This introductory course will focus on the key federal environmental laws, regulatory structures and environmental policies in the United States. The course will begin with a discussion of the property law roots of environmental law and the current primary analytical frameworks of use in understanding environmental law and policy. Substantively, the course will focus on federal statutes including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act. A central teaching element of the course will be the use of case studies drawn from actual environmental cases and controversies. As a result, substantial student participation is expected and class participation will constitute twenty percent (20%) of the overall grade for the course. A primary goal of the course is to have the student develop an understanding of environmental law and policy in its legal, technical and historical context. In addition, the course will include discussion of developing areas of environmental law and policy most notably efforts to address climate change.
This course is open to first-year Law students.