Photo credit Tom Vierus
Starting in the Fall 2025–Spring 2026 academic year, GW Law’s Environmental and Energy Law program is proud to become the first in the nation to offer a scholarship dedicated to supporting one Master of Laws (LLM) degree candidate each year in pursuing a thesis project focused on ocean equity.
This initiative expands our program’s emphasis on environmental justice, climate justice, and energy justice, empowering students to lead in the emerging field of ocean equity. Similar to these other justice frameworks, ocean equity centers on safeguarding the rights of communities disproportionately affected by environmental challenges.
In particular, it focuses on protecting small-scale and Indigenous fishing communities’ access to fisheries, ensuring their livelihoods and cultural heritage are preserved while leveraging their stewardship of marine ecosystems to combat anthropogenic threats such as pollution, overfishing, and climate change. On a global scale, ocean equity also aims to secure equitable access to fisheries for nations in the Global South.
We invite all interested applicants to submit their LLM application to the Graduate and International Programs Office no later than March 15, 2025. The Graduate and International Programs Office handles all LLM admissions and scholarship matters. Information on how to apply and the required documents can be found here. All applicants will be notified of the decision no later than May 1, 2025.
If you have any questions about the application process or admissions requirements, please reach out to Assistant Dean Shehernaz Joshi sjoshi@law.gwu.edu.
