Dr. Bettina Kleining LL.M.
Lawyer | Barrister
Bettina always felt the environment needed a stronger lobby and thus wanted to make a difference with the skills she obtained during her legal studies. Soon, she realized that big impacts may be achieved more efficiently when working on international grounds. Therefore, Bettina had been working in both law firms and public scientific institutions where she built solid legal knowledge and work experience by advising on multilateral international scientific environmental research projects.
More recently, Bettina has used her environmental legal expertise to further marine environmental protection. Currently, she focuses on the prohibition of bottom trawling on the national as well as the international level.
Bettina graduated from both German and British universities, focusing her academic work on European and international environmental law and policy. She holds two German State Examinations, a Master’s Degree, a PhD, and is admitted to the German bar. She is a member of djb – Deutscher Juristinnenbund - and mentors young female lawyers during their first steps in the job.
EXPERIENCE / MEMBERSHIPS / PUBLICATIONS
LEGAL DRAFTING
International Consortium Agreements
MOUs, NDAs, Technology Transfer Agreements
ACADEMICS
(2022) Ph.D. in European and International Environmental Law: Natura 2000 – A Coherent Nature Conservation Network?
(2017) LL.M. in International Law (Environmental Law, Carriage of Goods by Sea Law, International Arbitration, International Litigation)
(2013) Admitted to the bar in Germany.
(2009 & 2011) Two German Legal State Examinations.
CONSULTATIONS
International Ocean Research Consortia.
European Research Consortia under e.g. Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, Interreg, BMBF, or BMWi funding.
PUBLICATIONS
Biodiversity Protection under the Habitats Directive: Is Habitats Banking Our New Hope? (2017, EnLawRev).
Designating the Natura 2000 Network: When Expectation Meets Reality (2018, Conference Paper).
The Future of the Natura 2000 Network in Post-Brexit Britain (2019, ASLRev).
Upcoming: Natura 2000: A Coherent Nature Conservation Network? (2024, Monograph, Springer Nature).
PRESENTATION
A Legal Framework for Cooperations with China with Regard to Ocean Research (2021, Alliance of Science Organisations, Germany).
How to Negotiate International Multilateral Cooperation Agreements (2020, Helmholtz, Germany).
Natura 2000 Post-Brexit: The Unknown Future of British Biodiversity (2019, Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London, UK).
Designating the Natura 2000 Network: When Expectation Meets Reality (2018, University of Aberdeen, Scotland).
MEMBERSHIP
Member of the djb – Deutscher Juristinnenbund e.V.
PERSONAL
Bettina lives in Germany and Indonesia. She is a pro bono mentor for female lawyers starting their legal career. In her free time, she loves scuba diving, snorkelling and strolling in autumn forests.
