Environmental & Energy Law Program |
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This issue highlights new program initiatives including a new LL.M track in Energy Law and Sustainability; previews upcoming program events, including our annual Shapiro Distinguished Lecture; and celebrates significant achievements and activities of our faculty and students, including a feature story about our program in the Summer 2025 issue of GW Law Magazine.
Randall Abate
Assistant Dean for Environmental Law Studies
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Environmental Law in Action: Milestones in Faculty, Policy, and Scholarship |
Building on 55 years of leadership, GW Law’s Environmental and Energy Law program has expanded its national and global reach through the recruitment of top-tier faculty, groundbreaking policy engagement, and exceptional student scholarship. This landmark year in the program’s evolution has been defined by the arrival of renowned experts, Professors Sara Bronin, Caroline Cecot, and David Uhlmann; influential policy contributions by Professors Emily Hammond and Robert Glicksman; and student achievements that are reshaping environmental law scholarship and discourse. This year’s milestones reflect the strength of a collaborative academic community dedicated to confronting today’s most pressing environmental challenges. To learn more, visit this article in the Summer 2025 issue of GW Law Magazine, which highlights the program’s continued growth, leadership, and impact.
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Inaugural LL.M. Scholarship in Ocean Equity Recipient |
GW Law is proud to offer the nation’s first LLM scholarship focused on ocean equity—a growing field at the intersection of environmental protection and social justice. Supported by Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus, this new initiative empowers students to explore the intersection of marine governance and human rights. We spoke with Malaika Moiz, the inaugural recipient of this scholarship, about her journey from Pakistan to GW Law, her passion for ocean equity, and her plans for her LL.M. program and beyond. To learn more, visit the GW Point Source.
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New LL.M. in Energy Law & Sustainability |
The Environmental and Energy Law Program has introduced a new LL.M. in Energy Law & Sustainability, a 24-credit specialized program designed to prepare lawyers for the evolving legal and policy challenges of the global energy transition. The program begins with foundational coursework in Energy Law & Regulation and the newly approved Ethics in the Energy Transition. Students then customize their studies through industry-specific courses, including Oil & Gas Law, Atomic Energy Law, and the forthcoming Renewable Energy Law and Policy course. Additional offerings will address emerging sectors, such as offshore wind and energy technologies. The program also features specialized electives in areas like project finance, environmental and natural resources law, regulatory practice, and energy justice. To complement the curriculum, students complete a flexible written work requirement, which can take the form of a thesis, policy proposal, or co-authored article—taking advantage of GW Law’s strategic location in Washington, D.C., and its access to federal agencies, international institutions, and the private energy sector. The program empowers students to become leaders in shaping sustainable energy policy and law in a rapidly changing global landscape.
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Strengthening Global Ties Through Environmental Law: Abate and Glicksman Deliver Lectures in Buenos Aires |
GW Law’s Environmental and Energy Law Program continues to build international bridges through scholarship and collaboration. From June 20–29, 2025, Dean Randall Abate and Professor Robert Glicksman traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to deliver a series of lectures on cutting-edge environmental and administrative law topics. The visit was part of GW Law’s longstanding faculty and student exchange partnership with Universidad del Salvador (USAL) and featured speaking engagements at multiple institutions, including the prestigious Annual International Forum on Environmental Law. Their visit reinforced GW Law’s commitment to global dialogue on environmental governance and expanded opportunities for future cooperation in Latin America. To learn more, visit the GW Point Source.
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Student & Alumni Spotlights |
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Juliette A. Jackson, LLM ’24, had her article, Stop Killing the Klamath: Rights of Nature Protections with Tribal Law, the National Historic Preservation Act, and Collaborative Management Strategies for a Tribe on the Front Lines of Climate Change, published at published at 24 Tribal Law Journal 80 (2025). The article argues that existing Western legal frameworks have failed to protect the Klamath Tribes’ sacred C’waam and Koptu fish from extinction, despite their listing under the Endangered Species Act and the Tribes’ senior water rights. As climate change, pollution, and the effects of colonial land-use practices continue to degrade their ecosystems, she proposes the use of rights of Nature protections through Tribal law and the National Historic Preservation Act. To learn more, visit the GW Point Source.
