Description

Energy Justice LLM Fellowship

Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE)

Reports to: Director, IEE

Part-time, Exempt

Salary: $45,240

The Institute for Energy and the Environment at Vermont Law and Graduate School, the country’s leading clean energy law and policy institute, is hiring an Energy Justice LLM Fellow for a two-year period beginning August 2025. The fellowship allows a student to earn an LLM in Energy Law while working part-time at the Institute for Energy and the Environment. The fellowship includes a full tuition waiver for the LLM in Energy Law and a $45,240 annual stipend. To be eligible for the fellowship, the applicant must be admitted to the Energy Law LLM program and submit complete application materials for the fellowship as noted below.

Energy Justice Fellowship – The Energy Justice Fellow will pursue their LLM on a half-time schedule and will work in the IEE on a half-time basis. The Fellow will lead a project to research and develop a legally binding and enforceable Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) for communities impacted by wood pellet production. The GNA will serve as a template for communities to proactively articulate their environmental concerns and advocate for their specific needs. The Energy Justice Fellow will supervise graduate students working on the project. 

The project is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is a collaboration with the Brown University School of Public Health, who, with NIH –funding, is assessing current environmental exposure to wood pellet emissions and adolescent environmental health in impacted communities in Mississippi. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities 

• Develop a template for a Good Neighbor Agreement that is informed by Brown University’s environmental health study findings; a synthesis of existing and enforceable Good Neighbor Agreements, community funds, and wood pellet fines and penalties; and federal, state, and local rules and regulations.
• Conduct a survey of existing and enforceable Good Neighbor Agreements, community funds, and wood pellet fines and penalties.
• Analyze federal, state, and local rules and regulations regarding wood pellet manufacturing, general industrial activity, and environmental justice.
• Hold community focus groups in impacted communities to understand local needs
• Hold community meetings to review drafts of Good Neighbor Agreement Template
• Develop educational materials on environmental justice, Good Neighbor Agreements, and environmental law. 
• Supervise and mentor research associates.

Requirements

Required Education, Skills, and Experience:

• Prior coursework and/or professional experience in environmental and/or energy law
• Commitment to environmental justice and desire to work directly with underserved communities.
• Ability to travel to Mississippi, Alabama, and/or Louisiana for community focus groups and meetings in impacted communities.

Desired Education, Skills, and Experience:

• Prior coursework and/or professional experience in public health.
• Ability to interpret quantitative and qualitative public health data.
• Experience with Good Neighbor Agreements or similar agreements. 
• Experience holding focus groups and community meetings.
• Experience in project management and supervision.

Application Requirements:

Applicants must:

1) Apply to the VLGS LLM in Energy Law through the regular admissions process.

2) Separately apply for the LLM Fellowship via Paylocity online application. Please include a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and list of three references, for consideration. If you are applying from a third party website (Indeed, etc.) and are unable to attach additional materials to your online application, please apply directly at https://www.vermontlaw.edu/community/about-vls/employment-opportunities or email required documents to Christine Moyer, cmoyer@vermontlaw.edu.  

Application review will begin on a rolling basis on June 16, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. Admission to the VLGS Energy Law program is not required for initial application review but is a requirement for final eligibility.