main content Karuna Foundation Funds Meaningful Scholarship for International Environmental LLM Students at Lewis & Clark

Lewis & Clark Law School has received generous funding from the Karuna Foundation to award a scholarship for international Environmental LLM students who have demonstrated a passion for environmental law and dedication to mitigating climate change. The scholarship is available to applicants from countries in which the Karuna Foundation has programming who have been accepted into Lewis & Clark’s environmental LLM program.

The inaugural recipient of this support is Thinley Choden who joined Lewis & Clark’s LLM program in the fall. She plans to use her LLM degree to work on environmental concerns and sustainable development in her home country of Bhutan. The program will help her develop the necessary expertise and specialization to meaningfully contribute to the green initiatives of Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law (Bhutan’s first and only law school) and Bhutan’s Judiciary.

Inaugural recipient of the scholarship, Thinley Choden

Ms. Choden has an inspiring story and background. She completed and received her BA LLB (Hons) with first division with distinction from Amity University in India. She started her career as a Court Registrar at the Supreme Court of Bhutan in 2020, after receiving the highest score on the Royal Civil Service Examination (Law) and the Post Graduate Diploma in National Law (PGDNL). That very year, she was appointed as the Personal Secretary to Her Royal Highness Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuck, the Honorable President of the Bhutan National Legal Institute (BNLI), JSW School of Law, and the Bar Council of Bhutan. “I am immensely grateful to the Karuna Foundation and Lewis & Clark Law School for the generous scholarship and support,” Ms. Choden stated.

This is the first time the school has received funding for a significant scholarship for an Environmental LLM student. Associate Dean Janice Weis notes, “This level of support allows us to bring students to Lewis & Clark from parts of the world that will be deeply affected by environmental issues and climate change. We are looking forward to learning more about the issues in our recipients’ home countries and helping them learn more about environmental law to use back home. Eligible students now have access to an exceptional opportunity to support their aspirations to fight the climate crisis and support environmental solutions in their home countries.”

The scholarship is open to students from countries where the Karuna Foundation has an active grantmaking program and who have been accepted to the LLM in Environmental, Natural Resources & Energy Law at Lewis & Clark Law School. The Karuna Foundation was founded with the aim to foster contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in the Himalayan region, focusing its funding efforts in Bhutan. Countries like Bhutan, which are high elevation and mountainous, are the most vulnerable to climate change and will experience the most dramatic temperature changes as a result.