肉肉传媒

JD students may specialize in Marine Law and/or Environmental Law and the specialization will be recognized on their transcript.

Requirements for MELP Specialization Certificates:

• It is the students' responsibility to ensure that they complete all the requirements of the specialization they enroll in.
• Students must complete the two required courses for their chosen specialization certificate for either the environmental law specialization and/or marine law specialization.
• Students pursuing the MELP certificate must have their paper topics approved by the MELP Director before writing any major paper used toward the certificate
• All courses counted toward satisfaction of the Marine Law specialization certificate or the Environmental Law specialization certificate must be completed with no grade below C and a weighted average grade of B (70).
• If a student is participating in an exchange program, they can request that one course from that exchange be credited towards the specialization. The course, if approved, can serve as one of the electives in the specialization; it cannot replace a required course in the specialization. The course cannot duplicate a course that the student has taken at the Schulich School of Law. If the course is approved, the student will not be subsequently permitted to receive credit for a course at Schulich which, in the opinion of the Director, has undue overlap with the course taken on exchange. The burden is on the student to demonstrate that the substance and quality of the course fits within the parameters of the specialization, for example, by providing the course description, syllabus, etc. The student must have the course approved by the Director of the specialization prior to taking the course. The Director of the specialization has the final authority to approve the request.

NEW additional requirements (2025-2026)

• MELP specialization certificate students are required to attend (in person) at least one of Marine & Environmental Law Institute鈥檚 (MELAW) annual events: either the Douglas M. Johnston Lecture or the Meinhard Doelle Legacy Lecture. 
• Students must complete a total of 15 specialization course credits from the corresponding list of MELP courses
• A maximum of two individual courses may be applied toward the requirements of two different certificates. 
• Students may graduate with a maximum of two certificates. However, upon both prior consultation with and approval of the Associate Dean, Academic and the MELP Director, exceptional cases may be considered for students wishing to pursue and graduate with an additional (third) certificate.

Environmental Law Specialization

Required classes

• 2051.03 International Environmental Law
• 2104.03 Environmental Law I

Elective classes

• 2005.04 Private International Law
• 2012.03 International Law
• 2015.03 Planning Law
• 2020.02 Fisheries Law
• 2041.03 Coastal Zone Management
• 2056.03 International Trade Law
• 2074.03 International Human Rights Law
• 2079.02 Oil and Gas Law
• 2115.03 Health Care Ethics and the Law
• 2125.03 Law of Marine Environmental Protection
• 2133.03 Climate Change Law and Policy
• 2153.03 Business and Environmental Law
• 2159.03 Health Systems: Law and Policy
• 2191.03 Animals and the Law
• 2198.03 Critical Perspectives on Law
• 2203.03 Intellectual Property II
• 2213.02/2214.03 Energy Law
• 2219.03 Regulatory Systems in Environmental and Health
• 2225.03 Environmental Law Placement
• 2250.03 Willms & Shier Environmental Law Moot (offered every second year)
• 2270.03 Indigenous governance
• 2280.03 Aboriginal Peoples and the Law
• 2283.03 Cultural Property and Heritage Law in a Transnational Context
• 2287.03 Revitalizing Indigenous Feminist Governance
• 2309.03 Stetson International Environmental Moot (offered every second year)

Marine Law Specialization

Required classes

• 2001.03 Maritime Law & Practice
  
• 2022.03 Law of the Sea

Elective classes

• 2005.04 Private International Law
• 2012.03 International Law
• 2020.02 Fisheries Law
• 2041.03 Coastal Zone Management
• 2051.03 International Environmental Law
• 2056.03 International Trade Law
• 2068.03 Ocean Law and Policy
• 2074.03 International Human Rights Law
• 2079.02 Oil and Gas Law
• 2125.03 Law of Marine Environmental Protection
• 2211.02/2212.03 Law of International Trade and Shipping
• 2280.03 Aboriginal Peoples and the Law 
• 2283.03 Cultural Property and Heritage Law in a Transnational Context

Note: not all electives are offered each year
**Coastal Zone Management is offered by the Marine Affairs Program and is cross listed with the Schulich School of Law

Students are encouraged to contact the MELP Director, prior to the last day to drop/add classes, with any additional questions regarding course selection. We kindly ask that you complete this form each year to ensure our records remain current and to help us better support you in your course selection.

Please return this form to the MELP Office, in person room 413, drop in the MELP mailbox or by email to melp@dal.ca.

For more information on these courses, please check out the 

We encourage you to submit the MELP Certificate registration form early in the year to ensure you are added to our email list. The email list is used throughout the year to send information on upcoming lectures, events, summer research assistant positionss, internships and opportunities related to marine and environmental fields.

The is fillable, just complete the form electronically and email it back to melp@dal.ca.

