Law | Natural resources and environmental law
Juris Doctor
The law that protects nature
Natural resources and environmental law is a highly technical field that requires specialized expertise.
This program focuses on the study of the complex field while providing the flexibility to gain a broad legal education. You will explore topics in environmental and natural resources law, water law, public lands and international environmental law. You will also integrate learning in the sciences, social sciences and other related fields.
Routinely ranked by PreLaw Magazine as a top school for practical training, the College of Law provides countless opportunities to refine your lawyering skills while helping those most in need. You will develop your legal skills through the college’s six legal-aid clinics, the rigorous pro bono program, and externships with state and federal agencies that are working on environmental law or natural resource issues.
Watch the Idaho Law Review’s 2024 Water Law Symposium keynote address by former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne.
Overview
Related Topics
Advocate for nature, protect the future
Application information
University of Idaho College of Law requires electronic applications via the LSAC Online Services website. The application is available after Labor Day each year.
Explore admission requirements and apply on our Law admissions website.
Contact information
College of Law primary contact: Jerrold Long; jlong@uidaho.edu; 208-885-4977
Tuition and fees
Pursuing your law degree at University of Idaho offers exceptional value and a nationally respected education at an affordable cost. Explore annual costs for 2025–26 — including tuition, housing, meals and personal expenses. See law scholarships and financial opportunities to make your legal education even more accessible.
Degree fit
This program could be a good fit if you:
- Hold an undergraduate degree
- Are interested in environmental sciences or natural resources
- Have a strong work ethic and are detail-oriented
- Have solid negotiation and communication skills (written and oral)
- Have a strong academic background
- Can think critically and analytically about complex problems
Hands-on learning
- Live client clinics
- Externship program
- Pro bono program
Student organizations
- Environmental Law Society
- Vandals on the Fly (Law student fly fishing club)
- Federalist Society
- Business Law Society
Learn more about Idaho Law student organizations here.
Internships
- Idaho Legal Aid Services
- Ada County Prosecutor’s Office
- Holland & Hart LLP
- Stoel Rives LLP
- St. Lukes Health Systems
Career outcomes
Current job openings
1,864 in ID, WA, OR, MT and HIPotential careers and mid-career salaries
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
$95,496 - Lawyers
$130,716 - Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
$143,173 - Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
$111,700 - Postsecondary Law Teachers
$82,694
* Career data provided by Lightcast.