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Les Thomas, JD '26, had her article, Digging Her Grave: Gender-Responsive Climate Legislation and Litigation to Address Climate Change Impacts on Maternal Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa, accepted for publication in Volume 16:4 of the peer-reviewed Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy | Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria (forthcoming October 2025). The article addresses how climate change exacerbates serious and potentially fatal health outcomes of pregnant or recently pregnant women, particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa who face the highest rates of maternal mortality and morbidity and are most vulnerable to climate change events like extreme heat. It then reviews the existing international legal frameworks that recognize a "right to life"; "right to health"; and "right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment" to illuminate how efforts to address maternal mortality largely ignore the role climate change plays in intensifying adverse maternal health outcomes. The article concludes by offering compelling substantive and procedural recommendations for law reform to better address the intersection of climate change and maternal health.
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Chloe Wallace, JD '26, had her paper, The Biggest Catch: How the UNFCCC Loss and Damage Mechanism and IUU Data Sharing Can Support Pacific Islands and Their Tuna, accepted for publication in Volume 26:1 of Sustainable Development Law and Policy Brief (American University Washington College of Law) (forthcoming fall 2025). Chloe's paper describes the challenges of tuna management in Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS); the consequences of overfishing tuna; the vexing obstacle of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the region; and how climate change exacerbates these impacts. The paper recommends strategies for PSIDS to improve tuna sustainability and safeguard regional ecosystems, including using the UNFCCC’s Warsaw Mechanism to support climate adaptation and tuna conservation. It also calls for port state measures and vessel identification systems to combat illegal fishing and strengthen economic security.
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Byron Sequeira, LLM '25, presented his research paper, Can Artificial Intelligence Strengthen Environmental Accountability and Combat Greenwashing in the Private Sector within the EU’s Green Claims Directive?, at the CLIMA Interdisciplinary Seminar Series: Technology Special Edition, hosted by the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Law and the CLIMA–Centre for Climate Change Law and Governance on April 1, 2025, and at the Governance of Emerging Technology and Science Conference 2025, hosted by the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University on May 19–20, 2025. Byron’s research explores how AI tools may be leveraged to enhance corporate compliance with environmental claims, improve transparency, and reduce the risk of misleading green claims, particularly in light of the proposed EU Green Claims Directive and EU AI Act. For more information, visit the GW Point Source.
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Shray Tapiawala, JD '25, presented his research at the ELAWNET 2nd Annual Conference 2025, held at the University of Oslo Faculty of Law on June 12, 2025. The conference, co-led by Professor Catherine Banet (University of Oslo Faculty of Law, Norway) and Professor Joel B. Eisen (University of Richmond, USA), assembled legal scholars and practitioners focused on the future of energy law and policy. Shray’s presentation, Is PJM Adhering to FERC Order Nos. 2023 and 2023-A and Creating an Enabling Environment for Offshore Wind?, explored regulatory compliance and market readiness for offshore wind energy integration. This research was also published in OGEL’s Special Issue on Electricity Market Design. For more information, visit the GW Point Source.
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Tanya Agarwal, LLM '25, has been awarded a prestigious scholarship funded by the Stephen Young Institute for International Business to pursue a Ph.D. in Law at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, beginning in the 2025–2026 academic year. Her doctoral studies will be housed within the Strathclyde Centre for Doctoral Training (SCDT) on Partnerships for Sustainable Innovation, a hub for interdisciplinary research on pressing global sustainability challenges. As part of her Ph.D., Tanya’s research will explore legal frameworks and innovative solutions at the intersection of corporate responsibility, environmental governance, and sustainable development, an area of growing global importance. Tanya’s selection for this highly competitive award is a testament to her academic excellence and unwavering commitment to advancing environmental law scholarship.
