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LL.M. Program Congratulations
LL.M. Class of 2017
This year has been another exciting year for the University of Oregon LL.M. Program. The Environmental and Natural Resources Law concentration continues to bring enthusiastic, highly accomplished students to the law school. The expanded LL.M. program also welcomed talented students who pursued an LL.M. in the American Law, Business Law, or Conflict and Dispute Resolution concentrations.
In May, Oregon Law celebrated eleven students who received their Master of Laws degrees, including seven students who completed the Environmental and Natural Resources Law (ENR) LL.M. concentration.
In addition to their academic work, the 2017 LL.M. cohort was engaged and involved in environmental law and human rights conferences, symposia, and consortia locally and internationally. One LL.M. student, a Fulbright scholar, traveled to Oxford, United Kingdom to participate in the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights. Two LL.M. students coordinated panels on trans-boundary water issues and climate change during the 2017 Public Interest Environmental Law Conference in March and presented papers on climate change migration and offshore underwater data centers during the UO Climate Change Research Symposium in April. Another LL.M. student was a guest lecturer on food law and urban agriculture in an UO undergraduate food studies course. Following graduation, many LL.M. ENR graduates started new internships, applied to advanced degree programs, or returned to their home countries to pursue or recommence their practice in the environmental law and natural resources law fields. LL.M. alumna Gina Rosario Diaz, a LASPAU Fulbright Faculty Development scholar and environmental lawyer from the Dominican Republic, was excited to have an opportunity to participate in a summer internship with the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW). Gina shared that her work at ELAW entails “a variety of environmental law issues in different countries, including climate change, right to a healthy environment, aquaculture, [and] environmental impact assessment.”
LL.M. alumna Gloria Chelang’at, an International Cultural Service Program award recipient from Kenya, was admitted to a prestigious Ph.D. program in international environmental law and policy at Wuhan University in Wuhan, China. She will focus her research on developing “policies governing the environment and natural resources in [Kenya] and in other developing nations facing similar issues.” Gloria’s goal is to establish a consultancy firm in Kenya that focuses on public interest environmental law and natural resources policy.
This August, the LL.M. Program welcomed returning LL.M. students, and seven new members of the LL.M. class of 2017 – 2018. Several LL.M. students will be working toward an LL.M. degree in environmental and natural resources law this academic year. The class of 2017 – 2018 includes an impressive array of students from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Among the members of the incoming class is a Fulbright scholar who is pursuing an LL.M. degree in environmental and natural resources law.
The incoming and returning LL.M. students bring with them vast and experienced professional portfolios. Among them is an attorney who worked as a legal officer for the Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate for Water Resources Management in Africa, several attorneys who are interested in incorporating environmental law and natural resources law into their practice, an attorney who works for a securities and exchange commission in Asia, and several who have a transactional business practice.
Kristie Gibson, LLM Program Director
Just like the class of 2017, some of this year’s students have worked in environmental justice and advocacy programs and projects in their home countries and others aspire to focus their work in this area. The incoming ENR-focused students have a strong commitment to public interest service and initiatives, with a focus on climate change, natural resources law, water law, appropriate dispute resolution, environmental protection and preservation. I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with such talented students, and I am excited to be involved in furthering the legal education of such impressive and dedicated legal professionals.
Edna Odhiambo, LL.M. ’16 Brings Sustainable Cities to Nairobi, Kenya
When LL.M. graduate Edna Odhiambo returned to Kenya, the climate change advocate sought solutions for the densely populated Nairobi. “I am constantly seeking spaces to drive localized climate action towards sustainability,” she said.
Edna, a Fulbright Scholar with a background in Environmental Law, traveled from Kenya to Eugene in 2015 for the sole purpose of attending the School of Law. She had enrolled in the LL.M. Program taking full advantage of not only Oregon Law, but also the innovative Sustainable Cities Initiative here at the UO.
SCI is a groundbreaking multi-disciplinary initiative focused on sustainability and the built environment. It addresses community sustainability issues through education, service, public outreach, and research. Projects connect students and community stakeholders to improve the future outlook and viability of each locale. Each community, with its unique infrastructures and legal frameworks, is a new challenge for students. During her year here at UO, Edna worked on SCI’s Redmond Project, focusing on promoting urban agriculture by concentrating on the connection between urban farming and local regulations. This adaptable model with its practical approach to learning stayed with Edna as she returned to Nairobi.
Now teaching at the University of Nairobi, Edna is implementing the Sustainable Cities model she learned in Oregon, working closely with the SCI projects leads to get it started. “The County of Nairobi is interested in creating more green spaces and pedestrianizing streets as the city experiences rapid urbanization,” Edna shared. “The timing and opportunity is right to get Sustainable Cities off the ground, here.”
Working through existing faculties at the University of Nairobi such as law, architecture, and engineering, and in partnership with the county, she will be implementing the Sustainable Cities model with enrolled students in target communities beginning this fall.
“Since 2009, we’ve seen the Sustainable Cities model extend across the country and to other continents. Edna has been both a champion and an ambassador for the program as we embark on this first project in Kenya,” stated Nico Larco, Co-Director of SCI. “She is the right person to promote this model in Nairobi, specifically, one of the most populous urban areas on the continent.”
Edna’s efforts have also produced a partnership between the University of Nairobi and the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities called Walkability, Nairobi County. EPIC’s ability to adjust to different urban settings will provide functionality in Nairobi’s densely populated setting. As Edna has noted, “Nairobi is much bigger than Eugene. Students have to choose a locality instead of focusing on the city as a whole.”
The progress Edna has made since leaving the Law School has created a buzz that is difficult to contain. Kristie Gibson, LL.M. Program Director, recently said, “We couldn’t be happier for Edna and her ability to make the world a better place.”
Find out more about SCI at the UO.
This story first appeared in the ENR Year in Review.