Environmental Law Program, Haub Law School at Pace University - Annual Report 2024-25-25
Learn more about this list of events and register at law.pace.edu/enviro-events
The Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition New Directions in Environmental Law Conference, with Yale School of the Environment
American Tax Policy Institute Conference & Pace Environmental Law Review Symposium on Tax Law, Environment, and Climate Change
5th Annual Environmental Law and Policy Hack Competition Final Round, co-sponsored by The University of Miami School of Law
Haub Visiting Scholar, Professor Oscar Sumar, Academic Vice-Rector and Professor of Law at Cientifica University, Peru
Annual Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture on Environmental Law delivered by Haub Visiting Scholar, Professor Anthony Moffa, University of Maine School of Law
Pace Maryland Colloquium on Environmental Law with the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
11th Annual Earth Day Jam
Message from the Associate Dean & Associate Director of Environmental Law Programs
Jason J. Czarnezki Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law; Associate Dean, Environmental Law Programs & Strategic Initiatives
Achinthi C. Vithanage Professor of Law for Designated Service in Environmental Law; Associate Director, Environmental Law Programs
Since its founding in 1978, Pace | Haub Environmental Law has been at the forefront of preparing future leaders and advocates for the conservation and sustainable management of our nation’s most precious landscapes and resources. With a faculty of experts in domestic and international environmental law and policy, we continue to be recognized as a leader in this essential field. Our graduates go on to serve in roles at environmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, law firms, academic institutions, and conservation groups, both across the U.S. and globally.
Our program offers students unmatched opportunities to engage with leading professionals on issues such as water rights, wildlife protection, land use planning, forest and marine ecosystem management, public lands policy, environmental justice, and climate resilience and to do so through the lens of environmental, energy, and natural resources law. Through our on-campus Environmental Litigation Clinic, Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies, Pace Energy & Climate Center, Land Use Law Center, Pace Food Law Center, and, our latest addition, the Sustainable Business Law Hub, our students and faculty are advancing solutions to some of the most urgent challenges facing our natural world, from deforestation and biodiversity loss, to water scarcity and climate adaptation. By providing an internationally acclaimed environmental legal education, Pace | Haub Environmental Law trains future environmental leaders and advocates in the practice of environmental, energy, and natural resources law.
We are excited to welcome new students seeking specializations in Environmental Law through our JD, LLM, and SJD programs. These programs equip our students with the tools and knowledge needed to safeguard the future of our national parks, forests, rivers, coasts, and other critical natural resources, with due regard for intersecting issues around injustice, inequities, and human rights. This year, we welcomed two new LLM Fellows: Daniel Dorough as the Environmental Law Fellow and Yasmine Blakely as our Food Law Fellow. We are also thrilled to welcome back Professor Paul Rink as the 2024-2025 Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Law, who is teaching Torts and a Comparative Environmental Law seminar. We also celebrate the return of Pace Haub Environmental Law alum Michael Hamersky, who joined the Pace Land Use Law Center as its inaugural Climate Change and Land Use Policy Fellow
As we reflect on our program’s continued top ranking, we are acutely aware of the responsibilities that come with it. In a time of increasing environmental degradation – from catastrophic wildfires and water scarcity in the western U.S. to the accelerated melting of glaciers in our national parks – the need for skilled legal advocates dedicated to the preservation of our natural resources has never been more urgent. At Pace | Haub Environmental Law, the #1 ranked environmental law program in the U.S., we are committed to supporting the current generation of advocates while fostering a new generation of legal professionals who will champion sustainable policies, protect public lands, and ensure the longevity of our most treasured natural areas for generations to come.
* Spotlight on New Faces
Michael Hamersky, Climate Change and Land Use Policy Fellow, Land Use Law Center Education: BA, Boston University; JD, Fordham University School of Law; LLM, Pace Haub Law Experience: Michael focuses on matters related to climate change mitigation, renewable energy deployment, biodiversity loss, multi-jurisdictional ESG disclosures, and land use efficiencies in The Navajo Nation. Recently, Michael proposed revisions to New York’s Battery Energy Storage System and Wind Energy Model Laws to NYSERDA. He also works with Indian Country Grassroots Support (ICGS), an NGO that works on legal issues affecting the Navajo Nation. Research & Scholarship: From protecting ocean ecosystems to renewable energy incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act, Michael has published several research papers and presented at conferences on various topics. Recent Activity: Michael is also an adjunct professor at the Fordham University School of Law and was named a “Rising Star” in the Top Attorneys in Metro New York as published in the New York Times Magazine. At Pace | Haub Environmental Law: In addition to working with the Land Use Law Center, Michael supervises Pace | Haub Law students externing with ICGS through the NY Environmental Externship and Legal Services Externship courses.
† Spotlight on Graduate Research Fellows
Our fellows work part-time in one of our programs while earning an LLM or SJD in Environmental Law, with opportunities to work with our faculty and staff on innovative projects throughout the year. Past fellows have gone on to work at Riverkeeper, NRDC, AIG, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, the IUCN, and law firms. Applications for 2025-26 open in February 2025. Keep an eye on our website for more information.
