9:09 PM Environmental Law | ||||
The Environmental Law Section of the California State Bar has created an Environmental Law Fellowship program to provide opportunities for law students to work in governmental and public-interest environmental law organizations in order to develop their interests and skills in the field of environmental law. The program provides opportunities for law students to spend 8 to 10 weeks over the summer practicing environmental, energy, land use, and/or natural resources law at a participating government agency or public interest organization. Each participant receives a $5,000 stipend for participating in the program. The Section assists students with placement at the governmental agency or public interest organization and matches the Fellows with mentors who practice in the field. The Section also coordinates gatherings and provides opportunities for Fellows to meet other Section members and attorneys who practice in environment, energy, land use, and resources law fields. For more information and the application, see Environmental Law Fellowship Program . Friday, April 24, 2015 Fresno City College Old Administration Building (OAB) 1101 E. University Avenue, Room 251 Fresno, CA Earn up to 6 hours participatory MCLE credit. You can now REGISTER ONLINE for this program. See Your Voice for more information.z Friday, May 8, 2015. 12 noon - 1:30 p.m. This program offers 1.5 hours participatory MCLE credit. You must register in advance in order to participate. Unlike other Western states, California does not have a state program to regulate groundwater extractions, and there has been no requirement for local regulation, although groundwater is managed in some areas of the State though adjudication decree or local programs. Some of the largest basins are not managed at all, and are subject to long-term overdraft. Problems including declining water tables, subsidence, and saline water intrusion are matters of increasing concern. These problems let to enactment of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which took effect this year. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act provides local agencies the authority necessary to sustainably manage groundwater, and includes authority for state intervention where local agencies fail. This panel will review the new law and long term prospects for groundwater management in California, focusing on what actions local agencies need to take, and what form state intervention might take. Will California manage its groundwater, or pump until the well runs dry? Speakers:
Moderator: Andy Sawyer. Assistant Chief Counsel, State Water Resources Control Board Tuesday, May 19, 2015. 12 noon - 1:30 p.m. This program offers 1.5 hours participatory MCLE credit. You must register in advance in order to participate. Unique ethical issues confront lawyers practicing administrative law in the land use entitlement and environmental enforcement contexts. Whether representing a public agency, a property owner, or another interested party such as an environmental group, union, neighbor, or neighborhood group, lawyers have ethical duties to clients. Public agencies also must comply with open records and meetings laws as well as other laws designed to further transparency. Real parties and interested parties have Constitutional rights to petition government, yet concerns about ex parte communications and undue influence sometimes restricts such outreach. This panel will outline the framework of these potentially competing rights and responsibilities, discuss how recent appellate cases highlight the tension between these various duties, and consider strategies to balance these issues without running afoul of our ethical responsibilities as attorneys. Speakers:
Moderator: Beth Collins-Burgard. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP Friday, June 12, 2015 UC Hastings College of the Law 198 McAllister St. San Francisco, CA 94102 Presented by The State Bar of California Public Law Section Co-Sponsored with Environmental Law We gratefully acknowledge UC Hastings College of the Law for the contribution of its facility and generous support for this event You can now REGISTER ONLINE for this program. Click here for more details. The Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of California is pleased to announce that it is accepting nominations for the 2015 Award for Lifetime Contribution to the Field of Environmental Law. The Environmental Law Section established this award to recognize environmental lawyers who have contributed to the field of environmental law over a sustained period, achieved excellence in the practice of environmental law, and provided legal services with high ethics and collegiality. For more informattion and nomination form, see Environmental Law Section Lifetime Achievement Award . Since 1999, the Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of California has sponsored the Environmental Law Section Update. The Update reports quarterly on recent Federal and California case law of note, as well as significant legislative and regulatory developments. The Update is a member benefit posted in our members-only area. Click HERE to go directly to The Update and enter your State Bar Number and password. If you haven't created an account on My State Bar Profile, you can do so at https://members.calbar.ca.gov . For an expanded discussion of this and other state and federal environmental cases