Natural Resources Law
Program
Several years ago, the Appalachian School of Law made the strategic decision to offer a focused program on Natural Resources and Energy Law. ASL’s location in southwestern Virginia, the heart of the Appalachian oil and gas and coal-producing region, made an emphasis on the topic a natural fit. The program now includes a wide range of course offerings; a specialty certificate in Natural Resources Law; core relationships with the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation and Virginia Tech’s Department of Mines and Mineral Engineering; externship placements; a Natural Resources Law Journal; moot court teams competing at environmental law and sustainable energy law competitions; strong student organizations in both environmental law and energy and mineral law; and opportunities for speakers, conferences and field trips in the region.
Natural Resources Links
Energy and Mineral Law Foundation
http://www.emlf.org/
Va. Dept. of Mines, Minerals, and Energy
https://www.dmme.virginia.gov/
Va. Dept. of Environmental Quality
https://www.deq.virginia.gov/
U.S Department of Energy
https://www.energy.gov/
Environmental Protection Agency
https://www.epa.gov/
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
https://ferc.gov/
Mission
The ASL Natural Resources Law Program’s mission is to train attorneys to navigate the increasingly complex world of natural resources law in terms of energy production, conservation, and improving sustainability. At the center of this mission is ASL’s commitment to offer a place for rational discussion, intelligent debate, and collaboration to foster cutting-edge programs and innovative scholarship with the ultimate goal to make students more effective and scientifically grounded policymakers and advocates.
A Word from Our Director (Video)
Greetings:
I wanted to reach out and thank you for your interest in the Appalachian School of Law (ASL). I have been a professor at ASL for a number of years and, like most people, enjoy being outdoors and take a keen interest in how our natural resources are utilized. Over the past several years we have been working to bolster our offerings in Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law. Since our law school is situated in the heart of the Appalachian oil, gas, and coal-producing region, focusing on these areas of the law is a natural fit.
ASL has established a Natural Resources Law Center devoted to training attorneys to navigate the increasingly complex world of Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law in terms of energy production, conservation, and improving sustainability. At the core of this mission is ASL’s commitment to offer a place for rational discussion, intelligent debate, and collaboration to foster cutting-edge programs and innovative scholarship with the ultimate goal to make students more effective and scientifically grounded policy makers and advocates.
As a student you will have the opportunity to learn and grow inside and outside of the classroom. ASL has highly respected Natural Resources and Environmental Law moot court teams, a Natural Resources Law Journal, and multiple Natural Resources and Environmental Law student organizations. Moreover, our students annually attend natural resources conferences across the country, participate in Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law internships during the summer, and take educational trips to various sites in the region such as Contura Energy’s deep mine #41 located here in Southwest Virginia. Finally, we offer our students cutting-edge courses through our partnerships with other universities. For instance, the Spring 2020 semester features a course entitled Natural Resources: Why Lawyers and Engineers Need Each Other, which is being taught in conjunction with Dr. Kray Luxbacher from Virginia Tech’s Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering. This class focuses on the legal and engineering components of projects, programs and permits involving our natural resources.
These are the type of experiences that will prepare you for practicing in Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law when you graduate. And our Natural Resources Law Certificate will set you apart from the field when seeking what you most desire upon graduation — employment. The legal issues and policy decisions regarding natural resources, energy, and the environment have never been more prevalent in our society than today. ASL will prepare you for a career in these areas of law and our location in the mountains is the perfect place to obtain hands-on experience in the field.
Enclosed is additional information on our courses, professors, scholarships, and a list of former and current employers of our Natural Resources graduates. I invite you to join us here in the heart of Appalachia and start your career with the Natural Resources Law Center at ASL.
See you in the mountains!
Mark “Buzz” Belleville