This year, the Pace | Haub Environmental Law program welcomes:
Daniel Dorough, Environmental Law Fellow Education: JD/MA, University of Wyoming School of Law, Haub School of Environmental Natural Resources; LLM specializing in Climate Change and Energy, Pace Haub Law Experience: Associate Lawyer with McCallar Law Firm, specialized in providing counsel to clients navigating financial challenges and representing clients in appellate proceedings Research & Scholarship: Daniel is supporting the drafting of the Problem for the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition and the accompanying Bench Memo. He
researches and writes broadly on climate change and energy policy, including nuclear energy.
Yasmine Blakeley, Food and Agricultural Law Fellow Education: BS, Exercise Science, University of Alabama; JD, Stetson University College of Law; LLM Candidate specializing in Land Use and Sustainable Development, Pace | Haub Law Experience: Legal Intern, ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty; Senior Research Fellow, Florida Law Schools’ Consortium for Racial Justice Research & Scholarship: Her research primarily focuses on water insecurity in the U.S., as well as the intersection of social justice and environmental advocacy.
‡ Spotlight on Alumni
A selection of Pace | Haub Environmental Law alums who are well-established stars in the natural resources field:
Radina Valova (JD ’12; LLM ’13) Commissioner, New York State Department of Public Service
Basil Seggos (JD ‘01) Partner & Senior Policy Director, Foley Hoag LLP; Former Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
John Williams (LLM ’96) Executive Vice President for Policy and Regulatory Affairs, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Jessica Steinberg-Albin (JD ‘07) Senior Counsel, Environmental Law Division, New York City Department of Sanitation
Hon. Jawad Hassan (LLM ‘96) Judge, Lahore High Court, Pakistan
Janice Dean (JD ‘05) Deputy General Counsel, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Samuel Capasso (JD ‘10; LLM ‘11) Community Infrastructure Resilience Branch Chief, Federal Emergency Management Agency
Kristen DeWire (JD’07) Senior Counsel to the Environmental Appeals Board, US Environmental Protection Agency
Daniel Estrin (JD ‘93) General Counsel & Legal Director, Waterkeeper Alliance
Qi Wu (LLM ‘10) Director, Environmental Law & Governance Project, Natural Resources Defense Council - China
Pete Casper (JD ‘01) Assistant General Counsel (Relicensing), New York Power Authority
Manuel Ronquillo (JD’07) Chief, Water and Waste Enforcement Branch, Office of Regional Counsel, US Environmental Protection Agency
Marla Wieder (JD’93) Assistant Regional Counsel & Regional Criminal Environmental Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2
Paola Bettelli (JD’16) Regulatory Officer, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Marc Yaggi (JD ‘99) Chief Executive Officer, Waterkeeper Alliance
Pace Environmental Law Alumni Association (PELAA): The Pace Environmental Law Alumni Association (PELAA) offers exclusive access to a vibrant community for Pace Haub Environmental law graduates. Through PELAA, alumni can engage in a variety of social and professional events, fostering lifelong connections with fellow environmental law professionals. Members benefit from career assistance and guidance, helping them navigate and advance in the field of environmental law. This year, PELAA established a new board and created a Mentorship Program, designed to connect alumni with a wealth of experience in the environmental sector with current students eager to explore the field. The Mentorship Program matched 32 alumni with 33 students and hosted virtual workshops on resume building, interviewing skills, and networking tips.
News! Student Leadership
Pace Environmental Law Review (PELR):
Established in 1982, the Pace Environmental Law Review (PELR) was one of the first scholarly journals established in the then-new field of environmental law. Affiliated with the highest-ranked Environmental Law Program in the nation, PELR is committed to publishing the most influential and innovative scholarship in the field of environmental law. This past year, PELR held its 2024 Sustainable Business Law symposium featuring two virtual panels of experts, professors, and practitioners discussing various perspectives on the state of sustainable business law and how lawyers can ensure sustainable business practices are effective. Panelists presented from locations across the globe, including as far away as Singapore and Australia. These virtual panels were then followed by an interactive roundtable discussion between Pace | Haub Law students and in-person panelists. PELR also published three issues, including two from its 2022 Environmental Constitutionalism Symposium.
@PaceEnvtLRev
Pace Environmental Law Society (ELS): As the largest student club on campus, the Pace Environmental Law Society exposes students to the environmental offerings of the Pace community, raises awareness of environmental issues, and fosters involvement in local environmental initiatives. ELS had the privilege of hosting renowned speakers like Robert Bilott, who has fought against DuPont on behalf of plaintiffs affected by chemical waste in rural West Virginia, and Peter Lehner, the leader of Earthjustice’s Sustainable Food & Farming Program. Their powerful speeches enlightened ELS about the environmental challenges faced by communities and inspired members to consider the transformative potential of careers in environmental law. ELS has broadened its horizons with its newest addition, the Environmental Justice Division. This division is dedicated to incorporating the principles of environmental justice into the very fabric of our organization while fostering active participation in the local community.
