While the curriculum under the Center for Conservation Excellence does not expect to directly create hunters, anglers, or conservationists, this effort’s ability to arm future professionals with honest and accurate principles of Wildlife Law will benefit the future of conservation in many ways and offer a critical balance to today’s legal education. Those working in the conservation industry depend on the legal system to defend their rights to operate under the North American Model to protect wildlife through modern data and science. For this to continue, law students and graduates need to understand the importance of conservation law and what it protects to help America’s wildlife, habitat, and rights to hunt and fish.
Conservation Law,
education every step of the way
01
Academic Education
The concept of education in Wildlife Law/Policy is not limited to law colleges- existing programs allow for crossover between Law Colleges and, for example, Master’s Programs and existing relationships are working toward stand-alone curriculums in graduate level programs. Increasing the number of academic institutions that offer Wildlife Law is Step 1 to creating a more informed conservation legal profession.
The academic institutions that currently offer a wildlife life course in line with the North American Model and actual conservation law principles, as opposed to ideologies, include the law colleges at Michigan State, Indiana Maurer, University of Wyoming, and more.
02
Continuing Legal Education- Conservation Law Seminar
Most states require a certain number of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits for active attorneys and judges to maintain their U.S. license to practice law after their initial admission to their state bar association. By offering a Conservation Law CLE Seminar, the Center for Conservation Excellence is educating current and future practicing attorneys and judges on the realities of wildlife law and the applicable statutes that regulate conservation- as opposed to the court of public opinion and the special interest groups trying to change hundreds of years of precedent.
03
Supplemental Education
Supplemental Education is offered via pre-recorded videos on introductory topics of wildlife law- delivered by Program staff to student organizations, conservation clubs, bar associations, etc. and by nonprofit organizations to their members.
Introductory topics include short videos and presentations on the core topics of Conservation Law and Wildlife Law, such as the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, Public Trust Doctrine, Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish, State v. Federal Management of Wildlife, International Wildlife Law & CITES, and more!
04
Professional Opportunities
The final piece of the Conservation Flywheel model adds a practical element to the machine that attracts new partner colleges and new students to the program. The projects associated here are compiling conservation-based internships, externships, careers, and educators. Students looking to begin their careers in law and public policy and the schools that try to appeal to these individuals are interested in opportunities that increase a student’s chance of success once they graduate. With this goal, the Center is striving to create well-trained professionals that will eventually give back with their expertise and passion by embracing their new education and experiences in the conservation legal profession.
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06
Community Impact
The Center for Conservation Excellence recognizes the importance of educating current students, as well as post-graduate professionals in the legal/policy conservation industry as to the threats to modern conservation efforts- of which the Animal Rights movement is a prime example.
We pledge to educate on actual conservation law, not the ideologies that special interest groups are fighting for.
The Center for Conservation Excellence, its projects, and its ambitious goals to become available in all fifty states are already on their way to becoming a reality. New partners are coming aboard, and new technologies in education efficiency are being explored and developed frequently. Our management works with academic institutions, state agencies, and partnering non-profits to change the minds of the future generations of legal practitioners across the country by offering access to education in Wildlife Law. The next several years of hard work in laying a conservation law education foundation across the country will help the future of wildlife conservation programs in America for generations.
