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Posted Jan. 31, 2022

Top 10 LLMs in Environmental Law in the UK

LLM in Environmental LawStudying an LLM in Environmental Law can lead to further academic study or to work in the practice, regulation or enforcement of Environmental Law.

LLM in Environmental Law

Some LLMs in Environmental Law can be closely related to courses in Energy Law and have a significant overlap so check before you apply that you are sure that it's the LLM for you.

There are plenty of reasons to study an LLM in Environmental Law and here we have a roundup of ten of the best LLM programs in Environmental Law that can be studied in the UK.

LLM in International Environmental Law – University of Cambridge

Duration: 1 year full time.
Cost: £17,664 for UK students / £33,825 for EU and international students.
What you will study: This specialism at the University of Cambridge in International Environmental Law is split into two sections the first part is about the history of Environmental Law and the second is about analysing and critiquing its application.

LLM – London School of Economics and Political Sciences

Duration: 1 year full time
Cost: £18,024 for UK students / £27,984 for EU and international students.
What you will study: The LLM at LSE is designed to give students the flexibility to create a degree program that suits their academic and professional objectives. Courses of study include Transnational Environmental Law and Climate Change & International Law.

LLM in Environmental Law and Policy – University College London

Duration: 1 year full time or 2 years part time.
Cost: £19,400 total cost for full- and part-time UK students / £29,400 total cost for EU and international students.
What you will study: This specialist LLM at UCL includes modules such as Law and Policy of Climate Change and International Environmental Law.

LLM in Global Environment and Climate Change Law – University of Edinburgh

Duration: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time.
Cost: £14,400 total cost for full-time and part-time UK students / £25,300 total cost for full-time and part-time EU and international students.
What you will study: Students at the University of Edinburgh will cover the development of Environmental Law nationally, internationally and on a European level as well as gaining the skills to analyse the environmental impact of international institutions and NGOs.

LLM in Environmental Law – Queen Mary University of London

Duration: 1 year full time or 2 years part time.
Cost: £17,350 total cost for full-time and part-time UK students / £26,250 total cost for full-time and part-time EU and international students.
What you will study: Students at QMUL will cover the impact of national and international legal change to the protection of the environment primarily in the oil and gas industries.

LLM – Durham University

Duration: 1 year full time or 2 years part time.
Cost: £11,500 per year for full-time UK students / £23,500 per year for full-time EU and international students / £11,500 per year for full-time Island students / £12,650 in total for part-time UK students / £25,850 in total for part-time EU and international students / £12,650 in total for part-time Island students.
What you will study: The LLM at Durham University has a wide choice of modules to choose from including a Global Environmental Law.

General Legal Studies LLM – University of Bristol

Duration: 1 year full time.
Cost: £10,900 total cost for UK students / £20,900 total costs for EU and international students.
What you will study: The General Legal Studies LLM at the University of Bristol includes a unit on Environmental Law that explores environmental concepts, institutions and regulatory approaches to protect the environment and promote sustainable development.

LLM Advanced Legal Studies – University of Warwick

Duration: 1 year full time.
Cost: £9,933 total cost for UK students / £20,265 for EU and international students.
What you will study: LLM Advanced Legal Studies – University of Warwick includes Climate Change and Development as one of its areas of study.

LLM in International Law and Global Governance – University of Leeds

Duration: 1 year full time.
Cost: £10,250 total cost for UK students / £21,250 total cost for EU and international students.
What you will study: The LLM in International Law and Global Governance at the University of Leeds provides students with the opportunity to engage with a dynamic and responsive approach to contemporary global problems and includes a module on Environmental Law.

LLM with a Public and Environmental Governance Specialism – Queen's University Belfast

Duration: 1 year full time or 2 years part time.
Cost: £6,650 total cost for full-time and part-time NI and ROI (Republic of Ireland) students / £7,470 total cost for rest of UK students (England, Scotland and Wales) / £18,200 total cost for EU international students.
What you will study: This flexible course at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland allows students to focus their studies on areas that interest them and that the academic staff specialise in.

6 reasons to study an LLM in Environmental Law

Studying an LLM in Environmental Law can lead to a variety of exciting career paths.

It's important to check the emphasis of your course carefully as some courses can concentrate a little more on topics such as natural resource law or land use law, whilst others can focus more closely on topics like environmental change – so make sure your chosen course focusses on your topics of interest. 

Here are six reasons why you should opt to study an LLM in Environmental Law

1. To advise on environmental policy & campaigning

With an LLM in Environmental Law, you will be able to work for national and international governmental bodies, advising on environmental policy. Alternatively, you could choose to work for organisations involved in campaigning and protesting about changes in environmental law around the world. If environmental change is important to you, then you can help groups campaigning for legal change in a rewarding and challenging career. 

2. To understand the legal aspects of environmental change

Changes to the environment produce new and unexpected legal issues and understanding the implications of these is what environmental lawyers specialise in. With the constant development of both technology and changes to the environment, environmental law specialists are a vital part of the growing regulation.

3. Work for the largest international companies in the energy industry

If you hanker after a career in a large international energy company, an LLM in Environmental Law could be the perfect route if you choose a course with an emphasis on the regulation of the energy industry. Understanding the many international treaties governing the access of oil and the creation of energy is important, as they are complex and varied. International companies in the energy sector require legal advice on their daily business transactions and the exploration of new oil fields. 

4. You can become involved with the regulation of industry

Many environmental lawyers become involved in advising on the many regulations that are involved with industry. Areas that require advice and regulation can vary as broadly as the regulation of which pollutants can be released into the atmosphere or into rivers and streams by factories or the law surrounding the disposal of farm waste. Other environmental lawyers are also involved in the study of the sustainability of new technology in various industries. 

5. It’s a growing area of the law

The regulation and policies involved with environmental law increase on an almost daily basis, this means that companies in a wide range of industries require regular advice and guidance over their current practices. Often those advising on new policy and environmental law are involved on the cutting edge of new technologies and their governance. Widely differing areas of industry, from the manufacture of goods to the management of forestry and the growing of food, are all concerned with aspects of environmental law, making it an exciting, dynamic and growing area of the law work in. 

6. Your career can be global 

The world's natural resources are a global concern which means your career can span the world with an LLM in Environmental Law, especially if you also choose to study your LLM program internationally. International treaties are increasingly controlling and restricting the use of certain resources or the use of land, and environmental lawyers are essential to advise international companies on this.

Editor’s note: this blog post was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated to reflect the latest rankings figures and current LLM information.

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