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Welcome to Vermont Law School, located in the historic village of South Royalton. My name is Shirley Jefferson. I am the associate dean for student affairs and diversity and also a graduate of VLS.
Before we get started, let me explain the many ways in which you can explore our beautiful campus:
- You can click on the front-facing arrow to start walking around campus.
- You can jump to the next stop by clicking on the Next Stop button.
- Now, if you already know where you want to go, you can select any location by using the list OR by clicking directly on the map.
- Lastly, remember that you can explore any particular location in more detail by clicking on the 360, Photos, or Video icons.
Debevoise Hall, Oakes Hall, Waterman Hall, Chase Community Center and Abbott House—a mix of historic and contemporary construction—border the front lawn of campus on Chelsea Street, where we begin our tour.
As you take the tour, it's interesting to note that all buildings are connected from Oakes Hall to the Cornell Library, with Debevoise Hall in the center, which is handy in winter. In this respect, our campus is modeled much like a typical Vermont dairy farm: "We walk in the front door of the house and come out the back door of the last barn."
Debevoise Hall
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Debevoise Hall is the heart of campus. Built in 1892, it once housed the town's K-through-12 school. Today it is home to our Environmental Law Center, the nation's premier environmental law program; Center for Agriculture and Food Systems; Dean's Office; classrooms and common areas.
Since the law school's founding in 1972, Debevoise has been preserved to retain its rich history, including original blackboards, while also earning Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.
The back porch of Debevoise provides rocking chairs for study or conversation and a sweeping view of the back lawn and White River. The chairs, and all furniture in Debevoise, is made of Vermont wood by local craftsmen.
Oakes Hall
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Set on the White River, Oakes Hall houses two large tiered classrooms, several smaller classrooms, and a stunning courtroom used by criminal law students and environmental law students alike, designed in consultation with the Vermont Supreme Court, which holds court at VLS once a year. Classes are also held in the stunning riverside Oakes Outdoor Classroom.
Environmentally friendly Oakes Hall includes several energy-saving features and a monitoring system to ensure efficient operation. We heat and light only on demand. Our composting toilet system uses a total of 14 gallons of water per day. And across from Oakes, you'll find an impressive solar array and car-charging stations in the parking area.
Chase Community Center
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Chase Community Center is the one space on campus where all VLS community members can meet at one time--and where we frequently host public events.
Seating arrangements in Chase are flexible. Clusters of individual tables may be arranged during the day to accommodate students studying or socializing. At other times, the room is arranged for speakers or panels with seating for hundreds of guests. School functions, such as holiday social events, are also held here.
A computer lab is located at the rear of Chase Community Center, and the popular cafe across the hall serves breakfast and lunch inspired by a variety of cuisines and made from fresh, local ingredients.
The Quadrangle
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Enjoying the outdoors is a big part of life in Vermont. Our quad is a good indication of that: Students study, or nap, in the hammocks. Others eat lunch or conduct informal meetings at the picnic tables, or on the benches and adirondack chairs—in the shade of cherry blossom trees, historic barns, Chase Center, and Cornell Library, the focal point of the quad. The paths leading away from the quad take walkers to our clinics building, Vermont Law Review, the Admissions Office in Curtis House, and other administrative and faculty spaces. The quad attracts students, faculty and staff seeking a break and also serves as the main thoroughfare on campus.
Cornell Library
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Built in 1992, the four-story Julien and Virginia Cornell Library is centrally located on campus. Its placement reflects the importance of the library in your legal education. Think of the library as the laboratory for your law school studies: You will use library resources to reinforce your doctrinal learning. You will conduct research for writing assignments. You will have clinical opportunities where you will practice your legal research skills. And you will study -- a lot.
The library provides access to more than 250,000 print and electronic titles; more than 70 research databases; an unparalleled environmental collection; and, most importantly, a highly skilled library staff dedicated to your success.
The library provides access to more than 250,000 print and electronic titles; more than 70 research databases; an unparalleled environmental collection; and, most importantly, a highly skilled library staff dedicated to your law school success.
Vermont Law Review
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Welcome to the home of Vermont Law Review, a journal of legal scholarship published by Vermont Law School students in consultation with VLS faculty and administration.
Here in the Vermont Law Review Conference Room, editors plan, write and review content to provide readers with timely, topical information concerning the legal profession and legal scholarship. Participation in Vermont Law Review enables students to perfect their skills in research, writing, legal analysis, and leadership.
Fitness Center
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The Fitness Center, completed in 2013, houses a yoga and dance studio as well as a cardiovascular and weight-training room with free weights and machines, including treadmills, rowing machines, ellipticals and spinning bikes. Student-led classes are held weekly.
The energy-efficient center is constructed of low-maintenance materials with extensive insulation, and solar panels top the roof. The interior features bamboo flooring, high-efficiency lighting, and natural cross-ventilation. The center's large windows are resistant to heat flow and provide a view of nearby playing fields.
