Students in the Environmental Clinic work with clients to protect public health and the environment. Our clients include individuals, nonprofits, and local governments throughout Texas.
Students work in teams under the supervision of clinic faculty and should expect to spend approximately 12 hours per week working on clinic cases. Students must spend 6-8 hours per week working in the Clinic office. Past Clinic cases have involved environmental enforcement actions in federal court, permitting and rulemaking proceedings before administrative agencies, community education, pollution monitoring, civil rights complaints, and environmental policy research.
Through Clinic casework, students gain practical experience with factual investigation and analysis, administrative research and advocacy before regulatory agencies, and legal drafting and litigation support. The Clinic’s weekly two-hour seminar covers topics like working with community groups, navigating administrative law and agencies, and using permitting, rulemaking, and enforcement processes to improve environmental quality.
For Spring Semester 2027, there will be an all-Clinic hike on the greenbelt with breakfast tacos on the morning of Saturday, January 23rd.
The Clinic is open to students who have completed their first two semesters. There is no prerequisite for the clinic. An application is required. For additional information regarding the clinic, contact Clinic Co-Director Erin Gaines (erin.gaines@law.utexas.edu) or Clinic Coordinator Cassadie Charlesworth (environmentalclinic@law.utexas.edu).
Gaines, Erin Laurel