The 2018 Environmental Law Symposium

On March 9, a picture perfect Davis day, UC Davis School of Law hosted the 2018 Environmental Law Symposium on “Humans & their Environment: Protecting Our Planet and Its Inhabitants.” Co-sponsored by the Environmental Law Society, the Environs law journal, the California Environmental Law and Policy Center, the John Muir Institute of the Environment, the Aoki Center for Race and Nation Studies, and the School of Law, the conference filled the Kalmanovitz Appellate Courtroom to capacity. Bridget McDonald, Ellen Simmons, and Coral Walker, all of the King Hall Class of 2019, organized a wonderful group of attorneys, lawmakers, scholars, and policy experts to discuss humans and the environment. 

The symposium explored the growing intersection between humans and the world around them, and how the lines between the anthropocene and natural worlds have become increasingly blurred. The event examined the inherent challenges in ensuring equitable access to environmental resources and the subsequent disproportionate burdens many communities face. In bringing together legal and policy authorities from the government, nonprofit, academic, community, industry, and private sectors, the event examined the evolution and current state of environmental justice law and policy in California, along with solutions for the future.

The day-long event featured panels addressing the disproportionate public health effects of climate change; the recent wildfires’ tragic impact on Northern California communities; the efforts dedicated to tribal sovereignty and Native American land restoration; and the dichotomy between industry and community interests in the Central Valley. Within this range of topics, panelists discussed regulatory responses and enforcement actions, private litigation, academic and scientific discourse, and the activist movements that have shaped today’s environmental equality landscape.

I had the privilege of welcoming conference participants and took the opportunity to discuss King Hall’s long history of environmental law scholarship and activism. Professor Harrison “Hap” Dunning created our environmental law program, which continues to flourish under the guidance of Professor Rick Frank, Director of the California Environmental law and Policy Center. Just this year, King Hall unveiled the Water Justice Clinic, which under the direction of Camille Pannu fights for access to clean water to disadvantaged communities in the Central Valley.

Another great day at UC Davis School of Law!