A climate-focused initiative that was shut down earlier this year at New York University has apparently found a new home at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. The initiative, which was previously known as the NYU State Energy and Environmental Impact Center, had been paying the salaries of top officials in Democratic attorney general offices nationwide, but closed down on August 31, 2026, amid multiple congressional and state-level investigations into alleged ethics issues.
The new initiative's website states that it supports students in exploring state public service and offers experiential learning opportunities, trainings, workshops, internships, and fellowships. The migration of the NYU Impact Center staff to the MAPLE initiative has raised questions about the relationship between the two initiatives and whether the new initiative will continue to fund the salaries of fellows it directs to state agencies.
The Vermont Law School's involvement in the MAPLE initiative is notable due to its connections to a high-profile nationwide legal effort to sue oil companies for damages related to their alleged role in causing global warming.