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‘Green’ issues have never had a higher profile: a general public and political awareness of the need to sustain and protect our world has seen the growth of environmental legislation at local, national and international level. It has even made an impression on other legal areas like business law (corporate social responsibility and the need to balance commercial interests with sustainability), human rights law and shipping law. Lawyers specialising in the environment are in a small profession, but their numbers are growing rapidly. This is a good time to enter an expanding area.
Currently, there are fewer than ten universities providing master’s in environmental law across the UK. Several run more than one course of this type. Most of these are ‘taught’ courses, ie they involve attending classes and tutorials as well as writing essays and assignments. At the moment, only a handful of institutions, such as the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and the University of Dundee, offer a research degree in this field: both also have taught programmes. The average number of ‘contact’ hours per week with tutors and lecturers is eight. All LLMs in environmental law involve a final dissertation. In most cases, this is about 15,000 words, although City University specifies a word count of 12,000, and this rises to 20,000 at the University of Kent.
If you want additional insights, look for universities that teach environmental subjects as well as law, eg Aberystwyth University’s Environmental Law and Management LLM is taught with the Biological Sciences Department. Also look at the environmental contacts and reputation of each university – Newcastle University, for instance, has an Institute for Research on the Environment and Sustainability.
You may not need a law degree! Some LLMs encourage applications from people with degrees or experience in other subjects, usually development, geography, planning and environmental sciences. However, others, such as the University of Kent, prefer a background in law, or, like City University, warn that your choice of course options may be restricted without a legal background. If you have a first degree in law, but want to obtain a wide perspective on environmental matters, you might find it rewarding to join a mixed group of students. Select another course if you prefer a purely legal focus.
If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score of at least 6.5. Some courses require 7.0 (or equivalent).
You can take most LLMs in environmental law on a full-time (one-year) basis. A lot of universities also offer part-time classes, which usually last for two years, although some can be extended for as long as four years. Distance learning – studying via the Internet without attending college or university regularly – is a possibility at several institutions, including Aberystwyth University, Salford University and De Montfort University, and through the University of London’s External Programme. The majority of master’s in environmental law begin in September/October. Only a couple of universities (for instance, the University of Central Lancashire and Aberystwyth University) have a January/February start.
It is usual to do a few ‘core’ subjects, such as the history and growth of environmental legislation, pollution control and the framing and enforcement of protection measures, before selecting from a range of optional topics. Human rights and public law also feature strongly. Financial aspects are taught on some programmes. Typical options include climate change, world trade, development control, trans-national factors, biodiversity and conservation. Some of the more unusual choices include Issues Around Wetlands, Beaches and Rainforests (Nottingham University); Agricultural Law and Land Use (Newcastle University); and Health and Safety (Salford University). Dundee University, which has a huge variety of courses in this discipline, is particularly strong on LLMs in environmental law relating to energy and water policy.
There are few other courses that cover environmental legislation in any detail, but LLMs in planning or maritime law are worth considering. Biosecurity and Trade at the University of Greenwich, Food Law at De Montfort University and Environmental Health at the University of Surrey might also appeal. University College London’s LLM programme enables you to build your own course and there are enough environmental modules to put together a complete programme in this subject.
The LLM is a highly regarded qualification throughout the world. Completing the master’s in environmental law will show that you have strong academic skills and an in-depth knowledge of that aspect of law, which will help you when applying for further relevant courses and jobs. However, it does not qualify you to practise law in the United Kingdom. For this, you will need to be qualified as a lawyer in your own country or to have taken the Legal Practice Course/Bar Vocational Course in England and Wales or their Scottish equivalents.
The website of the Association of the UK Environmental Lawyers Association gives valuable and up-to-date information on what is happening in this sector.
Environmental Law, J Thornton and S Beckwith
European Environmental Law, J Jans
International Law and the Environment, P Birnie and A Boyle
Introduction to Global Environmental Issues, K Pickering and L Owen
Gillian Sharp
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