School of Law Among Top Leaders in the Nation for Environmental Law
July 23, 2026
The National Jurist’s PreLaw Magazine recently released the rankings for the top schools in environmental law. The UNM School of Law’s Natural Resources and Environmental Law (NREL) Program is proud to have earned an A+ rating this spring. The School of Law is one of only 16 schools nationally to receive this grade in environmental law.
“The University of New Mexico School of Law is proud to be ranked once again by National Jurist in the very top tier of programs for environmental law, alongside other great programs at schools including Pace, Vermont, Lewis & Clark, UCLA, Harvard, and Georgetown,” noted Professor Cliff Villa, Director of the UNM Natural Resources and Environmental Law Program.
He continued, “In April, we continued to produce innovative programming including a symposium exploring the use of art—including painting, sculpture, and comic books—as a tool for environmental advocacy. In May, we welcomed legal scholars from across the country for a conference including panel presentations and field trips exploring resource management and highlighting the unique Indigenous and Hispano cultures of New Mexico. Next year, in addition to core courses and diverse electives in natural resources and environmental law, we will continue to support experiential learning through our Natural Resources and Environmental Law clinic, participation in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, and scholarship opportunities through our Natural Resources Journal. We will also continue to expand curricular opportunities, to include offering new courses in Animal Law, Disaster Law, and the Law of Land Grants and Acequias. In every way, the UNM School of Law continues to earn its ranking in the top tier of schools for environmental law, never resting, and always asking what more we can do for our students, our alumni, our community, and our planet.”
