Welcome to Vermont Law and Graduate School

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Welcome to Vermont Law and Graduate School

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Welcome to Vermont Law and Graduate School. Nestled in the Green Mountains in beautiful South Royalton, Vermont, VLGS offers ABA-accredited residential and online hybrid JD programs, and a graduate school that offers master's degrees in multiple disciplines, including programs offered by the Maverick Lloyd School for the Environment and the Center for Justice Reform. Our programs emphasize the intersection of environmental justice, social justice, and public policy. We prepare students for careers that serve the public interest. Whether they choose to work for law firms, businesses, government agencies, or nonprofits, our graduates gain the professional skills they need to advance the progress of society. In case this is your first visit, here are some tips to help you get started: -To jump to the next destination, select the "Next" button on the right side of your screen. -Or, if you already know where you want to go, simply select that location from the list on the sidebar OR directly on the map below. -And remember to explore each destination in more detail by clicking the interactive icons included throughout each location.

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Our Environmental Law Center opened its doors in 1978 and now offers the most comprehensive environmental law and policy curriculum in the nation. The Environmental Law Center and the Maverick Lloyd School for the Environment are housed in Debevoise Hall. In this building, you will also find the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems, classrooms, and deans' offices. This building was built in 1892 and was previously the public school and town offices for South Royalton. While many of its historic features have been preserved, it was also the first LEED Silver certified building in Vermont.

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"In Oakes Hall, you will find lecture halls equipped with smart boards, as well as our court room, designed in consultation with the Vermont Supreme Court, which holds court on our campus each year. This building is a prime example of our campus's commitment to sustainability. The building uses 59 percent less fuel oil and 27 percent less electricity than a building of comparable size and capacity. It features a composting toilet system, and the building was constructed with environmentally friendly building materials, utilizing recycled and low chemical products where possible. "

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"The Chase Community Center is a place for students to study, gather, and socialize. It also serves as an event space for speakers and panelists, conferences, campus dinners, holiday social events, and more. In addition to Chase Community Center, our campus has a Multicultural Center for student events, discussion groups, meetings, and celebrations. "

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Enjoying the outdoors is a big part of student life at VLGS. Our quad is a great place to study, eat lunch, throw a frisbee around, or lounge in an Adirondack chair.

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Built in 1992, the four-story Julien and Virginia Cornell Library holds 65,000 volumes, including an extensive environmental law collection. Our online collection houses another 300,000 volumes and includes our research databases. Students have 24-hour access to the library, and our highly skilled staff are dedicated to your success. The information desk is open daily to serve patrons, and reference librarians are available on weekdays to assist with research needs. While in the library, you can study in a reserved carrel, explore the stacks, or enjoy views of the White River and the quad.

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The Café offers a variety of made-to-order sandwiches and salads, daily specials, and grab and go options. Our on-site chef and dining team use organic produce and food sourced from local farms. We strive to meet our students' diverse dietary needs, and there are always vegetarian and vegan options available

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"The 4,100-foot fitness center includes a spinning and yoga studio, as well as an exercise room with free weights and cardio machines, including treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes. Naturally sited in the slope of a hill to take advantage of constant soil temperatures, the VLGS fitness center is energy efficient and was built with low-maintenance materials. The roof, walls, and high-performance windows are insulated, and the southern roof has solar panels. The interior design features bamboo flooring, high-efficiency lighting, and natural cross-ventilation. Students can also borrow outdoor equipment from our gear shed, such as skis, skates, kayaks, canoes, fishing poles, tents, and more. "

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Historic Rogers House is home to the Center for Justice Reform and the National Center on Restorative Justice. Our Center for Justice Reform Clinic, which also operates from our Burlington location, offers students real-world opportunities to provide immigration assistance and broader justice reform work to reduce recidivism, address mass incarceration, and improve community-based restorative alternatives across the state of Vermont.

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If you visit the VLGS campus in person, your first stop will be our admissions office, which is located in Curtis House. Like many of the buildings on campus, Curtis House was previously a private residence, and it's a warm and inviting space to meet with our admissions team, learn more about our programs, and get answers to all your questions.

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Barrister's Book Shop is a nonprofit organization overseen by a student board of directors. You can get all your course books and materials at the store, including used books and the opportunity to sell your old books. The book shop serves coffee and tea and offers a wide variety of VLGS merchandise. Barrister's Board of Directors also awards a fellowship to first- or second-year students pursuing a summer internship in the area of public interest law.

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VLGS is nationally recognized for its experiential learning opportunities. Students get hands-on experience through externships or one of our clinics, such as the Small Business Law Clinic or the Transnational Environmental Law Clinic. Our South Royalton Legal Clinic provides legal assistance to local residents and veterans. Our Environmental Advocacy Clinic serves conservation organizations. Our Environmental Justice Clinic partners with disenfranchised communities fighting racial and economic disparities. The Energy Clinic helps clients meet energy needs with clean and affordable resources. The Farmed Animal Advocacy Clinic centers animal issues in the fight for environmental protection. And our Food and Agriculture Clinic addresses challenges related to food and land justice, and food security.

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Our Career Services team works with students to connect them with potential employers for entry-level and summer positions. They coordinate on-campus interviews during the fall and spring semesters, as well as video conference interviews to facilitate hiring throughout the year. Our helpful registrar and financial aid counselors are located in the same building and are ready to assist you during your time at VLGS.

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Our academic success program offers mentoring, skill building, resource materials, simulated exams, bar exam info sessions, and early bar prep programs. This program is individualized and available to every student throughout the course of their time at VLGS.

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South Royalton is a quintessential New England town. Surrounding the town green, you'll find a post office, a bank, a food co-op, restaurants and bars, a coffee shop, and a deli and convenience store, as well as hiking trails and beautiful mountain scenery. Many students also rent apartments in town within walking distance to campus.

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The White River flows next to our 12-acre campus. Its shores provide the perfect place to rest and refresh, and on warmer days, you'll find students swimming, kayaking, or tubing down the river. Our outdoor classroom on the knoll by the river is a beautiful place to study or relax. Near the riverbank, you'll also find a solar panel array, and parking lots with electric car charging stations.

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Our satellite location in Burlington houses the Center for Justice Reform Clinic, which offers immigration legal assistance. The Burlington location also offers classroom and event space, an admissions office, and programs for our A-B-A-accredited online hybrid JD program and the National Center on Restorative Justice.

Welcome to Vermont Law and Graduate School