Established in 1980 by a small group of dedicated and innovative students, the Virginia Environmental Law Journal ("VELJ") is one of the oldest journals at the University of Virginia School of Law. Today, VELJ is considered one of the top academic publications for environmental law in the world and its content is among the most cited. The Journal provides a forum for discussion of current environmental issues related to energy, natural resources, regulatory, administrative, conservation, risk management, environmental justice, food systems, and land use law and policy. Viewing environmental law broadly, the Journal remains open to all perspectives and strives to maintain the highest level of academic integrity.
Each annual volume of the Journal is published in two installments. The Journal regularly publishes leading scholarship from the academy, legal practitioners and government officials, as well as high-quality student notes. With subscribers around the world, the Journal is routinely relied upon in academia, private practice, and judicial opinion. The submissions process is competitive and less than three percent of submissions result in an offer for publication. For more information about our submissions and selection process, please see our Submissions Page.
The Journal is an entirely student run Virginia non-profit corporation. Staffed by thirty to forty dedicated students at the University of Virginia School of Law and advised by legal scholars and practitioners based around the country, the publication of the Journal is overseen by a Senior Managing Board selected annually on the basis of commitment and merit. For more information about becoming a member of our editorial board, please see our Membership Page.
The Journal is a member of the Environmental Law Review Syndicate ("ELRS"), a collaborative effort of the nation's leading environmental law journals to provide an outlet for student scholarship and promote dialogue between law schools. New articles are published weekly. For more information about the Environmental Law Review Syndicate or to read current and past articles, please see our ELRS Page.
The Journal further advances environmental law and policy dialogue by hosting an annual Symposium in Charlottesville, Virginia. The topic of the annual Symposium is developed by members of the Senior Managing Board in collaboration with law faculty at the University of Virginia and our National Advisory Board to focus on a timely issue in environmental law. The Symposium brings together law students, professors, practitioners, government officials, and community members for a free exchange of ideas and open debate. For more information about our annual Symposium, please see our Events Page.
Although this organization has members who are University of Virginia students and may have University employees associated or engaged in its activities and affairs, the organization is not a part of or an agency of the University. It is a separate and independent Virginia non-profit corporation which is responsible for and manages its own activities and affairs. The University does not direct, supervise or control the organization and is not responsible for the organization’s contracts, acts or omissions.
