Land Use & Sustainable Development Degree | Touro Law LI

Touro Law Center has specialized in land use law for decades; its faculty have written hundreds of leading treatises, books, articles, chapters, and columns related to zoning and land use law. The Law Center's Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Institute has brought hundreds of speakers to campus and engages students in research and experiential opportunities. Touro offers a Land Use concentration that gives students a strong foundation in this area which includes environmental law and real estate. 

Concentration Requirements

Eligibility Requirements:

a. Application process – end of 1L Year
b. All students must have successfully completed LP I and LP II
c. Minimum GPA: 3.0

General Requirements for all concentrations:

a. Completion of 22-24 credits (exclusive of required JD courses)
b. All students, for all concentrations, must receive a minimum grade of B in all concentration coursework (for the course credits to be counted towards the concentration)
c. Completion of the Experiential Requirement (4-6 credits) in an approved concentration course (note: the ABA and the law school require 6 credits
d. Completion of the Advanced Writing Requirement in one of the concentration’s courses or with an Independent Research Project supervised by the concentration’s faculty advisor or adjunct designee; (note: courses marked with an asterisk may provide concentration students with the opportunity to satisfy the AWR)
e. Pro Bono Requirement: all concentrations will require a pro bono component of a specific number of hours to be completed by participating in an appropriate project/program

Required Concentration Courses (9 credits)
Administrative Law (3)
Environmental Law* (3)
Land Use and Zoning* (3)

Elective Courses (8 credits)
Landlord-Tenant Law (2)
State and Local Government (2)
Environmental Crimes* (2)
Real Estate Transactions (2)
Creditors’ Rights (2)
Cooperatives, Condominiums & Homeowner Associations* (2)
Historic Preservation* (2)
Independent Research Project* (1-2)

Experiential Courses (6 credits)
Bankruptcy & Mortgage Foreclosure Clinic (6)
Mortgage Foreclosure Clinic (3)
Approved Externship (4) (e.g. Officer of the Town or County Attorney; Office of the Attorney General; private firm handling land use/real estate matters)
Drafting Commercial Documents (3)
Negotiation (3)
Pretrial Litigation (3)
Interviewing, Negotiating & Counseling (3)

Pro Bono Requirement (25 hours of the 50 hours)

Must be completed by engaging in land use related services (e.g. affordable housing programs at nonprofits including Housing Help at our Public Advocacy Center, LI Pine Barrens, other nonprofit conservation groups)

Faculty Advisor: Professor Michael Lewyn