Aquaculture Law and Policy Fellow

About the role

Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) offers a full-time Aquaculture Law and Policy Fellowship for the 2026‑2027 academic year. The Fellow will work with the Aquaculture Law and Policy Initiative lead to produce research, public resources, and legal scholarship on aquaculture law and policy. The position is based in South Royalton, Vermont (with easy access to Hanover, NH; Lebanon, NH; Burlington, VT; Boston, MA; and Montreal, QC) and is eligible for remote work.

Responsibilities

• Conduct legal research across federal, state, and comparative frameworks governing aquaculture, including environmental permitting, animal protection, food law, and marine and land use.
• Draft public resources such as guides, toolkits, explainers, templates, and briefing materials for advocates, community groups, and other non‑specialist audiences as well as for lawyers.
• Prepare public comments and other regulatory submissions, and support the drafting of filings in administrative proceedings.
• File and review public records and freedom of information requests, and organize the resulting material for research and advocacy use.
• Contribute to the development of the Initiative's digital and public‑facing resources, including web content, research tools, and mapping and visualization projects.
• Help plan and deliver convenings, webinars, workshops, speaker events, and academic colloquia, including agenda development, participant coordination, and logistics.
• Contribute to the Initiative's communications, including newsletters, digests, and public explanatory writing.
• Produce at least one piece of original legal scholarship on aquaculture law and policy suitable for publication.
• Contribute to student mentorship and to teaching‑adjacent activities, including guest instruction and supervision of student research.

Requirements

Required Education, Skills, and Experience:

• J.D., LLB, LLM or equivalent law degree.
• 1–4 years of relevant legal experience; recent graduates with strong relevant research experience are encouraged to apply.
• Bar admission is not required.
• Demonstrated interest in one or more of: animal law, environmental or ocean and coastal law, food and agriculture law, or administrative and regulatory practice.
• Excellent legal research and writing skills, including the ability to write clearly for non‑lawyer audiences.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to carry several workstreams simultaneously and meet external deadlines.
• Excellent academic credentials and outstanding interpersonal and collaboration skills.
• Comfort working with data, spreadsheets, and digital research tools, and willingness to learn new ones.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Windows and Microsoft 365 applications.
• Must be able to adapt to new and emerging technology as established and communicated by the law school.

Other Requirements:

• Some travel might be required, including domestic conference and meeting travel.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines and reorganize under pressure.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Must be able to work legally within the United States.

Benefits

• Full benefits (medical, dental, vision, etc.).
• 403b including 4% employer contribution.
• 3 weeks of paid vacation in addition to paid personal and sick days.
• 11 paid holidays plus two weeks of paid days off for Summer and Winter breaks.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• VLGS course participation with tuition assistance.
• Flexible schedule potential.

Pay

$67,000‑$77,000 per year.

Schedule

Full‑time, exempt, 40 hours/week.