UCLA School of Law’s Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment is now accepting applications for the UCLA Emmett/Frankel Fellowship in Environmental Law and Policy for the academic years 2025-2027. This is a full-time two-year fellowship beginning in the summer of 2025. The position involves research and writing in the law and policy of climate change and the environment; and assisting with Institute projects such as conferences and workshops. The fellow will focus on questions related to China’s climate and environmental governance and US-China cooperation and competition on climate policy and green development, under the direction of Professor Alex Wang, faculty co-director of the Emmett Institute.

The Institute

The Emmett Institute is among the leading environmental law programs in the country, with faculty members renowned for their public service, teaching excellence, and scholarship in state, federal, and international law. The Emmett Institute educates future leaders and develops solutions to urgent environmental and environmental justice challenges. Through groundbreaking research and public interest initiatives, the Emmett Institute helps shape climate change and environmental law and policy in California, the United States, and jurisdictions around the world. For more information about the Emmett Institute, please visit https://law.ucla.edu/academics/centers/emmett-institute-climate-change-environment/

The Fellowship

Emmett Fellows work on issues relating to environmental law and policy and will generate policy-oriented publications and other products for the Institute, in collaboration with other UCLA Law faculty.

For 2025-2027, the Emmett Institute is seeking a Fellow to focus on questions related to China’s climate and environmental governance and US-China cooperation and competition on climate policy and green development. Specific projects will be developed in collaboration with the fellow and may include work on (i) US-China cooperation and competition on climate change in the Global South, (ii) the impact of non-environmental policies related to US-China geopolitical competition (e.g., trade, national security, industrial policy) on environmental outcomes, and (iii) comparative studies of renewable energy and environmental policy development in China and the US. The specific configuration of responsibilities for the successful candidate will be developed in consultation with Professor Alex Wang and the Emmett Institute’s Executive Director.

Qualifications

Candidates should possess a J.D., Ph.D., or other top terminal degree (J.D./M.A. or J.D./M.S.) in environmental studies or the social sciences; a strong academic record; excellent analytical and writing skills; and demonstrated interest and background in Chinese climate policy, green development and/or US-China geopolitical competition. Candidates with Chinese language skills (oral and written) and prior experience working on law and policy matters in China are especially encouraged to apply. UCLA School of Law has a special interest in enriching its intellectual environment through further diversifying the range of perspectives represented within the faculty.

This is a full-time, year-round, non-tenure track, academic position with an expected start date of July 1, 2025. This appointment is subject to the rules and regulations of the Regents of the University of California, which are mostly embodied in The UCLA CALL and the University of California Academic Personnel Manual. (See https://apo.ucla.edu/policies-forms/the-call/an-introduction-to-the-ucla-call; and https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/academic-personnel-policy/index.html). The salary is anticipated to be approximately $90,000 per year plus a competitive benefits package.

Application Instructions

Please apply online at https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF10027 by submitting pdf copies of a cover letter discussing qualifications and interests, a resume, a transcript of studies, a writing sample of no more than ten pages, and contact information for three references. Finalists will later be expected to supply at least two letters of recommendation during the final vetting process.