Marine & Environmental Law Program (MELP)
Since its establishment in 1974 as an area of specialization, the Marine & Environmental Law Program (MELP) has provided JD students with one of the most extensive academic course offerings in these two fields in the world. While the certificates are not available to graduate students (LLM and PhD), the course offerings are.
With over 17 full and part-time faculty members currently teaching in the Program, students have a unique opportunity to learn about public and private law and practice in marine (including shipping) and environmental law taught from domestic, comparative, international and transnational perspectives. JD students wishing to specialize in these fields have the option of obtaining a certificate of specialization in either marine or environmental law or both, while completing the three-year JD degree.
New course offerings have been added to the MELP course list for the academic year 2025-2026.
Marine Law Specialization
Note: Not all electives are offered each year
*Coastal Zone Management is offered by the Marine Affairs Program and is cross listed with the Schulich School of Law
Requirements for MELP Specialization Certificates:
Effective Fall 2025, the updated requirements apply to incoming first-year JD law students pursuing the MELP Specialization Certificate
•Students must complete the two required courses for their chosen specialization certificate (either the environmental law specialization or marine law specialization) and must complete a total of 15 specialization course credits from the corresponding list above.
•All courses counted towards satisfying the environmental law specialization and/or the marine law specialization must be completed with no grade below C, and with a weighted average in those courses of at least B (e.g., 70).
•MELP specialization certificate students are required to attend (in person) at least one of the Marine & Environmental Law Institute’s (MELAW) annual events — either the Douglas M. Johnston Lecture or the Meinhard Doelle Legacy Lecture.
•For all paper courses, students MUST have their paper topic approved by the MELP Director PRIOR to writing the paper. Maximum three paper courses per academic year.
•Students may take one additional paper course in law, not listed as a MELP course, as an elective toward the MELP certificate. The paper topic must be approved by the MELP Director PRIOR to writing the paper.
•Students may seek special permission from the MELP Director to take one non-law course as an elective to be credited towards the MELP specialization.
•Students participating in an exchange program can request that one law course from that exchange be credited towards the specialization certificate. The content of this course cannot duplicate and should be substantially different from the course content of courses the student has previously or will pursue to satisfy the requirements of the specialization. It is the student’s responsibility to demonstrate that the substance and quality of the course fits within the parameters of the specialization, for example, by providing the course description, syllabus, etc. The course, if approved by the MELP Director, can serve as one of the electives; it cannot replace a required course in the specialization. The student must have the course approved by the MELP Director prior to taking the course. The MELP Director has the final authority to approve the request.
•Students may graduate with a maximum of two law certificates.
•Students seeking to complete a third certificate may be considered in exceptional cases and must obtain approval from both the MELP Director and the Associate Dean, Academic.
•A maximum of two individual courses in law may be applied toward the requirements of two different certificates.
Students are encouraged to contact the MELP Director at melp@dal.ca, prior to the last day to drop/add classes, with any additional questions regarding course selection or the MELP requirements.
We encourage you to submit the MELP certificate registration form early in the year to ensure you are added to our email list. The email list is used throughout the year to send information on upcoming lectures, events, research positions, summer jobs, internships and opportunities related to marine and environmental fields. Contact MELP@dal.ca to find out how you can join the MELP program or drop by the Marine & Environmental Law Institute located in room 413 or visit our website at www.dal.ca/law/melaw.
It is the students’ responsibility to ensure that they complete all the requirements of the specialization they enrol in. Subject to the exception outlined in the next paragraph, only those courses pursued at the Schulich School of Law during the student’s JD studies which lead to successful completion of a Dalhousie University JD degree will be recognized. Students are not permitted to count a course towards more than one certificate within the Law School.
On completion of all requirements, including registration for the certificate program, the specialization will be recognized on the students' academic transcript. Students will also receive a separate certificate on graduation attesting to the satisfactory completion of a marine and/or environmental specialization.