Sustainability and Climate Change
JD x Graduate Certificate in Sustainability and Climate Change
As a lawyer, you need to understand the needs and goals of your clients and the context for the legal work you are doing.
To provide you with the big picture in a specific area of expertise, Northeastern University School of Law offers a range of certificates that are interdisciplinary, bringing together the unique strengths of our law school and global university, and our leadership in experience-based education.
With a JD x Graduate Certificate in Sustainability and Climate Change Policy, you’ll multiply the options open to you as a lawyer and develop real expertise.
The interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Sustainability and Climate Change Policy, offered by the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs within the College of Social Science, is designed to prepare students for the dynamic, evolving landscape of climate and sustainability policy. The program encompasses a wide range of courses including those focused on sustainable energy, climate solutions, energy democracy, environmental law, energy law and policy, energy justice and more.
Given the growing need in every organization, including private sector, public sector and nonprofits, for professionals with knowledge and training in how to respond to the rapidly changing policy and regulatory frameworks in climate and sustainability, the Graduate Certificate in Sustainability and Climate Change Policy will prepare you to hit the ground running on day one of your legal career.
Sample Courses
Cities, Sustainability and Climate Change
Climate and Development
Energy Law and Policy
Energy Justice: Theory, Law and Policy for a Just, Clean Energy Transition
Energy Law and Policy
Environmental Law
Food Systems and Public Policy
International Environmental Policy
>> Requirements
Sample Co-ops
Alternatives for Community and Environment, Inc., Roxbury, Massachusetts
BCM Environmental and Land Law, Keene, New Hampshire
Clean Air Task Force, Boston, Massachusetts
CleanCapital New York, New York
Conservation Law Foundation, Boston, Massachusetts
Cottonwood Environmental Law Center, Bozeman, Montana
Earth Law Center, Durango, Colorado
Earthjustice, New York, New York / Washington, District of Columbia / Los Angeles, California
EarthRights International, Washington, District of Columbia
Environment America, Boston, Massachusetts
Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Green Advocates International, Brookline, Massachusetts
Highland Electric Fleets, Beverly, Massachusetts
Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, Homer, Alaska
Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Environmental Protection, Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Boston, Massachusetts
The National Environmental Law Center, Boston, Massachusetts
RENEW Northeast, Madison, Connecticut
Sierra Club, Washington, DC
Solutions for Our Climate, Seoul, South Korea
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Salt Lake City, Utah
Swift Current Energy, Boston, Massachusetts
Candidates interested in this certificate program must independently apply and gain admission to the certificate through the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Additional Sustainability and Climate Change Opportunities
- The Center for Public Interest Advocacy and Collaboration (CPIAC) takes the lead in infusing the law school’s public interest mission into all facets of the student experience. While supporting the law school’s long-standing commitment to social justice, the center also pilots programs and initiatives that address broader justice issues.
- The Northeastern Environmental Law Society (NELS) is an organization dedicated to promoting awareness about environmental concerns, issues, and problems within the legal community. Our goals are to bridge the communication and information gap between the scientific and political/legal communities and to enhance the law school experience for students interested in environmental issues and environmental justice confronting Boston, Massachusetts and other regions.
- Concentrations and course offerings may vary by campus and/or by program modality. Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for the course availability each term at your campus or within your program modality.
- Certain options within the program may be required at certain campuses or for certain program modalities. Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for requirements at your campus or for your program modality.