Program Overview

Introduction to the Environmental Law Clinic

The Environmental Law Clinic, course code LAWS 394, is offered by the Victoria University of Wellington. This course provides students with the opportunity to work on practical environmental law projects, acquiring the necessary skills for a professional career as a lawyer.

Course Details

• Course Description: The course involves working on environmental law projects, including tasks such as factual research on environmental issues, legal research, managing expert evidence, drafting submissions, file and client management, and preparing legal statements of claim.
• Grading: This is a limited entry course graded on a pass/fail basis.
• Duration and Timing: The course runs from 6 July 2026 to 8 November 2026, during Trimester 2.
• Lecture Times and Location: Lectures are held on Mondays at 11:30 am, 12:40 pm, and 4:40 pm at the Pipitea campus.
• Estimated Workload: Approximately 150 hours or 8.3 hours per week for 18 weeks.
• Points: 15 points, with one point estimated to be about 10 hours of work.

Admission and Requirements

• Entry Restrictions: Limited entry.
• Prerequisites: LLB Part 1 and Part 3, and approval of the course coordinator.
• Corequisites: None.
• Restrictions: None, but students who have passed similar courses may not be eligible.
• Taught By: School of Law Faculty of Law.

Course Objectives and Teaching Method

Course Learning Objectives

Students who pass this course should be able to:

• Collaborate effectively with a team to investigate and report potential solutions to an environmental issue.
• Identify the requirements for determining whether an environmental issue has a legal remedy and how to pursue it.
• Maintain an accurate record of time spent on the project and a clear description of work undertaken.
• Deliver a presentation on an aspect of the group project.
• Conduct research and produce written content on an aspect of the project.

How the Course is Taught

• The course is taught in person only.
• It emphasizes collaborative work in small groups, requiring coordination, liaison, and active discussion among group members.
• Each group undertakes a project guided by a legal academic and a practicing lawyer, resulting in a joint project report and a presentation.
• Students contribute individually by preparing sections of the group report, presenting an aspect of the project, and compiling a portfolio of their work.
• The course involves lectures, group discussions, and student presentations, with most course time devoted to advancing the projects.

Assessment

• Assessment Details: Assessment to be confirmed, may require in-person attendance.
• Mark: 100%.
• Mandatory Requirements: To pass, students must achieve an overall pass mark of at least 50%, make a presentation in class, and complete two written assignments, including contributing to the group project report.

Fees and Availability

• Fees: NZ$1,020.00 for domestic students, NZ$5,165.40 for international students.
• Availability: Limited entry, with a specific number of students accepted into the course.

Additional Information

• Course Outline: Subject to change.
• Key Dates: Important dates, including mid-trimester teaching breaks, can be found on the University's key dates calendar.
• Past Versions of the Course: Older versions may be accessible through the course archive.
• Student Feedback: Previous students' feedback can be searched and read through the student feedback database.