Environmental Protection Clinic

The Yale Environmental Protection Clinic is designed to introduce students to what it means to be an environmental analyst and policymaker by introducing them to basic environmental policy questions and methods by which these questions can be addressed by environmental professionals. While the Clinic supplements students' hands-on experience with seminars on aspects of environmental law and policy, the core of the program is the work students do for their clients: Teams of three to four students work with client organizations on "real-world" projects, with the goal of producing a major work product for the client by the end of the semester.

Past projects have ranged from advising environmental groups on indigenous people's rights to drafting a management plan for a state park for the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection to analyzing the effects of northwestern timber harvests on international trade. Clients have included national environmental groups, think tanks, government agencies, international organizations, and local citizen groups.

Though many of the Clinic's past products have been confidential documents provided to the client, we are able to provide a sampling here of those documents which were made public at the conclusion of the Clinic work period:

Improvement Enforcement and Compliance with CITES. 

Produced by the Clinic for the World Wildlife Fund in 1995, this paper addresses ways in which enforcement of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) may be improved to enhance compliance.

North American Forests at Risk. 

Produced by the Clinic for the Natural Resources Defense Council in 1995, and presented to the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation (NACEC), this paper discusses the transboundary nature of forest preservation in North America, and urges the NACEC to take an active role in coordinating international efforts to practice sustainable forestry.

Controlling Odor and Gaseous Emission Problems from Industrial Swine Facilities: A Handbook for All Interested Parties.  

A new study by the Yale Environmental Protection Clinic, this report addresses in a readable fashion the complex odor issues associated with large-scale swine production in the United States and abroad. This timely report gives rural citizens and state leaders a quick, comprehensive education in hog waste. The 65-page study first explores odor - its origins, composition, measurement issues, health effects on neighbors and workers in the swine industry, and effects on local economies, property values and community cohesiveness. The study continues by exploring a variety of methods and technologies for controlling odor. The last section of the study discusses law and regulation pertaining to the swine industry both in the United States and in Europe. The report ends with recommendations for reform, including labeling pork that is produced in a socially and environmentally responsible manner, and advocating community involvement in solving odor problems. The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture requested the study from the Yale Environmental Protection Clinic to provide Oklahomans with the latest information about this controversial issue. The authors of the study are Amy Chapin and Charlotte Boulind, both candidates for a Master of Public Health degree at the School of Public Health, and Amanda Moore, a candidate for a Juris Doctor degree at the School of Law.

Please email us with any questions or queries, including possible project proposals for coming semesters.

We are not able to provide individual clinic participants' email addresses on this web site; please email us or voicephone the Clinic at (203) 432-6065 with any questions.

Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy
Sage Hall
205 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT
Telephone: 203.432.3123
Fax: 203.432.6597
Email: barbara.ruth@yale.edu