Law of the Wild announces Safari CLEs™ — small-cohort, immersive legal education programs conducted in extraordinary conservation landscapes around the world.
Join our legal team for our inaugural program in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest and the Galápagos Islands - a 16-day journey taking place from October 16–31, 2026.
Using wildlife conservation as the analytical lens, the program explores domestic law, influential international treaties, regulatory policy, and compelling factual scenarios relevant across diverse disciplines.
Program fee covers nearly all trip expenses. 100% of net proceeds support Law of the Wild’s nonprofit international conservation work.
Module I — It’s a Jungle Out There: Untangling the Laws That [Should] Protect Biodiversity introduces the legal architecture governing biodiversity protection across global and domestic frameworks. Set in the Amazon jungle, participants examine foundational principles, including the Environmental Rule of Law and the Rights of Nature, before exploring how key international agreements—such as CITES, CMS, CBD, UNTOC, and the Minamata Convention—operate in practice. Through analysis of relevant case law, the module highlights both the strengths and limitations of these frameworks in addressing illicit activities such as illegal mining, logging, and wildlife trafficking, while also examining the enforcement challenges and ethical obligations that arise in prosecuting wildlife crime.
Module II — Deep Dive for Marine Life: Navigating Jurisdictional Boundaries and Tools Enabling Cross-Border Cooperationshifts to the marine environment of the Galápagos, where jurisdictional boundaries and transnational dynamics shape conservation outcomes. Participants examine key legal frameworks, including UNCLOS, the new High Seas Treaty, and the Agreement on Port State Measures, and how they enable cross-border cooperation and enforcement. The session also considers the role of domestic laws, particularly U.S. statutes with extraterritorial reach, and how they may be brought to bear to regulate commerce, energy development, military activities, and other impacts, while addressing legal and ethical challenges of advancing conservation in an international context.
Module III — Shoring Up Protections: Strengthening Ocean Governance and Enforcementfocuses on the practical tools used to secure ecosystems and translate legal authority into action. Continuing their experience in the Galápagos, participants examine marine protected areas, enforcement challenges, and the limitations of existing frameworks in addressing species decline and illicit activity. The module also explores the role of technology in ocean enforcement, including satellite monitoring and digital evidence, and concludes with strategies for mobilizing international, regional, and domestic authorities to turn investigative findings into actionable enforcement.
