Environmental and Community Development Clinic

The Environmental and Community Development Clinic represents non-governmental organizations and local and state governments to conserve environmental resources, improve resilience to climate change, and develop infrastructure for historically underserved communities. Under the supervision of clinic director Professor Thomas Hawkins, students work in the areas of environmental, land use, real estate, state and local government, and water law. Clinic work includes opportunities for direct client interaction, public presentation, research, and writing.

Student Experience

“The clinic gave me hands-on experience I couldn’t get in the classroom. I researched and drafted real regulations to protect nesting sea turtles and learned how to navigate complex ordinances. That foundation introduced me to the workings of local government and prepared me for real-world zoning, ordinance, and development challenges in my practice.”

Audrey Perry (JD 24)
Associate, Oropeza, Stones & Cardenas
Key West, FL

Community Impact

Local governments have adopted clinic-authored ordinances, resolutions, and policies to address sea level rise, protect endangered species, provide affordable housing, and improve biking and walking safety. Clinic students have authored amicus briefs addressing significant land use law questions. State agencies have adopted clinic authored regulations governing commercial and recreational fishing. Non-governmental organizations have collaborated with the clinic to improve land conservation practices, plan for litigation, and protect vulnerable communities. And students have submitted comments to federal agencies on agency rulemaking.

Clinic Authored Resources

Clinic students have authored local government legislation and model legislation on a variety of topics. This Model Administrative Review Policy to Implement Florida’s Live Local Act is a student-authored guide to Florida’s Live Local Act, a law that preempts local government regulation of development’s that meet a state-defined affordable housing standard. The guide includes model local legislation to implement the state law.

• Hawkins, T., Janssens, K., Luis, K., Stamatogiannakis, E. (2025) Model Administrative Review Policy to Implement Florida’s Live Local Act [PDF]

Clinic students traveled to Tallahassee to meet with a clinic client serving as general counsel for a state agency. During their visit to the Florida Capitol, the students also had the opportunity to meet with Representative Yvonne Hinson.
Pictured from left to right: Nathan Cochran, Emmanuel Stamatogiannakis, Representative Yvonne Hinson, Professor Thomas Hawkins, and Rina Ma.

Sponsors

Please contact the Office of Development & Alumni Affairs for clinic support opportunities.

Learn more

Students interested in enrolling in the clinic may call the law clinics office at (352) 273-0800.

Contact

Thomas Hawkins

Director
hawkins@law.ufl.edu
Learn more about Professor Hawkins