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Elif Sena Yaman, LL.M. '25, has accepted an International Corporate Legal Traineeship with Butzel Long, beginning in September 2025. In this role, she will gain hands-on experience in the firm’s international and corporate legal practice, supporting projects across contract law, commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, private international law, and environmental transactions. Her responsibilities will include legal research and writing, client-focused advisory work, litigation training, and contributions to cross-border transactional matters. The traineeship also offers opportunities for direct client consultation under supervision and active participation in legal project implementation.
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TyShawn Key, Esq., LLM '25, has accepted a full-time position as a Regulatory Officer (Attorney) with the State of New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, serving within the Office of the General Counsel. In this role, he will assist in drafting and reviewing regulations, contracts, and agency decisions, while providing legal and policy guidance. He will also support public hearings, stakeholder engagement, and the coordination of formal proceedings and interagency initiatives, contributing to the development of renewable energy policy in New Jersey.
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Patrick Seroogy, JD '25, will begin a position as an EHS Regulatory Consultant at Enhesa this August. In this role, he will advise companies on compliance with environmental, health, and safety (EHS) regulations. Enhesa provides guidance to global businesses on regulatory compliance, corporate operations, and sustainability strategies related to EHS matters.
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The 2025 Grodsky Prize - Coleman Wheeler, JD ’25, has been awarded the 2025 Jamie Grodsky Prize for Environmental Law Scholarship, which recognizes the best student paper in environmental law written by a JD, LLM, or SJD candidate at GW Law. His winning paper, "Growing into a New Age Through Old Methods: How the Doctrine of Waste Can Facilitate the Transition to Regenerative Agriculture," argues that landowners can leverage the common law Waste Doctrine against their farmer-tenants to promote a transition to regenerative agricultural practices. The paper offers a creative legal approach to advancing sustainable land use and environmental stewardship. The Grodsky Prize honors the legacy of Professor Jamie Grodsky, whose pioneering research helped shape the field of environmental law. For more information about The Grodsky Prize winner for 2025, please visit this article in GW Today.
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The 2025 Miller Prize - The GW Environmental and Energy Law Program is delighted to announce that Sidney Lee, JD ‘25, received the 2025 Charles and Kathryn Miller Environmental Law Award. The award is presented to the member of the graduating class who has demonstrated excellence in the field of environmental law. The award is named in honor of former Associate Dean for Environmental Law Studies Lee Paddock’s grandparents, who lived on a centennial farm on Lake Michigan, which is the place where he first developed his interest in the environment. Sidney completed perhaps the widest range of course work in program history, taking classes in Environmental Law, Environmental Issues in Business Transactions, International Environmental Law, Environmental Justice, Energy Law and Regulation, Regulation of Toxic and Hazardous Substances, Environmental Negotiations, and Trade and Sustainable Development. Sidney successfully applied this strong foundation of substantive and procedural skills in three experiential contexts. First, she was one of four students in the Environmental Justice Division clinic in fall 2024 where she submitted comments to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on behalf of 20 organizations and individuals urging HUD to enhance protection of vulnerable children from lead poisoning. Second, she completed internships with Food and Water Watch and the Center for Biological Diversity. Third, she served as Editor-in-Chief of the GW Journal of Energy and Environmental Law. Beginning in September, Sidney will serve as a climate adaptation fellow with the Georgetown Climate Center at Georgetown Law.
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Book Talk with Prof. Roy Gardner, Stetson University College of Law
Waters of the United States: POTUS, SCOTUS, WOTUS, and the Politics of a National Resource
September 18, 2025
Tasher Great Room
4:00 – 5:00 PM book talk and signing
5:00 – 6:00 PM reception
Please join Prof. Gardner, Stetson University College of Law, for a discussion of his new book, Waters of the United States. The book explores the ongoing power struggle between the president and federal agencies, the courts, the states, and Congress, over water quality and wetlands protection. It offers insights into environmental law, history, and politics to help inform anyone who cares about the future of the nation’s water.
