Environmental & Natural Resources Law LLM

Champion Global Sustainability

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Oregon Law has been a national leader in environmental and natural resources law for decades. Our LLM in Environmental & Natural Resources Law (ENR) immerses you in cutting-edge legal and policy issues—climate change, land use, conservation, energy, and more—preparing you to protect the planet and shape sustainable solutions worldwide. 

The program emphasizes deep substantive knowledge, interdisciplinary thinking, and an understanding of how environmental law operates across regulatory systems and institutions. You’ll examine how environmental and natural resources law is shaped, implemented, and contested—across federal, state, tribal, and international contexts—while engaging with a scholarly and professional community that has been a national leader in this field for more than five decades, shaping environmental law through teaching, research, and public engagement.

Why study Environmental & Natural Resources Law at Oregon

Study within a nationally recognized ENR program

Learn in a program with a long-standing reputation for leadership in environmental and natural resources law, grounded in rigorous scholarship and real-world engagement.

Develop expertise across interconnected legal regimes

Explore environmental, energy, land use, water, and natural resources law as part of an integrated legal framework rather than isolated subject areas.

Engage with pressing, real-world challenges

Study legal questions tied to climate change, sustainability, and resource governance—issues that shape policy, economies, and communities worldwide.

Benefit from close faculty engagement

Work with faculty deeply involved in teaching, research, and public-facing environmental law initiatives, offering mentorship, intellectual depth, and real-world solutions.

Academics

Track-Specific Requirements

15+
min. credits of ENR courses
9
credits of electives

To earn the ENR Law LLM, you must complete at least 15 credits of approved ENR law courses plus a maximum of 9 additional elective credits, for a total of 24 credits. Your elective credits can be drawn from any law school offerings open to LLM students, allowing you to tailor your program to your professional objectives.*

Sample ENR track-specific courses:

  • Climate Change Law and Policy
  • Ocean and Coastal Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Natural Resources Law
  • Land Use Law
  • Human Rights and the Environment

*International students must take the following courses as part of their 9 elective credits.

Introduction to American Law and Practice (3 credits)

This short, mandatory course introduces LLM students from outside the United States to basic legal concepts, principles, and procedures on the American system of law.

LLM Advanced and Persuasive Legal Writing (2 credits)

This course seeks to improve students' knowledge of persuasive writing strategies and skills.

Writing Requirement

All LLM students must complete a written comprehensive paper or project in connection with one of the required courses for their chosen track.  

Careers

As the health of our environment increasingly becomes a top priority to governments, businesses, and individuals, law graduates with an emphasis in Environmental and Natural Resources Law are among the most sought-after by employers. Whether with private law firms, non-profit organizations, or in the governmental sector, an Oregon Law LLM in Environmental Law is a doorway to a rewarding career. Common environmentally-focused law careers include:

  • Litigator
  • Transactional Attorney
  • Sustainability Manager
  • Legislative Aide
  • Policy Advisor
  • Conservation Director
  • Public Utilities Specialist
  • Nonprofit Director
  • Environmental Advocate

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Learn how to apply for admission to our one-year LLM in Environmental and Natural Resources Law.

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Questions?

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