from January-March, follow the links below. Any questions regarding The Update should be directed to Cyndy Day-Wilson at cday-wilson@ci.eureka.ca.gov . The Environmental Law Section is honored to present its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award to the late Professor Joseph L. Sax, a true pioneer in the development of environmental law who passed away on March 9th of this year. The Section has established this award, to be presented annually, to recognize California environmental lawyers who have contributed to the field of environmental law over a sustained period, achieved excellence in the practice of environmental law, and provided legal services with high ethics and collegiality. Prof. Sax was selected to receive this inaugural award from a large pool of highly qualified candidates due to his significant and profound role in shaping modern environmental law. Prof. Sax was the principal voice behind the modern application of the public trust doctrine to the protection of natural resources, and he was a renowned expert on water, endangered species, and regulatory takings law. As a teacher, he has been a mentor and inspiration to many current and environmental lawyers, and as an author of works such as Mountains without Handrails and Playing Darts with a Rembrandt. his influence will continue to inspire future generations of environmental lawyers. The Environmental Law Section will formally present the award at the Saturday night banquet at this year s Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite , where Prof. Sax s daughters will be on hand to receive it on his behalf. Have you wondered what more your office can do to reduce energy and resource demands? Law offices in all sectors are taking steps to be more sustainable in their operations. Saving energy and resources not only supports sustainability goals, impressing clients and elevates employee morale. These efforts can also translate into significant cost savings for the operation. If your firm or law office is working to become more sustainable, or wants to do so, in just three easy steps your law practice can sign onto the California State Bar Eco-Pledge. Once it does, your organization can use the State Bar Eco-Pledge Logo on firm materials to demonstrate this commitment to sustainability. Step 1 : Review the Voluntary State Bar of California Lawyers Eco-Pledge and Model Law Office Sustainability Guidelines. Adopted by the Board of Governors, these Guidelines include a list of specific means to conserve, reuse, recycle and reduce the use of supplies, energy and natural resources. The Guidelines cover a range of issues, including the following:
Step 2 : Assign someone at the firm to take the lead on implementing the policy (as is feasible for the individual firm) and commit to educate employees about the policy. Step 3 : Take the Eco-Pledge! Fill out the simple one-page form and submit it to the Environmental Law Section. The Eco-Pledge is voluntary and there are no inspections or compliance audits, but the simple act of putting someone at the firm in charge of the issue, educating employees about the measures that have been implemented, and revisiting the commitment annually will translate into increased sustainability of your operations in addition to cost savings to your firm. The nearly 40 law firms that have already taken the Eco-Pledge are listed on our Section website. In addition, we will be providing special recognition at this year s Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite to all the firms that have taken the Eco-Pledge and determined that sustainability is core to their business. We urge those offices that are interested in sustainability to sign up now and receive recognition at the Conference. You too can be green. Take the initiative and take the State Bar Eco-Pledge! Alexander Sandy Crockett, Chair of the Environmental Law Section Executive Committee, and several other current and former Committee members, were recently on hand to accept For People of Color, Inc. s (FPOC) Diversity Award, which was given to the State Bar of California Environmental Law Section in recognition of its demonstrated and sustained commitment to diversifying the profession. As Section Chair, Sandy stated that "It is a great honor for the Environmental Law Section to be recognized for its continued commitment to diversity, which is an important element of the Section s mission statement." The Section presents a highly acclaimed Environmental Conference at Yosemite each October, has provided scholarships and fellowships to numerous diverse and other students and professionals, and has partnered with FPOC and others at various events. FPOC provides free, high-quality law school admissions consulting services to thousands of prospective law school applicants.FPOC has been widely recognized as a leader in its efforts to diversify the profession by addressing pipeline issues. Its workshops and publications are open to all students, but its efforts are premised on a belief that assisting students of color in accessing law schools and the legal profession is one of the best ways to realize the goal of a California bar more that more closely reflects the state s diverse population. FPOC has been credited with assisting diverse students gain admission to the country s most selective law schools. The presentation was a part of the "A Night Out With FPOC" event held on the evening of July 10th