Each summer, ELI convenes a complimentary seminar series that offers an introduction to the legal and policy foundations of environmental protection in the United States.
ELI's Summer School is a series of seminars taught by experts in their fields, introducing the audience to important areas of environmental law, including the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), climate change law, energy law, land use law, and environmental justice. Faculty will also incorporate major regulatory and judicial updates to the laws.
Who will benefit: All are welcome. Students and emerging professionals will have unique opportunities to learn, hear updates, ask questions, and network. The series is intended for:
- undergraduates,
- law students and graduate students, and
- working professionals new to or looking for a refresher course in environmental law (such as interns, summer clerks, and associates, or second-career professionals).
Environmental Justice
Although no federal environmental justice laws have been enacted, federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have made staunch efforts to work with other federal agencies to adopt environmental justice into policies and practices. The Biden administration has recently implemented several environmental justice initiatives, including the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council, the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, the Justice40 Initiative, the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, and more. On April 21st of this year, President Biden signed an executive order on Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All.
This session will explore the foundations of environmental justice, as well as recent federal developments, current opportunities for environmental and climate justice legislation, and obstacles facing environmental justice. Faculty will discuss:
- the history of environmental justice,
- federal environmental justice initiatives in 2022 and 2023,
- how state, tribal, and local governments are addressing environmental justice,
- and methods for including multiple stakeholders in environmental justice conversations and processes.
Panelists:
Christine Appah, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Climate, Columbia Climate School, Moderator
Tanya Nesbitt, Partner, Thompson Hine LLP
Jacqueline Patterson, Founder and Executive Director, The Chisholm Legacy Project
Brittany Shaar, Associate Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
Materials:
A recording of this session will be posted publicly to this page, usually within three business days of the live event.