About - Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan 2003
(click here to download a full copy of the SP with Appendices)

1 INTRODUCTION
2. GOAL ONE: Create, promote, and support volunteer, research, clinical, and employment opportunities in public interest environmental law and policy and improve student access to these opportunities.
3. GOAL TWO: Encourage and support the formation and improvement of Environmental Law Societies, and bring them together for mutual inspiration, cooperation, dialogue, and information transfer.
- 3.1 National Support for ELS
  - 3.1.1. Online ELS Support Center
  - 3.1.2. Publications Center
- 3.2 Provide Support to Member Groups Plan Conferences and Outings
4. GOAL THREE: Provide motivation and incentives to law students to offset the opportunity costs of pursuing work and careers in public interest environmental law.
- 4.1 Encourage students to work on public interest environmental law
- 4.2 Create jobs and opportunities in public interest environmental law
5. GOAL FOUR: Create and promote environmental educational opportunities for law students, students, and the general public.
6. Regional Growth
7. Internationalization
8. Student Involvement

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose of the NAELS Strategic Plan

This Strategic Plan ("the Plan") is designed to outline a general course of action to further the mission and goals of the National Association of Environmental Law Societies (NAELS) from July 2003 - August 2008. This plan is intended to serve as a flexible guide for current and future students, board members, alumni, and NAELS staff.

1.2 Purpose

The National Association of Environmental Law Societies (NAELS) seeks to:

1. Enhance the law school experience for students by fostering and expanding their study of environmental law.
2. Mobilize environmental law students in support of the environmental public interest movement.
3. Train, support, and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders.
4. Promote the awareness of environmental issues and environmental rights among the general public and the legal community and encourage responsibility and activism in the public interest by environmental law practitioners.

1.3 Goals

1. Create, promote, and support volunteer, research, clinical, and employment opportunities in public interest environmental law and policy and improve student access to these opportunities.
2. Encourage and support the formation and improvement of Environmental Law Societies (ELS), and bring them together for mutual inspiration, cooperation, dialogue, and information transfer.
3. Provide motivation and incentives to law students to offset the opportunity costs of pursuing work and careers in public interest environmental law.
4. Create and promote environmental educational opportunities for law students, students, and the general public.

1.4 Project Selection Process

NAELS will select projects under the draft Plan, based on the following criteria:
· Relevance to NAELS mission and goals
· Funding
· Benefit to students
· Likelihood of student involvement
· Possible partners
· Board support and involvement

1.5 Strategic Plan Approval and Implementation

The Board of Directors will vote on the Plan at a Special meeting of the Board of Directors in June 2003. A Final Draft of the Plan, created by the Executive Director and reviewed by a Strategic Plan Working Group, will be sent to Board Members no less than two weeks before the meeting. At the Board meeting the Directors will vote to approve or reject the Plan. The Board must approve the Plan by a majority vote of the Directors present. The Plan will also be sent to the student Governing Board for comments. The Governing Board will then vote to approve or reject the Plan with a majority needed for approval. The Executive Director, Board of Directors, and Governing Board will implement the Plan in conjunction with relevant partners. The Plan may be amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

1.6 Timeframe

This Strategic Plan is intended to guide NAELS for the five- year period from July 2003 - May 2008. Appendix A contains a short-term plan of specific projects and activities proposed for the period of May 2003-August 2005. This plan will be reviewed by the Strategic Plan Working Group and updated periodically. The timeframe for implementing the Plan will be flexible and will depend on the level of funding NAELS receives. Many of the projects listed in the appendices will require supervision by additional NAELS staff and will, thus, necessarily wait until NAELS has secured additional funding.

[back to top]

2. GOAL ONE: Create, promote, and support volunteer, research, clinical, and employment opportunities in public interest environmental law and policy and improve student access to these opportunities.

NAELS will accomplish Goal One by creating and running an Online Environmental Public Interest Center (EPIC). NAELS will partner with law schools, nonprofit organizations, law firms, and private practitioners to create new opportunities for students to volunteer, conduct research, participate in clinics, write for journals, and find employment. The Executive Director, Board of Directors, and eventually additional NAELS staff will seek out existing opportunities and work with national and regional groups to develop additional opportunities. NAELS webmaster will post these opportunities online in a searchable database. Regional student representatives and host schools will advertise these opportunities to the leaders of NAELS Member groups, professors, and administrators at non-member schools. See Appendix H.

[back to top]

3. GOAL TWO: Encourage and support the formation and improvement of Environmental Law Societies, and bring them together for mutual inspiration, cooperation, dialogue, and information transfer.

