Hi! I'm planning to do a Master on Environment Law in the USA or in the UK. I'd like to know if the "First Certificate" level of english is usually enough. I also would like to know which are the best universities and about the real possibilities of being accepted. Thank you

The top three enviromental law programs in the US are:
1) Lewis & Clark College (Oregon)
2) Vermont Law (Vermont)
3) Pace University (New York)

Both Pace and Vermont have LL.M. programs in environmental law. Vermont is pretty difficult to get in, especially as an international student, since enrollment is limited to 10 students only. I believe that Pace admits a lot more applicants, therefore your chances would seem better.

If environmental law is what you are exclusively interested in these programs are consistently ranked in the top and offer a plethora of courses in enviromental law (30-50).

website for Pace
http://www.law.pace.edu/adm/apply/llm.html

website for Vermont
http://www.vermontlaw.edu/elc/index.cfm?doc_id=124

Actually, the University of Oregon is in the highest ranks for reputation among scholars and actual practitioners of environmental law.

The University of Oregon's LLM is directed by professors who are experts in international and national environmental law. Theyalso are deeply involved in international environmental law in Europe and around the world. See http://www.law.uoregon.edu/LLM or http://www.llm-guide.com/university/636/university-of-oregon

The LLM Director serves as Vice Chair of the Compliance Committee under the United Nations' Aarhus Public Participation Convention. She travels to Geneva four times per year to consider cases brought against countries for violation of the Convention.

Another professor is Founder of the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (see http://www.elaw.org), a network in 70 countries that includes all of the world's leading environmental lawyers. The network is actually based in an office near the University of Oregon.

Another Oregon professor is the world's foremost proponent of the "nature's trust" approach for controlling global warming.

Other professors at Oregon include the former legal counsel to TransAfrica, a professor who spent the past 10 years working in Peru, a leading theorist in geography and environmental law, an expert in environmental taxation, a young star in the field of water law, and many others. Professors can be seen at http://www.law.uoregon.edu/LLM/faculty.html

One of the great advantages to the University of Oregon is that it is in a city with great cultural events, but it is one hour from the Pacific Ocean and 1-1/2 hours from snow-capped skiing mountains. The LLM program takes its students to all these places on its academic field trips. Take a look at http://www.law.uoregon.edu/LLM/trips.html

Since this question comes up frequently, I would like to explain the difference between studying environmental law in Europe and studying it in the U.S. According to our international LL.M. students, here are some of the differences between studying in Europe and studying in our LL.M. program in the U.S. (Lewis & Clark Law School):

1. Size of classes. In European law schools most classes are very large, but at Lewis & Clark and in several other top specialized environmental law programs in the U.S., many students have the opportunity to take discussion classes (we call them seminars) with 20 students or less. This provides a real intellectual workout as well as an opportunity to make friends easily with classmates.

2. Relationship with faculty and staff. At Lewis & Clark each LL.M. is paired with a faculty member who can give the student individual advice about environmental law, life in Oregon, potential careers and contacts, etc. Each LL.M. additionally has a faculty advisor for the LL.M. graduate seminar paper, and that faculty member provides help with the rigorous U.S. style of legal research and writing.

3. On top of that, each international LL.M. student receives an introduction to U.S. constitutional, administrative and environmental law and legal writing in a free Summer Institute that begins in August, taught by our director of international LL.M. and visitor programs. This Institute provides practice in using legal research databases, taking U.S. law school exams, and briefing and analyzing cases. The common law system is very different from civil code systems, requiring law students to think creatively about the law, and many of our international students find the difference in legal educational systems an exciting intellectual experience.

4. At Lewis & Clark, LL.M. students can also participate in an actual law firm or nonprofit for credit through our Clinical Internship Seminar. Other top schools may have similar programs. In our program, students who are interested in working with NGOs can do legal work for one of the many NGOs located in Portland, Oregon. Students who are interested in working for a U.S. law firm can do so in one of our downtown law firm placements. Students who want to experience working for a government agency (including our Metro regional government) can do so.

One last thing that our students have mentioned is that Portland (and the state of Oregon) has the most friendly people they have ever met. When you come to law school here, you are accepted into a closely-knit community among other students with similar interests to yours. There is always an environmental event happening somewhere on campus. If you want more information about our program, please visit our website at
http://law.lclark.edu/dept/elaw/

Sincerely,
Lin Harmon
Director, International LL.M. & Visitor Programs
Lewis & Clark Law School

Hi! I'm planning to do a Ph.D.on Environment Law in the USA or in the UK Bcs i have passed 2 academic year in LLM specilization on environmental law from TU, Nepal in English medium. whether there is TOFEL and ILTES is required or not?

Hello Ram, most of the higher-ranked institutions would require TOEFL or IELTS even if you have had LL.M. instruction in English, if that program was in a non-English-speaking country. The main point is that in order to succeed in a rigorous academic program, you must have complete fluency in English. Some institutions (like Lewis & Clark) will consider alternative means of evaluating your English comprehension, such as a telephone/Skype conversation, assuming you have some evidence of English proficiency but no test scores.

I see that you are looking at Ph.D. programs. Here in the U.S. we have an unusual system. Our primary law degree is the J.D., then the next step up is the LL.M., and the final step is the S.J.D. I've written more about this at
http://www.lclark.edu/law/programs/environmental_and_natural_resources_law/us_law_degrees/

Also, more information about Lewis & Clark's LL.M. and frequently asked questions about the LL.M. program can be found here:
http://www.lclark.edu/law/programs/environmental_and_natural_resources_law/llm/international_students/

Most U.S. law schools do not require the TOEFL or IELTS for the J.D. program because J.D. applicants must take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). In order to succeed in the LSAT you must have a very high level of English fluency, so testing for English ability is superfluous at the J.D. level.

Lin

(Ms.) Lin Harmon, J.D.
Director, International LL.M. & Visitor Programs
Associate Director, Environmental & Natural Resources Law Program
Lewis & Clark Law School
10015 SW Terwilliger Blvd.
Portland, OR 97219
(503) 768-6882
http://law.lclark.edu/programs/environmental_and_natural_resources_law/
===
Join us for our 2010 Environmental Law Summer School!
http://law.lclark.edu/programs/summer_school/environmental_classes/index.php
===