@envirolawsociety
Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF): The Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) fosters the growth of animal law and the next generation of animal law attorneys. SALDF raises awareness of animal law issues and promotes participation in local and national activities. In 2023, six Executive Board members attended the Animal Law Conference in Los Angeles, California. During Pace University’s Social Justice Week, SALDF hosted an event in support of “Speak Out for Farmed Animals Month”. Additionally, SALDF organized an “Animal Law Career Panel” featuring speakers from Richman Law & Policy, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Humane Society of the United States, and state representatives from Florida and Colorado.
@saldf pacelaw
Clinics / Centers / Experiential Learning
The Pace Food Law Center supports legal services and advocacy, faculty scholarship, and student learning in the field of food law.
Highlights: Over the course of the year, the Food and Farm Business Law Clinic provided pro bono legal representation to 43 clients and provided brief advice consultations to 26 others. / The Clinic’s clients include small farm businesses, artisan food manufacturers, craft beverage entrepreneurs, and related nonprofit organizations. Most frequently, the Clinic assisted clients in forming business entities and nonprofits, negotiating leases for long-term access to land, and advising on matters of land use, conservation, and farm succession.
Other major fields of work this year included advising on employment issues, drafting food manufacturing agreements, and filing trademarks. / The Clinic hosted eighteen student interns over the course of the year. / The Clinic collaborated with six regional agricultural education nonprofits to present legal training workshops for farmers.
@pacefoodlaw
Jonathan Brown Director, Food and Farm Business Law Clinic; Professor of Law | BA, UPenn; JD, NYU. Specializes in food and agricultural law and business law.
Jack Hornickel Staff Attorney, Food and Farm Business Law Clinic; Adjunct Professor of Law JD & MA Environmental Law and Policy, Vermont. Represents small farm and food businesses. Expertise in farm succession, conservation, land access, direct-market business practices and agricultural real estate.
The Land Use Law Center fosters the development of sustainable communities by promoting innovative land use strategies and dispute resolution techniques.
Thomas G. Bourgeois Director for Policy Research Land Use Law Center MA Regional Planning, North Carolina Chapel Hill. Specializes in energy market conditions, microgrids, CHP, distributed generation, demand response, and renewable energy.
Tiffany Zezula
Projects & News: The LULC held the 22nd Annual Alfred B. DelBello Land Use and Sustainable Development Conference. This year’s conference theme was “Balancing Economic Realities with Environmental and Social Concerns.” / The LULC also hosted the 2024 Affordable Housing Summit and the ABA’s State and Local Government Section’s Spring Conference. The event featured sessions on, among other topics, financing affordable multifamily housing, successful publicprivate partnerships, and exploring the potential of community land trusts. Notable speakers included Stephen Adnopoz, Jessica Grimm, Ken Regan, Vivian C. McKenzie, Sara C. Bronin, Tony Pickett, and Matthew Dunbar. / Following the IPCC’s recognition of the role of land use law in implementing Climate Resilient Development (CRD), student
Jessica A. Bacher Executive Director, Land Use Law Center; Adjunct Professor of Law | BS, Florida; JD, Pace | Haub. Specializes in Land Use Law, Advanced Land Use Law, and Sustainable Development Law.
Deputy Director, Land Use Law Center; Adjunct Professor of Law | BS, Tulane; JD, Pace | Haub. Land Use Law Center’s trainer of local officials, environmentalists, and planners. Coordinates the national Land Use Leadership Alliance Training Program.
volunteers at the LULC created a framework for CRD based on its analysis of dozens of exemplary settlement-shaping local land use laws and policies. These student volunteers subsequently launched a special GreenLawBlog series of concise online articles documenting legal strategies that, when aggregated, demonstrate a plan of action for municipal governments in the US to consider. Students continue to publish their work on the CDR project on GreenLaw / Stay up to date with the Center’s work through the LULC’s social media platforms: LinkedIn, Instagram, X [formerly Twitter]
@LandUseLC
Students represent public interest groups as part of our award-winning, pioneering Environmental Litigation Clinic
Notable Cases: SLAPP Suit — The Clinic recently took on a case defending Adirondack Wild against a defamation case brought by the developer seeking to expand a marina. The nonprofit organization’s client published a factual advertisement pointing out some of the environmental concerns with the marina application, and, in response, the developer sued for alleged defamation. As this fits squarely within the definition of a strategic litigation against public participation (a “SLAPP” suit), the Clinic moved to dismiss on those grounds, and that motion is pending. / Right to Know about Sewage Pollution — The Clinic also won a critical victory against the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. For years, DEP has failed to disclose details of combined sewer overflows from the city sewer system. After winning an appeal from a prior dismissal, the Clinic successfully argued that the failure to disclose violated the Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act and subsequently won a judgment from the New York Supreme Court.
Karl S. Coplan Director, Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic and Professor of Law Emeritus | BA, Middlebury; JD, Columbia. Expert on constitutional and environmental law. Litigated many successful public interest environmental lawsuits.
@PaceEnvClinic
A member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies (GCELS) engages in innovative projects addressing global environmental challenges.
Jennie Nolon Blanchard Senior Staff Attorney, Land Use Law Center; Adjunct Professor of Law BS, Cornell; JD, Pace | Haub; MEM, Yale. Focuses on the growth of urban centers and addressing obstacles to redevelopment and sustainability.