NAELS will accomplish Goal Two by providing national support for students interested in creating or enhancing their ELS and helping regional ELS's plan conferences and outings.

3.1 National Support for ELS

3.1.1. Online ELS Support Center - NAELS will maintain a website dedicated to helping students form, run, and improve Environmental Law Societies. The site will list tips from other ELS's, helpful links, and other support information. The student Website Committee will collect tips online and update the website periodically. NAELS leaders will collect initial content for the Center from Aug '03 - Dec '03. See Appendix I .

3.1.2. Publications Center - NAELS will create and maintain a Publications Center. The Director of Publications will work with the student Publishing Committee to produce educational and support materials for Member ELS and their students. The Center will be funded by grants as well as revenues from the sale of its publications to ELS's, law schools, and environmental professionals. See Appendix K.

3.2 Provide Support to Member Groups Plan Conferences and Outings
NAELS will create and run a Conference & Events Center to provide support to students organizing events. The Director of the Center will work with NAELS Members to organize lectures, panels, conferences, social gatherings, and outings. The Director will work with host schools to webcast, tape, promote, and find support for these events. In addition, the Director will work to give NAELS a presence at all environmental conferences and other events. See Appendix J.

[back to top]

4. GOAL THREE: Provide motivation and incentives to law students to offset the opportunity costs of pursuing work and careers in public interest environmental law.

NAELS will accomplish Goal Three by developing and promoting environmental competitions and by creating scholarships, jobs, and fellowships in environmental law for law students and recent law school graduates (in addition to creating EPIOC) to make it easier for students to find and take advantage of public interest environmental opportunities. See Appendix H.

4.1 Encourage students to work on public interest environmental law
NAELS, will develop and run the NAELS Games, a set of friendly competitions intended to encourage students to pursue public interest environmental opportunities. The annual games will run from September - March with winners receiving their awards at the annual conference. Points will be awarded to both environmental groups and individual students. NAELS will solicit prizes from environmental professionals, organizations, and groups that provide services to law students. Students will be encouraged to create a student NAELS Games Committee to help run the games. See Appendix A.

4.2 Create jobs and opportunities in public interest environmental law
NAELS will work with Foundations, host schools, and professional environmental organizations to create a series of regional NAELS Fellowships and scholarships. In addition, much of NAELS staff will likely be made up of recent law school graduates focusing on public interest environmental law.

[back to top]

5. GOAL FOUR: Create and promote environmental educational opportunities for law students, students, and the general public.
NAELS will accomplish Goal Four by creating and running an online Environmental Student Center (ESC). See Appendix I. The Center will support student efforts to enhance their environmental law education by providing them with online resources, information on crafting their own independent studies, and interdisciplinary opportunities. The Center will also host an online law school support center to help law schools develop their environmental programs. The Center will also improve general student and public exposure to issues of environmental law and policy through online lectures and materials. Recognizing the interdisciplinary nature of environmental solutions, NAELS will also support interdisciplinary cooperation, dialogue, and information transfer through an online interdisciplinary opportunities center that will be part of the Center.

[back to top]

6. Regional Growth

The extent of NAELS long-term success will be determined largely by how well NAELS can build strong regional networks. Towards this end, NAELS will look to partner with regional law schools to publish materials, organize regional activities, and create regional fellowships. In addition, NAELS will seek to enhance its alumni, professor, and professional networks in each region by appointing a regional alumni and a regional professor. For a summary of potential regional growth and regional details see Appendices M & N.

7. Internationalization

NAELS recognizes the global nature of environmental problems, the importance of incorporating as many international perspectives as possible in constructing solutions, and the educational benefits of exposure to international environmental studies, students, and programs. NAELS will seek to expand its contact with LLM's and SJD's, while identifying and promoting international clinical, academic, volunteer, and employment opportunities.

[back to top]

8. Student Involvement

NAELS has been, and will remain, an organization of the students, by the students, and for the students. In order for NAELS to achieve its potential, students must remain an active and central force in the group's evolution. Although the implementation of the Plan will require some shift of responsibilities from NAELS students to its staff, the shift is intended to allow the student Governing Board to spend more time taking advantage of the environmental opportunities created by NAELS, and should in no way interfere with the current student roll in organizational decision making. See Appendix O.

