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Our Environmental Law program is ranked #3 among public law schools and #7 among all law schools in U.S. News & World Report, and rated A+ by PreLaw Magazine.

Named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and conservationist, the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources & the Environment offers students one of the top environmental and natural resources law programs in the United States. We also offer unparalleled access to the mountains, rivers, and desert landscapes that inspire us, and many students, to pursue environmental law.

Modern society has the power to profoundly alter our natural surroundings. From the carbon emissions of our fossil fuel-dependent economy to fragmentation of cultural and ecological landscapes through development, to conflicts over allocating scarce natural resources, we promote understanding of the relationship between environmental laws and social actions, the tradeoffs that we face in allocating scarce resources, and the opportunities to develop legal and policy institutions that can foster a more just, diverse, and equitable future.

The Stegner Center offers students a variety of educational opportunities, including a JD Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law, an LLM degree, numerous substantive law courses, a Law & Policy Program, the Great Salt Lake Project, an Environmental Dispute Resolution Program, and a variety of public events and speakers at the College of Law.

The Stegner Center boasts a talented and diverse team of faculty members who are working to shape environmental law and policy, and who are committed to involving students in that work. Our faculty members serve on local and national NGO boards and advisory committees, collaborate with state and federal government officials to improve environmental policies, and they advocate in the courtroom and legislative chambers.

At the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources & the Environment, we believe that well-conceived and carefully implemented laws and policies are the cornerstones of a just and equitable society, and we invite you to join us in that pursuit.

LATEST STEGNER CENTER NEWS


Lessons from Provo’s ongoing debate about charging big water users higher rates

Apr 07, 2025

Utah’s cities, like many across the country, face a growing and unavoidable problem: aging water infrastructure and rising costs to replace it. As Provo City grapples with these challenges, a larger debate has emerged about how best to pay for water system improvements and how to fairly allocate costs among water users. 

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How to find a Big-F facilitator

Apr 01, 2025

In this blog, which is the second in a series on facilitation, we discuss how to find and work with a Big-F facilitator.

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Associate Professor Ruhan Nagra’s environmental survey cited in Scientific American article

Mar 10, 2025

Associate Professor Ruhan Nagra, an environmental law expert, is quoted in this Scientific American article about chloroprene, a cancer-causing chemical at the center of a federal lawsuit against a petrochemical plant. The article also cites Nagra’s 2021 study that found higher cancer incidence closer to the Denka plant.

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Great Salt Lake legislative update: March 5, 2025

Mar 05, 2025

The 2025 Utah state legislative session is drawing to a close. Great Salt Lake is still far from being saved, but some progress has been made. Since our first legislative update, some bills relating to Great Salt Lake have passed, some are still expected to pass before the end of the session, and others have failed.

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