Top LL.M. Programs for Energy Law 2023

An LL.M. in Energy Law can be extremely useful: Many governments and other bodies around the world play regulatory roles around energy, resulting in a complex patchwork of laws covering everything from coal extraction to pumping gas into a car. And increasingly, energy production intersects with laws governing environmental protection. This interplay between regulations and environmental protection creates an opening for attorneys who are specialized in energy law. (See the Top 10 LL.M. Programs for Environmental Law here.)

With an LL.M. in Energy Law, students can come to terms with the various aspects of the energy field, and get caught up on recent regulatory shifts, economic changes, and the related forces that are continuously affecting the industry. Some LL.M.s in Energy Law also look at emerging trends in the field, such as the regulations covering the production of clean energy or changes in land use policies.

An LL.M. in energy can help lead to careers in the public sector, in private law firms whose practices focus on the energy space, or NGOs and other international organizations.

Dundee, United Kingdom 58 Followers 89 Discussions
Dundee - CEPMLP

Dundee’s Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law was formed in 1977, when the North Sea Oil economy was booming. Through that center, the school offers LL.M.s covering various topics in the field, including one in Energy Law in Policy, another in Petroleum Taxation and Finance, and yet another LL.M. in Mineral Law and Policy, among others.

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Austin, Texas 138 Followers 114 Discussions
Texas Law

As a city, Austin is a bit of a strange beast: it’s in Texas, but doesn’t sport the same oil presence as cities like Dallas our Houston. Perhaps that’s why UT Austin’s KBH Energy Center produces research on such a broad range of energy topics: from decarbonization to land use and the environmental costs of gas pipelines. Students interested in these and related topics in the energy field can pursue an LL.M. concentration in Global Energy, International Arbitration and Environmental Law.

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Aberdeen, United Kingdom 161 Followers 248 Discussions
Aberdeen

Located on the oil-rich North Sea, students at Aberdeen study in the heart of a dynamic and transitioning energy hub. The Aberdeen University Centre for Energy Law publishes relevant research; students interested in energy law can pursue LL.M. programs in Oil and Gas Law or Energy Law. Along with the University of Groningen, the University of Oslo, and the University of Copenhagen, the school runs the part-time North Sea Energy Law program as well.

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South Royalton, Vermont 27 Followers 30 Discussions

Vermont Law School’s Institute for Energy and the Environment produces research around the intersection between energy and the environment. Fortunately for energy law-minded LL.M. students, faculty who are associated with the institute teach on Vermont Law’s LL.M. in Energy Law, one of the top US programs in this discipline. 

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Houston, Texas 76 Followers 64 Discussions
Houston Law Center (UHLC)

With over 5,000 energy firms in the region, the city of Houston is one of the world’s biggest oil and gas hubs, and a great place to study for LL.M. students looking to be close to the action. The school offers an LL.M. in Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Law, which helps students navigate the complex polices around energy production, transportation, and use. UHLC is also home to the Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Center, which researches the intersection between energy production and environmental impacts.

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Berkeley, California 1390 Followers 617 Discussions
Berkeley Law

For students looking to focus on the legal overlap between climate and energy, Berkeley Law is perhaps one of the best schools in the world. The school’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment focuses on the intersection between climate and energy and sustainable land use; it also puts on relevant events. LL.M. students at Berkeley can pursue a certificate in Energy and Clean Technology.

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Melbourne, Australia 216 Followers 113 Discussions
Melbourne Law School

LL.M. students at Melbourne Law can pursue a concentration in Energy and Resources Law, which covers a range of relevant topics in the field, including energy regulation and mineral law. The school’s Centre for Resources, Energy and Environmental Law is one of the few such research enters hosted by a law school in Australia.

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Groningen, Netherlands 185 Followers 103 Discussions
University of Groningen

Since the school is situated on the Groningen Gas Field—the largest natural gas field in Europe—LL.M. students can see directly how energy laws work in the real world. Groningen offers an LL.M. in Energy and Climate Law; and, in partnership with several other law schools, offers a part-time LL.M in North Sea Energy Law. The school also hosts the Groningen Centre of Energy Law, which is the largest energy law research center in the Netherlands.

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Calgary, Canada 74 Followers 24 Discussions
UCalgary Law

With its LL.M. in Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law, Calgary is one of a handful of law schools in Canada to offer a specialized LL.M. in the field. The school is also home to the Canadian Institute of Resources Law, which puts on symposia and publishes related research.

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London, United Kingdom 941 Followers 904 Discussions
QMUL

QMUL’s LL.M. in Energy and Natural Resources Law looks at energy law topics from an international, interdisciplinary perspective. Students in the LL.M. can take advantage of resourced offered by the school’s Energy and Natural Resources Law Institute.

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