Graduate Certificate in Energy Law and Policy

The Graduate Certificate in Energy Law and Policy (the “Energy Certificate”) allows the Paul M. Hebert Law Center to officially recognize students who have demonstrated substantial competence in the study of energy law and related subject matter. It helps prepare participating students for careers in energy law and related fields by ensuring that they take appropriate coursework and providing exposure to relevant applied learning experiences. Students who satisfy the requirements for both the Energy Certificate and the D.C.L. may earn both credentials at graduation.

Course and Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility

Any LSU law student in good standing who has completed at least one full semester of full-time law study is eligible to participate in the certificate program. An interested student must complete an application. The information from the application and a required orientation session will be used to assist the student in planning an appropriate course of study.

Requirements

In order to earn the Energy Certificate, a student must:

1. Apply to participate in the certificate program before the first day of classes of the student’s final semester before graduating from the Law Center. Interested students are encouraged to apply to the certificate program in the first semester of their second year of law study.
2. Successfully complete at least 16 credit hours within the Certificate Curriculum, as further set forth below. 
   1. Mandatory Courses (12 credit hours):
      1. LAW 5205 - Mineral Rights  (3)+
      2. LAW 5220 - Energy Law And Regulation  (3 credits)
      3. LAW 5402 - Administrative Law  (3)
      4. LAW 5411 - Introduction to Environmental Law  (3)
   2. Elective Courses (4 or more credit hours):
      1. LAW 5206 - International Petroleum Transactions  (3)+
      2. LAW 5414 - Climate Change Law  (3)+
      3. LAW 5418 Natural Resources Law  (3)
      4. LAW 5802 - International Environmental Law Seminar  (2) 
      5. LAW 5896 - Administrative and Environmental Law Practice Seminar  (2)
      6. LAW 5901 - Individual Supervised Research  or LAW 5902 - Individual Supervised Research  (1), if approved in advance (paper topic in energy law; supervised by an energy law faculty member; includes law journal/review papers)*
      7. ENVS 4266 - Ocean and Coastal Law and Policy (School of the Coast and Environment) (4266) (3) (ENVS course)
      8. Graduate-Level Course(s) (3), if approved in advance for cross-enrollment by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and for satisfaction of the certificate requirements by the Associate Dean and the Director of the Laborde Energy Law Center*
      9. Apprenticeship Week course(s), if designated** 
      10. LSU Lyon course(s), if designated** (1–3 credits)+
      11. Other Energy Law courses that are not offered on a regular basis, but which are approved for credit by the Director of the Energy Law Center.

3. Write a research paper in the area of energy law. The paper may be written either within one of the seminars in the Certificate Curriculum or as an independent research paper supervised by an energy law faculty member (includes law review/journal papers).
4. Participate in at least fourteen hours of approved applied learning experiences related to energy law and policy. The goal of all applied energy-related learning experiences outside of the classroom is to increase students’ overall competence in the field. Applied learning experiences may include, either individually or in combination:
   • A skills course#
   • An externship
   • An internship
   • Conferences/symposia related to energy law (e.g., the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute held at LSU or the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute)
   • Apprenticeship week courses related to energy law#
   • Field trips related to energy law