Todd Ommen Managing Attorney, Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic; Professor of Law BA, Tulane; JD, Villanova. Joined Pace in 2016 after serving as Assistant Attorney General for New York State.
News: This year, GCELS continued to make significant strides in environmental law and policy on both the international and local stages. One of the key highlights was a collaborative trip to O.P. Jindal Global University in India. In October, President Marvin Krislov led a Pace University delegation on a ten-day trip across Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad to deepen connections with Indian alumni and strengthen educational collaborations. As part of this trip, the Pace Law delegation participated in the JGU-Pace University Joint Conference on the Rule of Law and Environmental Justice. Professor Katrina Kuh presented on climate litigation during the conference and was subsequently invited to expand her talk into an article for the Jindal Global Law Review’s special issue, where her contribution, “North South Climate Justice and
Smita Narula Haub Distinguished Professor of International Law; Co-Director, Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies | BA, Brown; MA, Brown; JD, Harvard. Specializes in international human rights, right to food, environmental justice.
Katrina Fischer Kuh Haub
Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law; Co-Director, Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies | BA & JD, Yale. Specializes in climate change, sustainability, and environmental rights.
Private Climate Accountability,” will be featured. Haub Scholar Hannah Dauray also joined a panel to discuss her research on various topics, including local land use, the politicization of the judiciary, and litigation strategies to compel the U.S. government to make meaningful emissions reductions policy. / In December 2023, GCELS submitted a significant amicus brief to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) addressing climate displacement issues, in response to an advisory opinion request from Colombia and Chile. Signed by Professors Bustos, Kuh and others, this collaborative effort highlighted the legal implications of climate displacement. Building on this, Professor Bustos provided crucial testimony on the rights of persons displaced by climate change at an IACtHR hearing in Barbados in April 2024.
@GlobalCELS
Camila Bustos
Assistant Professor of Law; Co-Faculty Advisor to the New Directions in Environmental Law Conference BA, Brown; JD, Yale. Specializes in climate displacement, human rights, climate law, climate ethics, and environmental justice.
Richard L. Ottinger Dean Emeritus; CoDirector, Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies; Founder & Faculty Supervisor, Pace Energy & Climate Center | BA, Cornell; LLB, Harvard. Previously a US Congressman (chaired Energy Conservation & Power Subcommittee) and a Peace Corps founder. Chairs the Energy and Climate Group, IUCN Commission on Environmental Law.
Nicholas A. Robinson
University Professor for the Environment; Founder, Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies; Gilbert & Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law Emeritus | BA, Brown; JD, Columbia. Developed the field of environmental law since 1969. Served as legal advisor, White House Council on Environmental Quality; general counsel, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation; and legal advisor and chairman, Commission on Environmental Law, IUCN.
Housed jointly at Pace | Haub Environmental Law and the Getulio Vargas Foundation School of Law in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazil American Institute for Law and Environment (BAILE) advances environmental protection and sustainable development in the US and Brazil.
News: BAILE hosts the Brazil Comparative Environmental Law, a course which takes Haub Law students to Brazil under Prof. David Cassuto’s supervision. This course allows Haub Law students to study and compare U.S. and Brazilian environmental law through an immersive experience in Brazil. Students explore the unique ecosystems of Brazil and attend legal meetings in Rio de Janeiro and beyond, engaging firsthand with the environmental challenges they have studied in the classroom. / BAILE partnered with Beyond, an NGO in Rio, to enable BAILE to work more effectively in Brazil by offering capacity-building classes on climate change law and other urgent environmental issues both remotely and in person. Prof. Cassuto continues to serve as Beyond’s Director of International Relations. / BAILE is collaboratingwith Pace | Haub Environmental Law alumni based in Brazil to prepare for COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
@PaceBAILE
David N. Cassuto Professor of Law; Director, BrazilAmerican Institute for Law & Environment | BA, Wesleyan; MA, Indiana; PhD, Indiana; JD, Berkeley. Specializes in animal, water, and comparative law.
The Pace Energy and Climate Center (PECC) is dedicated to protecting the earth’s environment by transforming the ways society supplies and consumes energy. The Center continues to focus on advancing New York State’s decarbonization goals, as well as working nationally and internationally to promote clean energy.
Projects & News: The Center continues to focus on advancing New York State’s decarbonization goals, as well as working nationally and internationally on promoting clean energy. / The Center has been appointed to the NYS Agricultural Technical Working Group, which develops guidance for agrivoltaics.
@Paceenergy
Emma Lagle Staff Attorney, Regional Affairs Manager and Legal Policy Advisor, Pace Energy & Climate Center
BA, SUNY New Paltz; JD & LLM, Pace Haub; MEM, Yale. Promotes clean energy among the Center’s advocacy networks.
Craig Hart Director, Pace Energy and Climate Center; Adjunct Professor of Law
BA, UC Berkeley; JD, UC Berkeley; MS, NYU; PhD, MIT. Specializes in energy infrastructure finance and implementing decarbonization technologies.
