Administrative Law focuses on interactions with governmental institutions. It includes government regulation, legislation, rulemaking, and relationships with public owners.
Virtually all governmental bodies, whether they are federal, state, or local, have their own sets of procedures and practices for processing applications, making claims, developing laws, obtaining grants, etc. Understanding and complying with these requirements is essential to pursuing matters before these bodies. There is also a significant substantive component to administrative law. Highly regulated fields include environmental protection, healthcare, and professional licensing, among others. Understanding and applying principles of administrative law are critical to effectively representing clients in these fields. Administrative law is also important in interactions with government in its proprietary capacity, e.g., eminent domain, real estate development, contracts, construction.
Lawyers who do administrative or regulatory law work in law firms, in corporations, and in government agencies. Because they work with complex regulations, they must be attentive to details. Other skills, such as negotiation skills, writing, and oral communications are also important.
Core/Foundation Courses
These are the core courses that -- at a minimum -- employers expect a student interested in this specialty to have.
- Administrative Law
Recommended Courses
Students interested in this practice area should consider including one or more of the following courses as electives.
- Civil Procedure II
- Constitutional Law I
- Constitutional Law II
- Legislation
- L&CP: New Approaches to Regulation: Law & Policy
- Negotiation/Mediation
- Oral Communications
- Regulated Industries: Energy
Enrichment Courses
These courses deepen or broaden the skills and substantive information that a lawyer in this field needs and may also provide advanced courses for students interested in a specialty within this area of practice.
- Business Organizations I
- Evidence
- Environmental Litigation
- Introduction to Environmental Law or Environmental Law and Practice
- Land Use Controls
- Legal History
- Local Government Law
- Remedies
- Selected Problems in Environmental Law
- Water Rights Law
(Note that whether a particular course is scheduled depends on faculty availability and student demand.)
Clinics, Internships, and Externships
Judicial Intern Program
The Judicial Internship Program places students with trial and appellate judges throughout Wisconsin, including placements with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Student work varies but always emphasizes research and writing.
Wisconsin Department of Justice Externship
This program offers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in civil litigation and public advocacy as it relates to environmental law at the Department of Natural Resources and Midwest Environmental Advocates.
Student Organizations and Related Activities
Environmental Law Society (ELS)
The Environmental Law Society welcomes all students interested in the application of law to environmental issues at the state, national, and international levels. The Society studies all sides of the issues because it recognizes that environmental law applies to both those interested in classic environmental preservation, as well as persons whose activities create environmental impacts.
Unemployment Compensation Appeals Clinic
The Unemployment Compensation Appeals Clinic is staffed by volunteer student advocates who assist clients in obtaining unemployment compensation benefits. Student advocates work closely with supervising attorneys and gain litigation and case management experience while helping those in need of benefits who cannot afford representation.
Faculty
Here are some of the full-time faculty who teach or have an interest in this subject area:
Carin Clauss
Room 7107
608-262-3422
caclauss@wisc.edu
John Ohnesorge
Room 6101
608-263-7603
jkohnesorge@wisc.edu
Stephanie Tai
Room 7104
608-890-1236
tai2@wisc.edu
Louise Trubek
Room 8111
262-1679
lgtrubek@wisc.edu
In addition to our full-time faculty, the Law School's adjunct faculty members -- prominent practicing lawyers and judges -- bring their specialized knowledge and experience to the classroom.