at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco. At this event, FPOC also presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Eva Paterson, President Co-Founder of the Equal Justice Society, and a Trailblazer Award to Attorney Sergio C. Garcia. The Environmental Law Institute (ELI), a widely respected environmental law and policy organization based in Washington, D.C. has announced that it will present its Environmental Achievement Award to the State of California and Mary D. Nichols, the Chairman of the California Air Resources Board. This is the first time in the award s 30-year history that ELI has honored a state. ELI will present the award at the organization s annual award dinner on October 21 in Washington, D.C. ELI announced that it has chosen Chairman Nichols and California for the award in recognition of "their decades of remarkable leadership in advancing innovative programs to protect and enhance the environment and our natural resources, combat climate change, and transition to a new energy economy." ELI Chair Edward L. Strohbehn Jr. explained that "Mary Nichols and California are pioneers in protecting our plant from environmental threats. Their achievements are legendary. They are leading us to a better future." ELI President John C. Cruden added that "Mary Nichols and the State of California represent the gold standard of our profession, achieving significant progress through different Administrations, leading, advancing, and protecting human health and the environment." ELI also identified a number of significant California environmental initiatives that have established our state as a leader, including AB 32, the 33% Renewable Portfolio Standard, our State Air Quality Program, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act, and CEQA, among others. California s environmental lawyers are only one part of our state s efforts to become environmental leader in the country and the world. But we should all be very proud of the role that we play in moving California forward and of the recognition that ELI is giving to our state in this area. The Environmental Law Section s Executive Committee is proud to announce its new officers for the -2015 term: Chair. Gideon Kracov, Los Angeles Vice-Chair. Howard F. Chip Wilkins III, Sacramento Secretary. Christopher Calfee, Sacramento Treasurer. Amy E. Gaylord, San Francisco In addition, the Board of Trustees has appointed the following 5 new members to the Committee for the -2017 term: K. Eric Adair, Valencia Nicole H. Gordon, Los Angeles Michael R. Leslie, Los Angeles Ryan R. Waterman, San Diego Jonathan Welner, San Francisco The Executive Committee is made up of 15-17 Section members who serve staggered 3-year terms. Section members who are interested in joining the Executive Committee are invited to apply. Applications are normally due around February 1st of each year, and final appointment decisions are made by the Board of Trustees during the summer based on recommendations from the current Committee. Application materials for next year s new member positions will be available on the Section s website closer to the due date. Did you know that the Section s Webinars are available at low cost to view on line? Have you ever wanted CLE credit on topics that actually interest you? Was there a presentation you wanted to attend but just couldn t make your schedule cooperate? If so, never fear! Almost 40 (and that number is growing) Environmental Law Section Webinars are available on line, including titles such as "CEQA 101 -- Learn the Basics!", "Beyond 2020: How Will California Meet its 2050 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals?" and many others. See Environmental Law Section Courses in the Online Catalog to find a program of interest to you. As a benefit of Section membership, we are pleased to offer four hours of MCLE credit in the field of Legal Ethics. That's enough to fulfill the Ethics requirement. If you were purchasing these courses individually in our Online Catalog, they would cost $140 -- so that's your Section membership more than paid for, and then some! Just watch these programs, and keep a record of having done so in the event you're audited for MCLE compliance. You can access these programs and the accompanying written materials any time this year in the Members Only Area . The programs are:
Eighteen teams of two from law schools across the State competed in this year's Student Negotiation Competition at UCLA School of Law on March 21, . The students competed in two rounds of negotiations involving fictitious environmental law issues Judged by attorney volunteers on several factors related to their negotiation skills, the top four teams after two rounds advanced to a final round. Based on the total score of all three rounds, the Berkeley team was named the first place winner, and the UCLA team took second place. These teams won prizes of $1,000 and $500, respectively. The top ten performing teams were:
Were you aware of the feature on the State Bar's website that allows you to add a photo and otherwise expand your State Bar profile? Using a secure link within My State Bar Profile. attorneys may add information to their public record to include area(s) of practice, any additional language(s) spoken, their law firm s website address and a photo. To get started, log in to My State Bar Profile. and click on the Expanded Profile link.
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