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Environmental Law Clinic at The University of Texas
Unique practical experience



Low income community that lacks reliable wastewater service.
Low income community that lacks reliable wastewater service.

The Clinic is an interdisciplinary group of law students and graduate students from other departments in the University working with citizens of several low income communities who suffer a disproportionate share of environmental harms and enjoy fewer environmental amenities than their fellow Texans. The clinic also assists environmental organizations tackle policy issues of state and national importance. The clinic gives students an opportunity to work on challenging and unique projects designed to improve environmental quality for low income communities. Clinic students will be responsible for all aspects of client representation, including factual investigations, development of legal strategy, legal research and writing, oral advocacy, and client communications. They will work on projects with challenging facts and legal issues and gain experience with the important skill of meshing the clients’ goals with the applicable law and facts. Clinic students will work closely with Clinical Professor of Law Melinda Taylor and Law Professor Lynn Blais to provide needed legal and consulting services and guidance to the clinic’s clients.

The substantive focus of the clinic in the fall will be: the representation of several low income communities that currently lack access to reliable and sanitary wastewater disposal systems and clean drinking water; improving air quality for citizens in Southeast Houston who suffer from exposure to toxic air pollutants; and several water policy issues.

Clinical students must complete and document ten hours of clinical work per week during the semester, in addition to the class meeting time. The clinic will be graded on a pass/fail basis. The clinic will meet for two hours per week. There is no prerequisite for the clinic.