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Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic (IEC)

The IEC tackles environmental and community health cases as a pro bono law practice.

Need Legal Help?

If your community is dealing with pollution, contamination, or environmental health hazards, our clinic may be able to help. We provide free legal services to qualifying individuals and communities. Contact (314) 935-7238 to discuss your situation.

About the Clinic

IEC students tackle some of the most challenging water, air, waste, climate change, and environmental justice problems in the region as part of an interdisciplinary team. Students collaborate with peers from engineering, arts and sciences, public health, medicine, and occasionally business and architecture to address complex environmental cases in Missouri, Illinois, and nationally.

Practical Experience:

  • Act as student attorneys responsible for key case decisions
  • Perform the “heavy lifting” in pursuit of client goals
  • Engage in litigation and advocacy for nonprofit organizations and underrepresented communities
  • Step into professional roles with ongoing faculty feedback and support
  • Experience the full challenges and rewards of environmental lawyering

Interdisciplinary Learning

Students develop essential lawyering skills through extensive interaction with experienced IEC faculty while learning about public interest law. The clinic’s unique interdisciplinary approach provides exposure to multiple perspectives and expertise areas, preparing students for the complex, collaborative nature of modern environmental practice.

Faculty

Faculty Leaders

Peter W. Goode lll

Environmental Engineer, Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic; Lecturer in Law

Elizabeth Hubertz

Director, Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic; Professor of Practice

Eric Conners

Engineering and Science Postdoctoral Fellow

Laura Robb

Supervising Attorney & Lecturer, Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic


FAQs

Your questions answered.

The clinic is open to second and third-year law students, graduate students, upper-level undergraduates, and medical students. No prerequisites are required, though coursework in environmental law, engineering, science, or policy is recommended.

The clinic accepts up to 10 law students and 8 undergraduate/graduate students per semester, plus medical students through rotations.

Law students register through the law school’s clinic enrollment process each spring for the following academic year. Non-law students register through WebSTAC and must also submit a resume and statement of interest to Ken Miller. Medical students register for the Occupational & Environmental Medicine elective (M25885).

For law students: third-years, previously wait-listed students, and those who haven’t taken a clinic. For non-law students: graduating students, those with strong environmental backgrounds, and previously wait-listed students.

Law students: 21 hours/week (6 credits) or 28 hours/week (8 credits). Non-law students: 12 hours/week (3 credits) plus 3 additional hours for each extra credit. All students attend weekly 2-hour seminars, team meetings, and individual faculty meetings.

Law students receive modified pass/no pass grades; non-law students receive letter grades. There are no exams—grading is based on substantial reading and writing for client work and limited seminar assignments.

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