The Sustainable Business Law Hub is an incubator, studenttraining program, research center, and think tank tackling global sustainability challenges through policy and research projects, relationships and ESG consulting with the business community, and capacity building in private environmental governance and sustainability strategies.
News: The Sustainable Business Law Hub (Hub) hosted the Pace Environmental Law Review Symposium on Sustainable Business Law and co-sponsored the Profit & Purpose Conference with the Westchester County Association on Sustainable Business at Haub Law. / The Advisory Board of the Hub welcomed three Pace | Haub Law alums as new members: Hana Heineken (JD ‘10, Attorney, ClientEarth), Brendan Reilly (JD’04, Senior Legal Director, ESG Disclosures, PepsiCo) and Jesse Glickstein (JD ‘13, Corporate Counsel, Amazon). / The Hub provided two Haub Law students the opportunity to be ESG interns with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in Summer 2023 and Spring 2024. / A third cohort of four Pace | Haub Law students were selected to the Sustainable Business Law Hub Scholars “Hub Scholars” program, a curricular, scholarship, and mentorship program for students pursuing careers in sustainable business law.
Joshua Galperin Assistant Professor of Law, Advisory Board Member, Sustainable Business Law Hub; Co-Faculty Advisor to the New Directions in Environmental Law Conference
BA, University of Delaware; MEM, Yale; JD, Vermont. Specializes in environmental law, administrative law, food and agriculture law, and private environmental governance.
E. Melanie DuPuis Professor of Environmental Studies & Science | BA, Radcliffe; PhD, Cornell. Specializes in food systems and agriculture.
Barbara L. Atwell Associate Professor of Law | BA, Smith; JD, Columbia. Specializes in Bioethics and Medical Malpractice, Health Law, and Public Health Law.
David N. Dorfman Professor of Law | IBA, CUNY Queens; MA, Chicago; JD, Chicago-Kent. Specializes in criminal law and public interest law. Defender of fossil fuel pipeline protesters.
Deborah Heller Director, Pace Law Library; Adjunct Professor of Law BS, Pace; MA, John Jay College; JD, Pace | Haub; MLS, St. John’s. Specializes in environmental legal research.
The Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, hosted by Pace | Haub Environmental Law and run by its students, draws as many as 350 law students and attorney judges to this premier environmental moot court each year, making it the largest interschool moot court competition in the world.
2024 Highlights: The 36th Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC) returned in person for the first time in four years, bringing together hundreds of law students and attorney judges to the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University’s Westchester campus. / Haub Law student Patricia McKee served as Chair. She was supported by a Haub Law student team of 30 and an additional 53 Bailiff volunteers, while Assistant Director of Pace | Haub Environmental Law Lorraine Rubich, oversaw the competition’s successful delivery. / The final round was presided over by four distinguished judges: Hon. Aaron Avila, U.S. EPA, Environmental Appeals Board; Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, Partner, Baker Botts LLP; Hon. Catharina Haynes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; and Hon. Malachy E. Mannion, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. / Amid tough competition from 54 schools nationwide, the University of Minnesota Law School emerged as the 2024 NELMCC Champions.
@PaceLawNELMCC
Jeffrey G. Miller
Professor of Law Emeritus BA, Princeton; LLB, Harvard. Joined the faculty in 1987 after heading the US EPA’s national enforcement program and beginning the agency’s hazardous waste enforcement program.
The United Nations Environmental Diplomacy Practicum – a program unique to Pace | Haub Environmental Law – places students in internships with Permanent Missions to the United Nations.
Highlights: The Practicum placed student interns at the UN Missions of Costa Rica and Tajikistan as well as with the Permanent Observer Mission of IUCN. / The UN experience offered opportunities to engage in various negotiations and consultations at the UN General Assembly, ECOSOC, and other UN conferences like the UN Summit of the Future. / Student interns also worked on matters implementing the UNGA Resolution recognizing the universal human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and the new legal instrument for Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) in the High Seas. These students also engaged with various other resolutions discussed in the Second, Third and Sixth Committees, as well as sustainable development forums.
Ann Powers
Professor of Law
Emerita | BA, Indiana University; JD, Georgetown. Specializes in ocean and coastal law and international environmental law.
The Washington, DC and New York Environmental Externship Programs give students the chance to gain crucial skills and knowledge while studying with experienced, dedicated practicing professors.
Past Placements / Washington: U.S. Department of Justice (Land Acquisitions Unit; Environment and Natural Resources Division); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Office of Enforcement Compliance and Assurance, Environmental Appeals Board, Office of Civil Enforcement); U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Department of Energy; Federal Emergency Management Agency; D.C. Department of Energy & Environment; Animal Welfare Institute; Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Sierra Club; Center for Biological Diversity; and the International Bar Association. New York: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region 2); NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission;
NYC Department of Environmental Protection; New York Environmental Law & Justice Project; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Region 2); Super Law Group; Waterkeeper Alliance; Earthjustice; NRDC; and Indian Country Grassroots Support.
In 2020, the Pace | Haub Environmental Law Program launched the Environmental Law & Policy Hack Competition, an annual inter-law school problem-solving competition designed to orient students toward developing practicable environmental policy solutions.
