MASTER OF ENERGY REGULATION AND LAW Energy and the environment go hand in hand. Energy production and distribution are inextricably linked with today’s major environmental issues. Vermont Law School’s Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL) program trains students to work at the intersection of energy and environmental issues by promoting alternative energy development or solving environmental problems associated with traditional energy production. Other graduates will work on the development of a smart electric grid and electrification of the transportation sector, which have significant implications for air pollution and climate change. Well-trained professionals are needed to be effective agents of change in business, economics, public policy, nonprofit administration, and law at the intersection of energy development and the environment. Vermont Law School is granting admission to this program in 2013; NEASC approval of and ABA acquiescence in the program are pending. www.vermontlaw.edu/MERL “Thanks to the enhanced analytical skills and legal knowledge I received, I’m continually offered projects with legal, political, and regulatory components. This has diversified my work and completely reshaped my career path.” —Keith Dennis MSEL 2005, Lead Energy Project Specialist, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. CURRICULUM The Master of Energy Regulation and Law is a 30-credit program with four required courses designed to provide students with a broad-based understanding of energy law and policy, regulation, and economic analysis. In addition, students engage in a scholarly research project or externship on an energy topic. Elective credits allow students to focus their interest from among the 50-plus courses related to energy, land, water, climate, or the general environment. Flexible options allow candidates to complete the program in as little as 12 months. FACULTY The Vermont Law School faculty include experienced environmental litigators, former high-level government officials, and thoughtful visionaries about how to promote a sustainable future for the nation and the world. Energy courses are taught by faculty associated with the law school’s highly respected Institute for Energy and the Environment. Faculty members serve as mentors to our students and provide direction, connections, and inspiration as graduates move forward into their careers. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Experiential learning opportunities with state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and advocacy groups ensure that MERL graduates are prepared for real-world situations the first day on the job. MERL students may engage in an externship in energy law, or serve as a research associate at Vermont Law School’s Institute for Energy for the Environment. www.vermontlaw.edu/MastersExternships “Our mission is to have fewer greenhouse gas emissions in 50 years because of the work we do today, and in 100 years because of the work our students do tomorrow.” —Michael Dworkin, Professor of Law and Director of the Institute for Energy and the Environment INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT Vermont Law School’s Institute for Energy and the Environment offers in-depth training in the fundamentals and developing elements of energy law and regulation by giving students the opportunity to do practical work in the energy field and to meet and learn from energy experts. The Institute distributes scholarly, technical, and practical publications; holds forums and conferences for professional education and issue development; and serves as a center for graduate research on energy issues, with an environmental awareness. www.vermontlaw.edu/Energy CAREERS The MERL program focuses on essential skills, knowledge, and perspectives that will make graduates “job-ready” to work for private energy companies, consulting firms, government agencies, or non-profit organizations. The energy sector is highly diverse and rapidly evolving. Many MERL graduates will be entrepreneurs who literally create new jobs in the energy field. www.vermontlaw.edu/Careers Law for the community and the world Vermont Law School 164 Chelsea Street PO Box 96 South Royalton, Vermont 05068 USA www.vermontlaw.edu © 2013 Vermont Law School