Natural Resource Use & Management Clinic
The Natural Resource Use & Management Clinic provides law students with practical experience at the intersection of law, policy and science governing western natural resources.
In partnership with other University of Arizona units, such as the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Cooperative Extension program, the clinic addresses matters pertaining to water, endangered species, public lands, climate change, tribal lands and resources, and the myriad natural resource challenges that exist in Arizona and the American West.
In doing so, the clinic aims to forge collaborative solutions to sustainable natural resource use that considers impacts to rural communities, economies and ecosystems. Moreover, the clinic supports the university, as a land grant institution, in its mission to bring applied research and education to the greater public.
Students may work with a variety of clients, including university-based scientists and researchers, tribal governments and members, rural community organizations, and individuals.
Clinical projects may run the gamut from participating in state and federal rulemaking processes, drafting white papers to advise on public lands issues, working with individuals to navigate permitting procedures, filing amicus briefs in state and federal litigation, and assisting tribes with the development of land use management plans and tribal codes.
Students will acquire extensive knowledge of administrative, natural resource, environmental, and federal Indian law, while simultaneously developing critical skills in client counseling, analytical thinking and creative problem solving.
About the Director
Priyanka Sundareshan is the Director of the Natural Resource Use and Management Clinic. She is an alum of the James E. Rogers College of Law and the Massachusetts Institute for Technology. In addition to her law degree, Priya has a Masters in Agricultural & Resource Economics from the University of Arizona. She worked in Washington, D.C. for private, non-profit, and governmental organizations on environmental, energy, and administrative law issues. Priya is a native Tucsonan.
Potential Clients
Have a question about the Arizona water rights adjudication? We may be able to help you reach settlement of your claim. Contact our team via email at law-waterrights@list.arizona.edu or by phone at 520-621-6722.
Include the following information:
- Name and contact information
- Description of issue
- Whether you have already received legal assistance in some form
- Any applicable deadlines or time constraints.
Please bear in mind that as a student-based legal clinic, we maintain limited resources and cannot accept all proposed clients and matters. Matter selection will take into account such factors as the nature of the legal issue and its susceptibility to student counseling, the clinic’s existing project load and the proposed client’s ability to otherwise access legal counseling.