WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (March 29, 2022) - Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law is once again ranked number one in the country for Environmental Law by the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.
This is the second year in a row, and the third time in four years, that Haub Law has received the number one ranking for Environmental Law, marking the latest major success for the school’s Environmental Law Program. Consistently rated among the very best in the country, the program continues to recruit top faculty, establish leading-edge programs to address the most pressing environmental challenges, and attract students who seek to become the environmental law leaders of the future.
“Our Environmental Law Program is known globally for its impact on environmental law and policy,” said Pace University President Marvin Krislov. “Its continued Number 1 ranking reflects the extraordinary depth and breadth of our program and its ongoing focus on innovation. Congratulations to the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law on this recognition, and many thanks to the Haub family for their ongoing commitment to the environment and to our law school.”
The Environmental Law Program is widely known for signature programs including the Environmental Litigation Clinic, the Food and Farm Business Law Clinic, and the Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition. Recently, the program also initiated the Environmental Law and Policy Hack Competition for law schools throughout the country. This year, the Law School launched the Sustainable Business Law Hub, which will create opportunities for training, policy, and research that addresses global environmental challenges. The Law School also hosts lectures and panels throughout the year featuring environmental scholars, advocates, and policymakers, and it recognizes leading international environmentalists through the annual presentation of the Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy, considered one of the world’s most distinguished awards in the field of environmental law.
"I am thrilled that the work of our Environmental Law Program has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report for the second year in a row with a number-one ranking," said Jason J. Czarnezki, Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law and Associate Dean and Executive Director of Environmental Law Programs. "Our program prepares students to hit the ground running once they graduate and begin their careers as environmental lawyers in law firms, non-profits, environmental NGOs, companies and government agencies.”
Haub Law offers more than 40 environmental law courses. Students can research emerging areas of environmental law through the Environmental Law Program’s various centers and institutes, including the Pace Energy and Climate Center and the Land Use Law Center, and can directly represent clients through the Environmental Litigation Clinic and the Food and Beverage Law Clinic.
Haub Law is one of only two law schools worldwide to be a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which provides students with the opportunity to draft memoranda, debate issues, and attend IUCN meetings, including the World Conservation Congress and U.S. National Committee meetings. The Law School is also Co-Secretariat to the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, helping to nurture environmental legal education and promote the conceptual development of environmental law internationally. Through the United Nations Diplomacy Practicum, students provide assistance to UN country Missions by attending their meetings and preparing research on issues such as climate change, renewable energy, fisheries protection, and forest management. These opportunities provide Haub Law students with the tools they need to be national and international leaders in environmental law.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law’s Dispute Resolution program also rose significantly in the rankings this year, moving up to number 32 from number 67 last year. Haub Law is proud to offer students a wide variety of ADR classes, ranging from Environmental Dispute Resolution to the endowed Amelia Gould Representation in Mediation Clinic, and is a founder of the William C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. The School’s part-time program increased in the rankings as well, moving up to number 47, a significant increase from prior years’ rankings. This improvement reflects Haub Law’s expansion of its part-time program with flexible scheduling options that enable working professionals and others to take their core law school classes on the evenings and weekends.
Additionally, Haub Law’s impressive trial advocacy program once again ranked in the top 15% of law schools, coming in at number 26 this year. Over the last few years, Haub Law has had 28+ Mock Trial and Moot Court Teams, with an average of over 124 student participants on these teams as a whole. The Law School’s Mock Trial and Moot Court teams regularly place at or near the top in competitions. In the fall of 2021, Haub Law hosted its first Advocate in Residence, Gillian More, a lifelong prosecutor with a worldwide reputation in advocacy.
“Since its founding decades ago, our Environmental Law Program has been at the forefront of training the environmental leaders and advocates of tomorrow,” said Dean Horace E. Anderson Jr. “We are very proud of the leadership positions that our alumni have attained at government agencies, law firms, and NGOs, and of our program’s consistent recognition as being at the pinnacle of the field. We are also pleased with the strong rankings for our Dispute Resolution program, our Trial Advocacy Program, and our part-time program. I am proud of the work we have done and continue to do each day at Haub Law to provide our students with a stellar legal education.”
Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University offers JD and Masters of Law (LLM) degrees in both Environmental and International Law, as well as a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law. The School, housed on the University’s campus in White Plains, N.Y., opened its doors in 1976 and has more than 9,000 alumni around the world. The School maintains a unique philosophy and approach to legal education that strikes an important balance between practice and theory. Haub Law launched its Environmental Law Program in 1978, and it has long been ranked among the world’s leading university programs, with a current #1 ranking by U.S. News & World Report. Pace’s doctoral graduates teach environmental law at universities around the world. Pace’s JD alumni are prominent in environmental law firms, agencies and non-profit organizations across the U.S. and abroad. In 2016, the Law School received a transformational gift from the family of Elisabeth Haub, in recognition of its outstanding environmental law programs. For more information, visit the Haub Law website.
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