specifically to pursue the joint degree program...I wanted to figure out a way to further my career, but also stay involved in ocean issues."
Raleigh Watson, J.D./M.A. '11 in Marine Affairs & Policy Vice President and General Counsel, Skips Wastewater Services Wellington, CT
United Nations Climate Change Conferences - The Environmental Law Program (ELP) at Miami Law offers students an opportunity to engage in the annual negotiations for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).They attended in Dubai in 2023, Egypt in 2022, and Madrid in 2019.
“Attending [The United Nations] COP25 was by far the most memorable experience I’ve had in law school,” she says. “Being there made me see the different places a law degree can take you, especially in international law. I saw how diverse the field is, and how even someone who is practicing basic land use or Constitutional law in the U.S. can make a decent amount of difference at the international level.”
Natalie Cavellier, J.D./LL.M. '21 in Real Property Development Attorney, Rural Property Rights Braun and Gresham, PLCC Austin, TX
Smith, Currie & Hancock, Environmental Law Practice
U.S. Coast Guard (Seattle, WA)
U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section (Washington, DC)
U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Enforcement Section (Washington, DC)
U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resource Division (Washington, DC)
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation
U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (Washington, DC)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-EPA (Washington, DC and San Francisco, CA)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Washington, DC)
Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy (New Haven, CT)
**List is not exhaustive and is intended to provide examples of past externships and internships.
“Opportunities through Miami Law’s HOPE Public Interest Resource Center made it possible for me to work at the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region IV Office where I gained invaluable environmental law and regulatory enforcement experience that I use in my current role. I went to law school to pursue a career at the intersection of environmental, business, and sustainable law. I’m proud to start my career by contributing to rulemaking at this intersection both nationally and internationally.”
Kenya Rothstein, J.D. '21 Associate, Aqua Terra Aeris Oakland, CA
Faculty
Tony Alfieri is an expert in poverty, the environment and environmental equity and justice and incubated the law school’s Environmental Justice Project.
Caroline Bradley is an expert in European community law, British and European financial law, and U.S. security regulations and teaches a course on Climate Finance.
Xavier Cortada is a lawyer and artist who focuses on art and the law and climate migration.
Tamar Ezer is Faculty Director of the Human Rights Program and works on climate change impacts on indigenous women.
Abigail Leigh Fleming is the Fredman Foundation Environmental Justice Clinic, Practitioner-in-Residence and Lecturer in Law.
“Environmental law is of vital interest to our students and the community. UM President Frenk and Provost Duerk have identified climate change, resilience, and environmental issues as priorities for the institution. Climate change is the most pressing issue of our time, and Miami is on the front line.”
Jessica Owley Professor of Law and Director, Environmental Law Program
Jessica Owley is an internationally recognized expert scholar in environmental law, Professor Owley directed the Environmental Law Program at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. She has served as an OECD Fellow while a Visiting Professor at the Universidad Pontificia – Comillas (ICADE) in Madrid, Spain. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Law, Property, and Society, is one of the founding members and the current President of the Environmental Law Collaborative, and is a member of the IUCN’s World Commission on Environmental Law and the World Commission of Protected Areas.
Abigail Fleming is the Associate Director at the University of Miami School of Law Environmental Justice Clinic.
Bernard Oxman is one of the world's top experts on the laws of the sea and currently sits on the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
Ileana Porras is Senior Lecturer and teaches Public International Law, Climate Change Law & Policy, and Property Law.
Doug Ruley is the Director of the Environmental Justice Clinic at the University of Miami School of Law. He has litigated environmental cases for many years, including as a staff attorney with Earthjustice in Alaska, as managing attorney for the Asheville office of the Southern Environmental Law Center, and as Chief Counsel of ClientEarth.
Daniel Suman's research focuses on coastal management in Latin America, planning and enforcement in Marine Protected Areas, and public participation in environmental planning.
Marcia Narine Weldon is an expert in corporate governance, sustainability, employment law, regulatory compliance, corporate social responsibility, and the intersection of business and human rights.
“The Environmental Justice Clinic just changed my life, it showed me how I could advocate for my communities.”
Brittany Thomas, J.D. ‘18 Bertha Justice Fellow, Center for Constitutional Rights New York, NY
“Environmental law seeps into every area of practice and [externship at] the Department of Transportation [gave] me an opportunity to work on numerous issues of land use...Learning about how land use, property and environmental issues all intersect [was] fascinating and broadened the range of issues to consider in my pursuit of environmental justice.” 
"I came to UM specifically to pursue the joint degree program...I wanted to figure out a way to further my career, but also stay involved in ocean issues."
“Attending [The United Nations] COP25 was by far the most memorable experience I’ve had in law school,” she says. “Being there made me see the different places a law degree can take you, especially in international law. I saw how diverse the field is, and how even someone who is practicing basic land use or Constitutional law in the U.S. can make a decent amount of difference at the international level.”
“Opportunities through Miami Law’s HOPE Public Interest Resource Center made it possible for me to work at the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region IV Office where I gained invaluable environmental law and regulatory enforcement experience that I use in my current role. I went to law school to pursue a career at the intersection of environmental, business, and sustainable law. I’m proud to start my career by contributing to rulemaking at this intersection both nationally and internationally.”
“Environmental law is of vital interest to our students and the community. UM President Frenk and Provost Duerk have identified climate change, resilience, and environmental issues as priorities for the institution. Climate change is the most pressing issue of our time, and Miami is on the front line.”
“The Environmental Justice Clinic just changed my life, it showed me how I could advocate for my communities.” 