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The Fourth Annual J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Distinguished Lecture on Global Climate Change and Energy Law
September 23, 2025
GW’s Law Faculty Conference Center
12:00 - 2:30 pm
This year's lecture features Lyndon Winston Jay Huffington, a Colombian legal scholar and lawyer with more than a decade of experience in the public and private sectors of the mining and energy industry, specializing in regulatory frameworks, environmental sustainability, and the energy transition. His lecture explores the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), environmental law, climate justice, and energy policy with a particular focus on Latin America, offering an innovative perspective on how AI technologies are being deployed to monitor, prevent, and regulate illegal mining activities across fragile ecosystems and marginalized territories. His lecture on this timely and critical topic will be followed by a Q&A session.
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The Environmental & Energy Law faculty and staff have been working hard publishing articles and textbooks, participating in panels, and delivering presentations on various topics. A summary of select faculty publications and presentations appears below. The full list of scholarship can be found on our Faculty Publications Page.
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Dean Randall Abate delivered in-person lectures and panel presentations on climate migration governance, strategic climate litigation to protect future generations, climate change and the voiceless, and climate washing litigation at events hosted at Universidad del Salvador (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Universidad Externado de Colombia (Bogota, Colombia). He also delivered online lectures on human rights as a bridge from environmental law to Earth law and on the parallels and synergies between animal law and environmental law, for courses hosted by the Earth Law Center (U.S.) and the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law (India).
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Professor Robert Glicksman has made significant recent contributions to the fields of environmental and administrative law through his scholarship, public commentary, and international engagement. His forthcoming book, Administrative Law: Agency Action in Legal Context (Foundation Press, 4th ed., July 2025), offers a continued deep dive into the legal structures governing agency decision-making. In recent months, he has published timely analyses of key environmental legal developments, including a commentary on Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County and a co-authored article, “NEPA: The Accepted Lies and Mistakes About This Critical Environmental Law,” which challenges widespread misconceptions about the National Environmental Policy Act. Glicksman also delivered expert presentations on the Supreme Court’s decision in City & County of S.F. v. EPA and gave a series of lectures in Buenos Aires on administrative law, separation of powers, and environmental federalism. Additionally, he participated in a full-day conference in Washington, D.C., focused on developing next-generation approaches to the public trust doctrine. Through these diverse efforts, Glicksman continues to influence both scholarly discourse and public understanding of complex legal challenges at the intersection of governance and the environment.
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Professor Sara Bronin continues to lead national conversations on land use, zoning, and equitable development. A foremost scholar and practitioner, she co-authored the 2025 update of Rathkopf’s The Law of Zoning and Planning and has published widely this year on climate-resilient zoning, housing equity, and spatial justice—including major reports for the Regional Plan Association and Urban Institute. Through her leadership in the National Zoning Atlas project, Bronin is transforming access to zoning data across states like Massachusetts and Colorado. A sought-after speaker, she has delivered keynote addresses and faculty lectures from the American Law Institute to the American Bar Association, while engaging broad audiences through national media and podcasts.
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Professor Robin Juni shared her expertise in legal education and advocacy at two prominent international conferences this year. In July, she presented Building Narratives to Combat Climate Change at the Tenth Biennial Applied Legal Storytelling Conference at the University of Michigan Law School, where she explored how narrative techniques can be used to engage legal audiences and advance climate justice. In May, she participated in the Global Legal Skills Conference at Masaryk University Faculty of Law in Brno, Czechia, where she presented Using Images to Develop Cultural Awareness and Teach Lawyering Skills, highlighting the role of visual tools in building cross-cultural legal competencies. She also moderated the panel Preparing Students to Transition Between Civil Law and Common Law, facilitating a conversation on pedagogical approaches that help students navigate diverse legal systems.
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Professor LeRoy Paddock delivered a virtual presentation on extended producer responsibility at the annual Colloquium of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, held on July 4 in Lima, Peru. His paper examined legal and policy frameworks designed to hold producers accountable for the environmental impacts of their products throughout their entire life cycle, contributing meaningfully to the global dialogue on sustainable production and waste management.
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