Highlights: In its fourth year, the 2023 Environmental Law & Policy Hack Competition challenged teams to propose innovative solutions for reducing household waste, a key issue for modern environmental law and climate change mitigation. The competition’s focus on reducing and safely managing household waste underscored the importance of circular economy approaches and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through smarter product design and sustainable use of resources. / The winning team from Baltimore Law proposed a comprehensive plan to reduce household food waste through a community-based app that connects surplus food with local food banks and composting facilities. The second-place team from the University of Miami School of Law focused on creating a municipal incentive program to promote household recycling and composting, with the goal of significantly reducing landfill use. The winning team received $2,000 to bring their innovative proposal to fruition. / Teams competed virtually before a panel of judges: John Dernbach, Emeritus Professor of Law and Founding Director of the Environmental Law and Sustainability Center at Widener University Commonwealth Law School; Jeff Casaletto, Haub Law alum and Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Interstate Waste Services, Inc.; and Inga Caldwell, an Associate at Cole Schotz P.C.
Kapila Juthani Assistant Dean, Careers / Professional Development | BA American Studies, Yale; JD, NYU Law. Specializes in public and private sector career and professional development.
Future Environmental Law Professors Workshop: Every fall, the Future Environmental Law Professors Workshop brings together visiting assistant professors, fellows, researchers, law clerks, and practitioners together to learn about the environmental law teaching market. The Workshop covers a wide array of subtopics within the field, from animal law to energy law, along with the history and development of environmental law and is designed to give advice, insider perspectives, and feedback on the hiring process, along with opportunities for mock interviews and job talk presentations. Many participants have successfully secured tenure track positions nationwide.
This year’s Workshop showcased a panel of professors providing insight on the timely topic of “Navigating the Environmental Law Professor Job Market Post Pandemic.”
Michelle Land Clinical Associate Professor, Dyson College of Arts & Sciences | BS, Guelph; JD, Pace Haub. Specializes in environmental law and policy, wildlife biology, interdisciplinary education, and campus sustainability. Leads the Environmental Consortium of Colleges & Universities.
Jill Gross Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Law Operations; Professor of Law | AB, Cornell; JD, Harvard. Specializes in dispute resolution and green arbitration, ethics, and securities law.
§ 411. Recap of 2023–2024 Events
(a) Sam Kalen, Associate Dean, William T. Schwartz Distinguished Professor of Law, and Co-Director of Center for Law and Energy Resources in the Rockies at the University of Wyoming College of Law, delivered the Gilbert & Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law in Fall 2023 on “The Supreme Court’s Approach Toward the Administrative State and Implications for Environmental Programs” (b) A screenshot of the final round of the Environmental Law & Policy Hack Competition featuring judges: John Dernbach of Widener Law Commonwealth; Pace | Haub Law alum Jeff Casaletto of Interstate Waste Services, Inc., and Associate at Cole Schotz P.C., Inga Caldwell. Each year, the competition problem is authored by Prof. Katrina Fischer Kuh. (c) Celebrating SJD Graduate Dr. Umair Saleem’s wedding in New York! Pace | Haub Environmental Law Professors Nicholas Robinson, Katrina Fischer Kuh, and Smita Narula join the festive celebrations. (d) Pace | Haub Environmental Law’s Associate Dean Jason Czarnezki and Professors Joshua Galperin, Margot Pollans, Katrina Fischer Kuh, and Paul Rink at the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law’s Natural Resources Law Teachers Institute in the Rockies! (e) Pace | Haub Law’s Dean Horace Anderson and Professors Smita Narula, Katrina Fischer Kuh, Margot Pollans, Sasha Greenawalt, and Rama Rao participating in a Business and Corporate Conclave on Corporate Governance and ESG that was jointly organized by OP Jindal Global University’s Jindal Global Law School and Pace | Haub Law. (f) Associate Director of Pace | Haub Environmental Law, Prof. Achinthi Vithanage, moderating a panel on “Eco-Governance Odyssey: Navigating ESG Waters, Conservation Leases, Sustainable Subsidy Frontiers and Corporate Law and Environmental Degradation” at the Pace Environmental Law Review’s Spring 2024 Symposium on Sustainable Business Law (g) Field Trip Friday at the Jay Heritage Center: Pace | Haub Environmental Law students learned about architectural & agricultural preservation with guides Suzanne Clary, President of the JHC Board of Trustees, and Shelby Green, JHC Board Member & Pace | Haub Law Professor of Historic Preservation. (h) The Climate Constitutionalism Conference included a Public Town Hall featuring Karenna Gore, climate activist and Founder & Executive Director of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in conversation with Pace | Haub Environmental Law Professor Katrina Fischer Kuh and former Visiting Professor & Haub Visiting Scholar Professor James May. (i) On April 16, 2024, CUNY Law Professor Rebecca Bratspies, the 2024 Visiting Professor of Environmental Law and Haub Visiting Scholar, delivered the Annual Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture on Environmental Law on “Mapping Injustice: Race, Place, and Environment in New York City.” (j) Four Pace | Haub Environmental Law students traveled to Maryland Law in Baltimore to present at the Pace-Maryland Colloquium in Fall 2023. In Spring 2024, Pace | Haub Environmental Law welcomed three Maryland Law students to the Hudson Valley campus for the Spring edition of the Colloquium. (k) A coalition of students from Pace | Haub Environmental Law, Yale Law, Yale School of the Environment, NYU Law, CUNY Law, and Law Students for Climate Accountability, with the support of Pace | Haub Environmental Law Professors Camila Bustos & Joshua Galperin, co-hosted the 12th New Directions in Environmental Law Conference (NDEL), which explored the theme of “Climate Accountability from Big Law to Big Green.” (l) Pace | Haub Law students in the Summer 2024 DC Externship Program prepare for their externship with an intensive three-day Environmental Law Bootcamp organized by Professor Achinthi Vithanage. (m) 36th Annual Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition featuring the Final Round Judges and the winning team from Minnesota Law School. (n) The Recess Appointments, Pace | Haub Law’s student-faculty band performs at the Earth Day Jam!
