Environmental Law Institute /
Vanderbilt University Law School
Environmental Law and Policy Annual Review

Listen to the Proceedings of the Conference
Each year ELI will publish in collaboration with the Vanderbilt University Law School a Special Issue of the Environmental Law Reporter entitled: the Environmental Law and Policy Annual Review (ELPAR). ELPAR presents and discusses the best ideas on environmental law and policy from the academic literature each year. ELI works with Vanderbilt University Law School students to review and select the academic articles. An Advisory Committee made up of academics, policy-makers, and practitioners also has a role in the selection process. ELPAR includes a condensed version of each academic article. In addition, ELI invites selected individuals from the academy, law firms, government, and non-governmental organizations to write short Comments on each academic article included in ELPAR. For each article, the commenters represent a range of perspectives and organizations. Law students edit the articles and Comments.
In conjunction with the publication, ELI and Vanderbilt co-sponsor an annual conference in Washington, DC at which the authors of the articles and Comments present their ideas and views to an audience that includes business, government (federal, state and local), think tank, and non-profit representatives. The conference is structured in a manner that encourages dialogue among presenters and attendees. This year’s day-long conference will be held on April 11, 2008 in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Read the conference agenda here.
First Annual ELPAR Articles:
Article: Kenneth W. Abbott, Gary E. Marchant, & Douglas J. Sylvester, A Framework Convention for Nanotechnology?, 36 Envtl. L. Rep. 10931
Commenters:
- Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Director, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.
- Brent Blackwelder, President, Friends of the Earth
- David W. Rejeski, Director, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
ELPAR Editor: Robert Matsuishi
Article: Daniel A. Farber, Basic Compensation for Victims of Climate Change, 155 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1605
Commenters:
- Kenneth R. Feinberg, Special Master of the Federal September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001; Managing Partner & Founder, The Feinberg Group, LLP
- Peter H. Lehner, Executive Director, NRDC
- Raymond B. Ludwiszewski, Partner, Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher LLP; Former General Counsel, US Environmental Protection Agency
ELPAR Editor: Jessica Friedman
Article: Jonathan R. Nash, Trading Species: A New Direction for Habitat Trading Programs, 32 Colum. J. Envtl. L. 1
Commenters:
- Virginia S. Albrecht, Partner, Hunton & Williams
- Michael J. Bean, Wildlife Program Chairman, Environmental Defense
ELPAR Editor: Justin Leck
Article: John B. Ruhl & James Salzman, In Defense of Regulatory Peer Review, 84 Wash. U. L. Rev. 1
Commenters:
- Gary D. Bass, Executive Director, OMB Watch, and Rick Melberth, Director, Regulatory Policy, OMB Watch (co-authors)
- Brian F. Mannix, Associate Administrator, Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation, US Environmental Protection Agency
ELPAR Editor: Safiya Morgan
Article: Cass R. Sunstein, Of Montreal and Kyoto: A Tale of Two Protocols, 31 Harv. Envtl. L. Rev. 1
Commenters:
- Jeffrey R. Holmstead, Head of Environmental Strategy Section, Bracewell & Giuliani; Former Assistant Administrator for Air, US Environmental Protection Agency
- Daniel B. Magraw, President, Center for International Environmental Law; Former Director of the International Environmental Law Office, US Environmental Protection Agency
- Peter R. Orszag, Director, Congressional Budget Office
ELPAR Editor: Christopher A. Bowles
Article: A. Daniel Tarlock & Sarah F. Bates, Western Growth and Sustainable Water Use: If There are No “Natural Limits,” Should We Worry About Water Supplies?, 27 Pub. Land & Resources L. Rev. 33
Commenters:
- Thomas J. Graff, Senior Counsel, Environmental Defense, and Jennifer Pitt, Senior Research Analyst, Environmental Defense (co-authors)
- Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, US Environmental Protection Agency
- David J. Hayes, Global Chair of the Environment, Land & Resources Department, Latham & Watkins; Former Deputy Secretary, US Dept. of Interior
ELPAR Editor: Fong Hsu
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