HELI Mission
The Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative (HELI) is generating opportunities for the College of Law to deepen and broaden its engagement with environmental issues in Iowa and beyond. HELI was created by the vision and generosity of Law Alumni Charlotte Beyer Hubbell (76JD) and Fred Hubbell (76JD) who committed $5 million to the University of Iowa College of Law on November 30, 2021. The gift, which is the largest in Iowa Law history, is intended to create an active forum for interdisciplinary engagement on important environmental issues, support law students and curriculum, and ultimately strengthen the environmental law bar in Iowa. It will also help to draw together interdisciplinary groups/researchers/units across the university.
“When you care about climate change, you feel an urgency,”
Priority Areas
Iowa Law is enthusiastic about the opportunities for law students and faculty across campus to engage internally with one another and with external environmental organizations on collaborative problem solving. By bringing people together and increasing dialogue, HELI will quickly contribute actionable solutions to environmental problems.
HELI will focus on the following priority areas:
Academics
- Support programs, expand opportunities that enrich curriculum
- Host speakers and practitioners
- Offer student scholarships, research opportunities
- Collaborate with programs as pipeline for engagement, research, capacity-building
- Strengthen undergrad to Law pipeline
Professional Development
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Support students seeking legal careers in environmental community
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Provide opportunities to develop experience, knowledge, skills
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Engage in dialogue exploring environmental law issues
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Specialized course development
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Stipends for unpaid legal work
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Host, promote conferences and workshops
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Engage Iowa Law alumni as mentors, advisors, speakers
Outreach and Engagement
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Develop content that increases dialogue, contributes actionable solutions to Iowa’s environmental challenges
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Produce white papers, blog posts, policy-oriented products, content for podcasts, social media, other work products
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Provide assistance, opportunities to collaborate with Iowa’s environmental community
Partnerships
- Explore and strengthen campus, community, and regional partnerships
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Collaborate with public and private partners across state, region;
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Capitalize on work happening across campus, state, and region;
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Water
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Energy
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Policy
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Engagement
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Field Courses
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Intersession Classes
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Internal and External Partners
HELI Team