Paul T. Rink Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Law BS, Michigan; JD, Yale; MEM; Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Specializes in climate law and international environmental law.
Alexander K. A. Greenawalt Professor of Law; Stevens Family Faculty Scholar AB, Princeton; MA, Yale; JD, Columbia. Teaches international and administrative law. Researches international humanitarian law.
Shelby D. Green Associate Professor of Law; CoCouncel, Land Use Law Center | BS, Towson; JD, Georgetown. Specializes in real estate, historic preservation, and property law.
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John R. Nolon Professor of Law Emeritus; Founder, Land Use Law Center BA, Nebraska; JD, University of Michigan. Expert on land use, property, and sustainable development law.
¶ Distinction Awards & Achievements
#1 Environmental Law Program: Pace | Haub Environmental Law is once again ranked number one in the country for Environmental Law by the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings. This is our fourth year in a row, and the fifth time in six years, that Pace | Haub Law has received the number one ranking in Environmental Law. The continued Number 1 ranking is a testament to the program’s unmatched focus on scholarship, innovation, and advocacy for the environment.
Pace Recognition for Associate Dean Jason Czarnezki: Professor Jason Czarnezki, the Associate Dean of Pace | Haub Environmental Law & Strategic Initiatives, was honored with the President’s Award for Outstanding Contribution by Pace University’s President Marvin Krislov. Professor Czarnezki’s influence extends far beyond the confines of academia, presenting groundbreaking work on natural resources law, environmentalism, food policy, sustainable public procurement, private environmental governance, and global climate policy at esteemed institutions across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Pace | Haub Law Adjunct Faculty, Alumnus, & Students
Recognized at the Founder’s Award Reception: At the Founder’s Award Reception of the 22nd annual Alfred B. DelBello Land Use and Sustainable Development Conference, Adjunct Professor at Pace | Haub Law, Michael D. Zarin, CoFounder and Partner, Zarin & Steinmetz, LLP, was honored with the Founder’s Award in recognition of his extensive career as a land use attorney. The award highlighted his ability to balance diverse land use interests, including growth, conservation, and access to housing. Michael J. Goonan, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP and a Haub Law alumnus, received the Distinguished Young Attorney Award for his rising status inland use and real estate law and for his ongoing collaboration with the Land Use Law Center. Additionally, Pace | Haub Environmental Law Fellow Gabriella Mickel (JD ’24; LLM ’24) received the Professor John R. Nolon Student Achievement Award for her dedication and commitment to excellence in fulfilling the mission of the Land Use Law Center throughout her law school career.
The Environmental Law Leaders who made the 2024 Lawdragon 500 List: Professor Achinthi Vithanage, Associate Director of Environmental Law Programs, was named to the 2024 Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law. Since being initially featured on the inaugural Law Dragon 500 Leading Environmental & Energy Lawyers list in 2021, Professor Vithanage has been recognized on the list for three consecutive years. Pace | Haub Law alumni Anne Carpenter ’09, Samuel Brown ‘07 along with former Haub Visiting Scholar and Visiting Professor at Haub Law, Professor James May ’91, also earned spots on the list. Additional Haub Law affiliates recognized include : Former Director of Haub Law’s Environmental Law Program, Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, 2021 Haub Law Environmental Law Distinguished Junior Scholar and 2022 Lloyd. K Garrison Lecturer on Environmental Law, Sharmila Murthy, and 2022 Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecturer on Environmental Law, Roger Martella.
The James D. Hopkins Professor of Law for 2023–2025: Professor Margot Pollans has been appointed as James D. Hopkins Professor of Law for 2023-2025, in acknowledgment of her exceptional contributions to scholarship, teaching, and directing of the Pace Food Law Center. The title of James D. Hopkins Professor of Law is awarded to a member of the faculty for a twoyear term in recognition of outstanding scholarship and teaching. The designation is considered to be among most significant faculty honors at Pace | Haub Law.
Margot Pollans Professor of Law; Faculty Director, Pace Food Law Center; Shamik and Adrienne Trivedi Faculty Scholar BA, Columbia; JD, NYU; LLM, Georgetown. Focuses on environmental, food, and administrative law.