Environmental Law Placement
LAWS 2225   (Credit Hours: 3)

The Environmental Law Placement provides students with the opportunity to work with environmental law practitioners in Halifax during the Winter term. Students will take part in the work of their host organization assisting with research and other tasks as requested, on a specific pre-selected project. Students will be required to spend nine hours a week on placement work. Placements can either be directly with the East Coast Environmental Law Association (ECEL), or, on request, with another suitable host organization, including government, non-governmental organizations or in-house council in the private sector. Students will be evaluated based on performance in the placement including assessment of memoranda written for the placement supervisor as well as the major paper to be written on a related topic. Students will be assigned a project that is suitable as a major paper topic and are encouraged to write a major paper that is closely related to the placement project. While the overall evaluation of the placement will be conducted by the faculty supervisor; the placement supervisor will be consulted with respect to the student's performance in the placement as appropriate. This course fulfils the major paper requirement. Students will be selected by the Director of the Marine & Environmental Law Program (MELP) (in consultation with ECEL when the placement will be carried out with ECEL) based on academic standing, demonstrated interest in the field of environmental law and policy, and supervisor availability. Applicants who have already secured a placement with an external host organization will be required to submit a statement outlining the host鈥檚 capacity to supervise the placement (contact MELP for additional information). Only students who have taken Environmental Law I before the start of the placement will be considered. Interested students should apply in writing to the Marine & Environmental Law Program at melp@dal.ca in the academic year prior to the year in which they wish to participate in the placement program. Applications shall consist of a written statement confirming the student's experience and/or interest in environmental law, and a copy of law school grades to date. Enrollment: Limited to 3 students.

CALENDAR NOTES: Faculty supervisor: Director, MELP; Placement supervisor: Executive Director, ECEL; or Placement supervisor, host organization
ASSESSMENT METHOD: Major Paper 60%; Placement feedback 40%
PREREQUISITES: Environmental Law I

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW PLACEMENT HOST FORMS

Host Organizations are required to complete this  [275 KB] and return to the MELP office at melp@dal.ca.

To view the Major Paper Guidelines click  [234 KB]

Study abroad in 2nd or 3rd year

There are a number of opportunities for our JD students to study abroad during one of the terms in second or third year. We have exchange programs with universities around the world. For more information, visit the Schulich School of Law International Exchanges page.

Here are a few institutions that may be of particular interest to marine and environmental law students, as these Universities have strong programs in this area:

	New Zealand ()
	Australia ()
	Singapore ()

Willms & Shier Environmental Law Moot 
LAWS 2250 (3 credits)

LAWS 2250 - Canada's first and only national moot court competition devoted to environmental law. This moot is held biennially, alternating with the Stetson International Environmental Moot. 

The competition takes the form of an appeal before a Canadian court of last resort. Each team files a factum for one party. At the oral hearing, teams argue one side of the appeal in their first match and the other side in their second.

This moot is open to 2nd and 3rd year students in recognition of the fact that this moot is offered biennially. The moot counts as a major paper course.  Academic credit is given at the end of the winter term.

Learn more about this opportunity.

How to apply

Students interested in being considered for this moot are requested to write a letter (hardcopy or email) addressed to MELP Director by second last Monday in March, indicating:

• year of studies (second or third year);
• statement of interest and commitment to doing the moot during the fall and winter terms;
• completion or enrolment in Environmental Law I (NB: this is a pre/co-requisite);
• whether there is intention to complete the environmental law certificate; and
• mooting and debating experience (including summary of academic feedback received).

The letter should be accompanied by a short cv and law school transcript. An interview may also be required. The selection committee will be composed of the coach and MELP faculty. Applicants will be informed of the selection by 31 March.

Willms & Shier Environmental Law Moot March 7, 2015 Professor Aldo Chircop (coach); students, Aaron Lemkow and Kristen Vandenberg (Distinguished Oralist)

Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition
LAWS 2309 (3 credits)

This course provides enrolled students to participate as a member of 肉肉传媒鈥檚 team for the Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition, hosted by Stetson University鈥檚 Faculty of Law (the 鈥淪tetson鈥�). The Stetson is the foremost international moot focused on global environmental challenges such as conservation, sustainability, and climate change. The Official Moot Package is sent to participants in late July and teams of two or three submit their memorial in November. The competition requires teams to present arguments both as applicant and as respondent. Teams participate in February in a regional competition, which may be held in person or online. The top 15% of teams from the regional competition are invited to participate in the international finals, usually held in April. Teams may include 2 or 3 members. Members of the team are encouraged to enrol in both Environmental Law and International Environmental Law.

This moot competition is open to second and third year students in the JD and combined JD degrees. This moot can count as a major paper course if needed. The moot is held every year, but Schulich Law students participate only every second year, alternating with the Willms & Shier Environmental Law Moot.

Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition, February 2025. JD students from left to right: Ann Nightingale, Emma Peckham, and Hannah Arsenault-Gallant