At the center's Gear Shed, students and staff may borrow everything they need for their next outdoor adventure--skis, skates, kayaks and canoes, tents, fishing poles and more.
Rogers House
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Historic Rogers House is home to the VLS Externships and Semester-in-Practice Programs, where students are connected with mentors who help them learn the law in a practical setting.
Rogers also houses the technology-driven Center for Legal Innovation, where students work on grant projects funded by Google and Lexis Nexis and whose faculty make national headlines as they explore how the business of law is changing with ever-evolving technology.
Curtis House
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Hello. My name is John Miller. I am the associate dean for enrollment and a graduate of VLS. I will be guiding you through the rest of our tour.
Welcome to Curtis House, home to the Vermont Law School Admissions team on the first floor and to the Office of Institutional Advancement on the second floor. Like many of the historic buildings on campus, Curtis is a former private residence and a warm, inviting space for admissions counselors to meet with students and their families.
Barrister’s Book Shop
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Welcome to Barrister's Book Shop, a nonprofit store overseen by a student board of directors at Vermont Law School. Barrister's provides high-quality and affordable products to customers, including a full line of books needed for courses, office supplies, sweatshirts and other Vermont Law School swag.
In addition, Barrister's serves coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino, and specialty drinks--and a cozy area to relax or study with a great view of the South Royalton Green.
Clinics Building
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VLS is nationally recognized for its clinics and experiential opportunities for students. The Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic is housed here in the Clinics Building, as is our South Royalton Legal Clinic, one of Vermont's three major centers of legal aid.
Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic attorneys and student clinicians represented Vermonters in their pursuit of a state labeling law for genetically engineered foods, making national headlines, and continue to work a case against a new railroad and coal mine proposed in Montana, among other high-profile environmental cases.
At the South Royalton Legal Clinic, clinicians offer underserved Vermonters free assistance with issues ranging from domestic violence to immigration.
Abbott House
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Abbott House, a historic former residence, houses Career Services and the Registrar on the first floor and Financial Aid and the Business Office on the second floor.
Career Services includes a video-conferencing lab, used by students to Skype with interviewers, private rooms for interviews, and counselor offices. Each student is assigned an individual counselor during the fall of their first year of law school. Then, through a combination of frequent one-on-one meetings, workshops, panels and informal networking events, Career Services helps students develop a personal strategic plan that includes coursework, hands-on experiential offerings, and work experience that will give them the background and skills necessary to succeed.
Jacobs House
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Jacobs House is home to the U.S.-Asia Partnerships for Environmental Law at Vermont Law School. The program is supported by the United States Agency for International Development, better known as USAID.
The goal of the U.S.-Asia Partnerships is to strengthen the rule of law in environmental protection and to build capacity among individuals and academic, government and private sector institutions to solve pollution and energy problems in Southeast Asia.
U.S.-Asia Partnerships for Environmental Law faculty and fellows have trained more than 1,000 legal educators, students, judges, attorneys and government officials throughout China, and also facilitate projects in neighboring countries, such as Myanmar.
Eaton House
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Eaton House, located on the White River across from the main campus on Chelsea Street, houses our Institute for Energy and the Environment. The institute is a regional, national and global resource on energy law and policy offering an advanced curriculum in energy and regulatory law.
The institute sponsors forums and conferences for professional education and issue development; serves as a center for graduate research on energy issues with an environmental awareness; and provides practical solutions and experiential learning opportunities through its Energy Clinic, established in 2014.
Michael Dworkin, the institute director, is a national leader in energy and environmental law and former chairman of the Vermont Public Service Board.
South Royalton Village
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The picturesque village of South Royalton, Vermont, fondly referred to as SoRo, is the stomping ground of students, faculty and staff alike. The Vermont Law School campus occupies 12 acres of the village, along the White River, but students feel at home throughout the greater community--and indeed most students rent homes in the area.
A one-street business district faces the village green. SoRo mom-and-pop shops include a popular food co-op, deli, tavern, cafe, and burger joint serving grass-fed beef and craft beer.
Though rural, South Royalton offers easy access to the interstate and is just a 20-minute drive to shopping and other amenities in the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire.
White River
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The White River flows through South Royalton and borders campus to the east. Its shores give students a place to rest and refresh.
On warm days, students swim, kayak, or tube down the river, setting off north of town and winding their way back to VLS.
And when Tropical Storm Irene saw the water rise to nearly as high as the bridge, our students helped neighbors clean the debris from their homes.
Student life is a varied scene at VLS--it's rural and it's sophisticated--and the river is the heartbeat of that scene, providing students with a near-perfect piece of nature just steps away from class.
Thank you for joining us on our tour. To learn more about Vermont Law School, we hope you'll click the tabs above to schedule a visit or apply online.