[back to top]


STUDENTS \| ALUMNI \| PROFESSIONALS \| PROJECTS \| RESOURCES		JOIN \| ABOUT \|CONTACT \| SUPPORT

ABOUT Mission & Goals Bylaws Strategic Plan Leadership Governing Board Board of Directors Executive Director History Evolution of NAELS History of NAELS (.doc)	Strategic Plan 2003 (click here to download a full copy of the SP with Appendices) 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose of the NAELS Strategic Plan 1.2 Purpose 1.3 Goals 1.4 Project Selection Process 1.5 Strategic Plan Approval and Implementation 1.6 Timeframe 2. GOAL ONE: Create, promote, and support volunteer, research, clinical, and employment opportunities in public interest environmental law and policy and improve student access to these opportunities. 3. GOAL TWO: Encourage and support the formation and improvement of Environmental Law Societies, and bring them together for mutual inspiration, cooperation, dialogue, and information transfer. 3.1 National Support for ELS 3.1.1. Online ELS Support Center 3.1.2. Publications Center 3.2 Provide Support to Member Groups Plan Conferences and Outings 4. GOAL THREE: Provide motivation and incentives to law students to offset the opportunity costs of pursuing work and careers in public interest environmental law. 4.1 Encourage students to work on public interest environmental law 4.2 Create jobs and opportunities in public interest environmental law 5. GOAL FOUR: Create and promote environmental educational opportunities for law students, students, and the general public. 6. Regional Growth 7. Internationalization 8. Student Involvement 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose of the NAELS Strategic Plan This Strategic Plan ("the Plan") is designed to outline a general course of action to further the mission and goals of the National Association of Environmental Law Societies (NAELS) from July 2003 - August 2008. This plan is intended to serve as a flexible guide for current and future students, board members, alumni, and NAELS staff. 1.2 Purpose The National Association of Environmental Law Societies (NAELS) seeks to: 1. Enhance the law school experience for students by fostering and expanding their study of environmental law. 2. Mobilize environmental law students in support of the environmental public interest movement. 3. Train, support, and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders. 4. Promote the awareness of environmental issues and environmental rights among the general public and the legal community and encourage responsibility and activism in the public interest by environmental law practitioners. 1.3 Goals 1. Create, promote, and support volunteer, research, clinical, and employment opportunities in public interest environmental law and policy and improve student access to these opportunities. 2. Encourage and support the formation and improvement of Environmental Law Societies (ELS), and bring them together for mutual inspiration, cooperation, dialogue, and information transfer. 3. Provide motivation and incentives to law students to offset the opportunity costs of pursuing work and careers in public interest environmental law. 4. Create and promote environmental educational opportunities for law students, students, and the general public. 1.4 Project Selection Process NAELS will select projects under the draft Plan, based on the following criteria: · Relevance to NAELS mission and goals · Funding · Benefit to students · Likelihood of student involvement · Possible partners · Board support and involvement 1.5 Strategic Plan Approval and Implementation The Board of Directors will vote on the Plan at a Special meeting of the Board of Directors in June 2003. A Final Draft of the Plan, created by the Executive Director and reviewed by a Strategic Plan Working Group, will be sent to Board Members no less than two weeks before the meeting. At the Board meeting the Directors will vote to approve or reject the Plan. The Board must approve the Plan by a majority vote of the Directors present. The Plan will also be sent to the student Governing Board for comments. The Governing Board will then vote to approve or reject the Plan with a majority needed for approval. The Executive Director, Board of Directors, and Governing Board will implement the Plan in conjunction with relevant partners. The Plan may be amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. 1.6 Timeframe This Strategic Plan is intended to guide NAELS for the five- year period from July 2003 - May 2008. Appendix A contains a short-term plan of specific projects and activities proposed for the period of May 2003-August 2005. This plan will be reviewed by the Strategic Plan Working Group and updated periodically. The timeframe for implementing the Plan will be flexible and will depend on the level of funding NAELS receives. Many of the projects listed in the appendices will require supervision by additional NAELS staff and will, thus, necessarily wait until NAELS has secured additional funding. [back to top] 2. GOAL ONE: Create, promote, and support volunteer, research, clinical, and employment opportunities in public interest environmental law and policy and improve student access to these opportunities. NAELS will accomplish Goal One by creating and running an Online Environmental Public Interest Center (EPIC). NAELS will partner with law schools, nonprofit organizations, law firms, and private practitioners to create new opportunities for students to volunteer, conduct research, participate in clinics, write for journals, and find employment. The Executive Director, Board of Directors, and eventually additional NAELS staff will seek out existing opportunities and work with national and regional groups to develop additional opportunities. NAELS webmaster will post these opportunities online in a searchable database. Regional student representatives and host schools will advertise these opportunities to the leaders of NAELS Member groups, professors, and administrators at non-member schools. See Appendix H. [back to top] 3. GOAL TWO: Encourage and support the formation and improvement of Environmental Law Societies, and bring them together for mutual inspiration, cooperation, dialogue, and information transfer. NAELS will accomplish Goal Two by providing national support for students interested in creating or enhancing their ELS and helping regional ELS's plan conferences and outings. 