Vermont has 2,300 attorneys. Lawyers in Vermont practice in the state’s Supreme Court, Superior Court, and District Court. Vermont also has specialty courts such as the Family Court, Probate Court, and Environmental Court.

Vermont’s Environmental Court is one of a kind within the United States. Its main task is litigating issues related to building permits for businesses due to a unique Vermont law that gives citizens a direct voice in permitting new construction in their communities. Vermont was the first state in the country to legislate District Environmental Committees. These citizen run groups have the authority to allow or deny building permits to developers. As a result, large corporations such as Walmart have had difficulty gaining access to the Vermont market. Vermont was actually the last state to allow the country’s largest retailer to do business within the state.

Vermont was also one the first state’s to allow civil unions in 2000. The seminal case of Baker v. Vermont was a Vermont Supreme Court case that ordered the state to either allow same sex marriages or create a separate but equal alternative. Civil unions were born a year later. Today, a variety of states followed Vermont’s lead and created their own civil union laws.

If you need an attorney in Vermont, consider using LegalMatch.com’s free attorney client matching service. Or, explore the following external links for more information on Vermont law:

• Vermont State Courts
• Vermont Bar Association