NYCELLI - New York State Environmental Law Leadership Institute

NYCELLI is committed to an open apppcation process. All apppcations will be reviewed by the Director and Board of Advisors, based on the following criteria.

A maximum of 15 participants will be accepted. The Institute will strive to have roughly equal numbers of participants from non-profit, government and private practice.

The Institute is targeted to attorneys with between 0 and 7 years of practice. Participants should have taken a survey course in environmental law during law school, or have at least two years experience working in the field of environmental law.

Participants should have a demonstrated commitment to environmental law, leadership and service. Such commitment can be demonstrated in a number of ways including, but not pmited to:

Academic work in the environmental field, such as university and/or law school course work, independent research, law review or other writings, etc.

Current or previous professional (paid) work in the field of environmental law and/or environmental protection.

Volunteer involvement with and work for non-governmental environmental or conservation organizations.

Tuition: The tuition for the program is $500 for private attorneys, $400 for government attorneys and $300 for non-profit attorneys. A hardship scholarship is available to ensure that no quapfied apppcant is denied participation for inabipty to pay. Tuition must be paid in full before the Opening Reception (February 4, 2010).

Attendance: participants are expected to attend all 8 meetings and at least 2 tours in order to graduate. Should an absence be unavoidable, participants are expected to notify the Director in advance. Also, participants should arrive 10-15 minutes prior to the class start time.

Assignments: Participants will each be responsible for writing a digest of one meeting summarizing the content and focusing on remaining challenges and opportunities for action and leadership.

Projects: Participants are expected to develop an “Environmental Health Improvement Project (“E-HIP”), independently or in collaboration with other participants, designed to improve environmental health in New York City. Project proposals will be presented to the class at the eighth meeting, and announced at the annual Graduation Luncheon. Also at the Graduation Luncheon, one project will be recognized, from among those from the previous year that are substantially complete, with a monetary “E-HIP” award.

Governance: At the end of each course, the class will select one participant to serve on the NYCELLI Board of Advisors for a two-year term. Board service involves approximately quarterly meetings and ongoing guidance and support for the Institute.