3.1 National Support for ELS 3.1.1. Online ELS Support Center - NAELS will maintain a website dedicated to helping students form, run, and improve Environmental Law Societies. The site will list tips from other ELS's, helpful links, and other support information. The student Website Committee will collect tips online and update the website periodically. NAELS leaders will collect initial content for the Center from Aug '03 - Dec '03. See Appendix I . 3.1.2. Publications Center - NAELS will create and maintain a Publications Center. The Director of Publications will work with the student Publishing Committee to produce educational and support materials for Member ELS and their students. The Center will be funded by grants as well as revenues from the sale of its publications to ELS's, law schools, and environmental professionals. See Appendix K. 3.2 Provide Support to Member Groups Plan Conferences and Outings NAELS will create and run a Conference & Events Center to provide support to students organizing events. The Director of the Center will work with NAELS Members to organize lectures, panels, conferences, social gatherings, and outings. The Director will work with host schools to webcast, tape, promote, and find support for these events. In addition, the Director will work to give NAELS a presence at all environmental conferences and other events. See Appendix J. [back to top] 4. GOAL THREE: Provide motivation and incentives to law students to offset the opportunity costs of pursuing work and careers in public interest environmental law. NAELS will accomplish Goal Three by developing and promoting environmental competitions and by creating scholarships, jobs, and fellowships in environmental law for law students and recent law school graduates (in addition to creating EPIOC) to make it easier for students to find and take advantage of public interest environmental opportunities. See Appendix H. 4.1 Encourage students to work on public interest environmental law NAELS, will develop and run the NAELS Games, a set of friendly competitions intended to encourage students to pursue public interest environmental opportunities. The annual games will run from September - March with winners receiving their awards at the annual conference. Points will be awarded to both environmental groups and individual students. NAELS will solicit prizes from environmental professionals, organizations, and groups that provide services to law students. Students will be encouraged to create a student NAELS Games Committee to help run the games. See Appendix A. 4.2 Create jobs and opportunities in public interest environmental law NAELS will work with Foundations, host schools, and professional environmental organizations to create a series of regional NAELS Fellowships and scholarships. In addition, much of NAELS staff will likely be made up of recent law school graduates focusing on public interest environmental law. [back to top] 5. GOAL FOUR: Create and promote environmental educational opportunities for law students, students, and the general public. NAELS will accomplish Goal Four by creating and running an online Environmental Student Center (ESC). See Appendix I. The Center will support student efforts to enhance their environmental law education by providing them with online resources, information on crafting their own independent studies, and interdisciplinary opportunities. The Center will also host an online law school support center to help law schools develop their environmental programs. The Center will also improve general student and public exposure to issues of environmental law and policy through online lectures and materials. Recognizing the interdisciplinary nature of environmental solutions, NAELS will also support interdisciplinary cooperation, dialogue, and information transfer through an online interdisciplinary opportunities center that will be part of the Center. [back to top] 6. Regional Growth The extent of NAELS long-term success will be determined largely by how well NAELS can build strong regional networks. Towards this end, NAELS will look to partner with regional law schools to publish materials, organize regional activities, and create regional fellowships. In addition, NAELS will seek to enhance its alumni, professor, and professional networks in each region by appointing a regional alumni and a regional professor. For a summary of potential regional growth and regional details see Appendices M & N. [back to top] 7. Internationalization NAELS recognizes the global nature of environmental problems, the importance of incorporating as many international perspectives as possible in constructing solutions, and the educational benefits of exposure to international environmental studies, students, and programs. NAELS will seek to expand its contact with LLM's and SJD's, while identifying and promoting international clinical, academic, volunteer, and employment opportunities. [back to top] 8. Student Involvement NAELS has been, and will remain, an organization of the students, by the students, and for the students. In order for NAELS to achieve its potential, students must remain an active and central force in the group's evolution. Although the implementation of the Plan will require some shift of responsibilities from NAELS students to its staff, the shift is intended to allow the student Governing Board to spend more time taking advantage of the environmental opportunities created by NAELS, and should in no way interfere with the current student roll in organizational decision making. See Appendix O. [back to top]
Site last updated: August, 2005 Copyright: National Association of Environmental Law Societies, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Webmaster: Dan Worth