Recognition by the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources: At the Fall Conference of the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources in Washington D.C., Associate Director of Pace | Haub Environmental Law, Professor Achinthi Vithanage was honored with the 2022-2023 Chair’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Section, recognizing her efforts in establishing and co-chairing the Environmental Law Societies Network.
The Haub Environmental Law Distinguished Junior Scholar Award: Professor Lisa Benjamin of Lewis & Clark Law School received the 202223 Distinguished Junior Scholar Award. The Haub Environmental Law Distinguished Junior Scholar Award is presented annually to an emerging junior environmental law professor who exhibits scholarly excellence and promise at an early stage in his/her career. During a Faculty Workshop at Pace | Haub Law in Fall 2023, Professor Benjamin presented her upcoming paper, “EVs as EJ?”
Elisabeth Haub Awards for Environmental Law and Diplomacy: On October 23, 2023, Pace | Haub Law virtually conferred the 2022-2023 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy on Ambassador Marja Lehto of Finland and former Ambassador Marie Jacobsson of Sweden for their pivotal roles advancing environmental law and policy to protect the environment in times of armed conflicts. While Members of the UN International Law Commission (ILC), both served successively as Special Rapporteur on the topic of the “Protection of the Environment in Relation to Armed Conflict.” In this role, they worked tirelessly for a decade to develop the Draft Principles of International Law to Protect the Environment in Times of Armed Conflicts (PDF) and then skillfully led the adoption of the draft principles by the ILC and their acceptance by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022. A recording of the ceremony, which included a panel discussion with the laureates and Dr. Nilufer Oral, CoChair of the ILC, can found on YouTube @HaubLawatPace.
The international jury tasked with selecting the 2024-2025 Laureate for the Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy chose to jointly award Singapore’s Ambassador for Oceans and Law of the Sea Issues and Special Envoy of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rena Lee, and Senior High Seas Adviser to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Kristina Maria Gjerde, for their unwavering commitment to ocean conservation and their instrumental roles in the 2023 UN Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
The Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy was established in 1997 to honor the legacy of Elisabeth Haub (1899-1977), a noted philanthropist and advocate for strong laws for the conservation of nature. The Award was established to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the United Nations Stockholm Conference and the 5th anniversary of the United Nations Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. Through this award, Pace | Haub Environmental Law has recognized the diplomats, policymakers, lawyers and activists who have sought to protect our environment through the rule of law, the cooperation of world governments and advocacy efforts across the globe.
Jason J. Czarnezki
Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law; Associate Dean, Environmental Law Programs & Strategic Initiatives
Curriculum:
Administrative Law
Advanced International Environmental Law
Advanced Land Use and Sustainable Development Law
Advanced Research Skills for Environmental Law
Agriculture Law and the Environment
Animal Law
Bioethics and Medical Malpractice
Climate Adaptation and the Law
Climate Change Law
Climate Migration Law
Comparative Environmental Law
Comparative Environmental Law –Brazil Field Course
Conservation Law
Current Challenges in Environment Law
Disaster Law and Emergency Preparedness
Energy Law
Environmental Litigation and Toxic Torts
Environmental Law in Commercial Transactions
Achinthi C. Vithanage Professor of Law for Designated Service in Environmental Law; Associate Director, Environmental Law Programs; Advisory Board Member, Sustainable Business Law Hub | LLB/BInst, UNSW, Sydney Australia; LLM, Pace | Haub Law. Former Visiting Associate Professor at GW Law. Specializes in international environmental law, energy justice, sustainable development, High Seas biodiversity law.
Environmental Dispute Resolution
Environmental Justice
Environmental Litigation Clinic
Environmental Skills and Practice: Clean Water Act
Environmental Law Survey
Externship – D.C. Environmental Law
Externship – NYS Environmental Law
Externship – Corporate (ESG)
Externship – Social Justice (EJ)
Externship – Legal Services (Environmental)
Externship – Guided (Environmental)
Food and Farm Business Law Clinic
Food and Farm Law Seminar
Food Systems Law
Guided Research
Hazardous Waste
Human Rights and the Environment
International Environmental Law
Land Use Law
Legislative and Regulatory Process
Natural Resources Law
Ocean and Coastal Law
Pace Environmental Law Review Editorship
Public Health Law
Renewable Energy Law
Science for Environmental Lawyers
Sustainable Business and the Environment
Sustainable Development Law Survey
United Nations Environmental Diplomacy Practicum
Water Rights Law
Degree Programs:
JD with Certificate in Environmental Law
JD with Concentration in Land Use & Real Estate Law
LLM in Environmental Law
LLM, Energy & Climate Change Specialization
BA, Chicago; JD, Chicago. Specializes in natural resources, environmental regulation, eco-labeling, sustainable business, and green public procurement. N.B. New additions
Health and the Environment
Historic Preservation
LLM, Land Use & Sustainable Development Specialization
LLM, Global Environmental Law Specialization
SJD in Environmental Law
Joint Degree Programs:
JD/Master of Environmental Management with Yale School of the Environment
JD/MS in Environmental Policy with Bard Center for Environmental Policy
