ENR Fellowships

1L Fellowships | 2L & 3L Fellowships | Post-graduate Fellowships

Every year, the ENR Center offers fellowships to approximately 20 students. Students chosen as ENR Fellows work on environmental issues with expert faculty members and community stakeholders while engaging in project development, substantive research and writing, and community outreach.

Fellowship appointments are for one year. Fellows may re-apply in subsequent years, but re-appointment is not automatic.

The ENR Center offers three types of Fellowships:

1L Fellowships

Information

Details

Eligibility:

Must be an incoming 1L.

Award amount:

$5,000 ($2,500 awarded at the beginning of fall semester and $2,500 awarded at the beginning of spring term.)

How to Apply:

Applicants to the JD program may apply.

 Apply Here

Applicants to the JD Program may apply by completing a student profile on the University of Oregon Scholarship Dashboard, and then submitting the fellowship application. Applications for fellowships are reviewed on a rolling basis until the fellowships are filled. Applications for fellowships may be submitted at the time you submit your application for law school. Finalists for fellowships will be interviewed either on campus or remotely. Admissions will notify you of your selection. All candidates will be notified when the process has been completed.

Recent Fellowship Supervisors:

Name

Title

Sarah Adams-Schoen

Assistant Professor

Adell Amos

Clayton R. Hess Professor of Law

Greg Dotson

Associate Professor

Michael Fakhri

Professor

Mary Wood

Philip H. Knight Professor & Faculty Director, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center

2L and 3L Fellowships

Each year the ENR Center selects law students to work with faculty as ENR Fellows on seven interdisciplinary projects:

Fellowship appointments involve three primary areas of work:

  1. Administrative – Administrative responsibilities may include preparing work summaries to track project development; holding weekly office hours and providing additional staffing to the ENR Center as needed; assisting ENR Center staff with administrative projects; engaging with prospective students and fellows in an ambassadorial capacity; and participating in ENR Center meetings and events
  2. Project Development – Project development responsibilities may include collaborative strategic planning on possible ENR-led educational events (e.g., expert lectures and guest speaker series; conference panels and workshops; “brown bags” and community-building events); and developing community partnerships and programs (e.g., externship opportunities and short courses).
  3. Substantive Research and Writing related to the IRP's goals – including developing interdisciplinary approaches to encourage action toward environmental resilience and justice.

Fellows will receive financial support for their work. Those seeking non-monetary support (i.e., academic credit) may work with the Registrar's Office to explore credit options. 

Application Instructions 

To apply for an ENR fellowship, 2Ls and 3Ls must submit an application, as a single .pdf, to enr@uoregon.edu by Monday, April 8, 2024 at 5:00 PM. Applications should include the following: 

  • Cover letter, addressed to ENR Center Executive Director Heather Brinton, describing interests and experiences within the ENR program or project area(s) for which you are applying
  • Statement, listing interdisciplinary project(s) for which you are applying with project areas ranked in order of preference. 
  • Résumé
  • Law school transcript (official or unofficial)
  • Roles list, including any other leadership positions or graduate employment you have accepted for the 2024-2025 academic year. 

Any questions about the program or application process should be directed to enr@uoregon.edu or hbrinton@uoregon.edu. 

Examples of 2022–23 Research Options:

The Conservation Trust Project

Public Trust doctrine, atmospheric trust, and climate litigation  

Energy Law and Policy Project

Federal and state efforts to increase electrified transportation
Implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act in Oregon

Food Resiliency Project

Agroecology and the law
Equal justice and food systems

Global Environmental Democracy Project

Atmospheric recovery through natural climate solutions 

Native Environmental Sovereignty Project

Pacific Northwest Tribes as forestland stewards
Tribe-led carbon sequestration projects
Tribal government and environmental law and policy

Oceans, Coasts and Watersheds Project

Curriculum development with Oregon Water Futures
Domestic well use and water insecurity
Oregon's coastal nonpoint programs and federal nonpoint standards

Sustainable Land Use Project

Land use law's impact on Oregon's mitigation of and adaptation to climate change
Coastal state and territory climate assessments and adaptation planning
Current status of climate science

Post-Graduate Fellowships

The ENR Center provides $5,000 project stipends to support recent Oregon Law graduates in bridging the gap between graduating law school and obtaining long-term public interest environmental law employment.

ENR Post-Graduate Fellows execute a discrete research project under faculty supervision for one of ENR’s seven interdisciplinary projects:

  • The Conservation Trust Project
  • Environmental Law & Policy Project
  • Food Resiliency Project
  • Global Environmental Democracy Project
  • Native Environmental Sovereignty Project
  • Oceans Coasts and Watersheds Project
  • Sustainable Land Use Project

ENR Post-Graduate Fellow projects are divided and structured into two phases. The stipend is distributed in two payments of $2,500 at the end of Phase I of the project, and again at the end of Phase II. The faculty supervisor of the project must certify that the project has been satisfactorily completed for the funds to be released.