Environmental Law Project

ELI, ABA SEER & NAELS are announcing their 7th annual “Endangered Environmental Laws” student writing competition.  There’s a $2,000 cash prize and an offer of publication in the Environmental Law Reporter for the winner.  It’s a great student opportunity.  The announcement is linked below.
  
http://www.eli.org/writing_contest.cfm

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) unveiled in May what it calls "the most dramatic overhaul to fuel economy labels since they were introduced 35 years ago."  Last fall, ELP's Notice and Comment team submitted a comment on this rule in response to EPA and NHTSA's original Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.  The goal of the comment was to analyze the aesthetics and ease of consumer use of fuel economy labels, as well as clarity of presentation of environmental impacts and benefits, fuel economy, fuel costs and savings, and likelihood of withstanding judicial review.

Along with the final rule and its statement of basis and purpose, EPA and NHTSA prepared a response to the thousands of comments received by auto manufacturers and dealers, state and local governments, consumer organizations, non-governmental organizations, and environmental groups such as ELP.  This lengthy document specifically highlights and addresses many of the original and unique suggestions raised in the ELP comment.  Check it out here.

As in previous years, the Environmental Law Project is planning to send two teams to moot court competitions during the 2011-2012 school year.  We will send a team to both the national competition at Pace University and the international competition at Stetson University.  More information on each competition is below.   

National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition
http://www.pace.edu/school-of-law/NELMCC

This competition is the premier, environmental moot court competition in the country. It is focused on domestic environmental law and past topics have included a citizen suit to curtail emissions from a coal-fired power plant and the definition of point source pollution under the Clean Water Act. Unlike other moot court competitions, each argument will feature three adverse teams, simulating a real environmental dispute involving many stakeholders. Judges evaluating the oral arguments include attorneys with environmental law expertise, local attorneys, members of the Pace environmental law faculty and judges from the Nation’s courts.  Final round judges will be members of the federal bench and the US EPA Environmental Appeals Board. The record will be released in early October and briefs are due by November 29, 2011. Oral arguments will take place February 23rd through 25th, 2012.

16th Annual International Environmental Moot Court Competition
http://www.law.stetson.edu/international/iemcc/index.php

The 16th Annual International Environmental Moot Court Competition is sponsored by Stetson University College of Law.  This competition is very different from that at Pace. It is truly an international program, with semi final rounds in North America, Africa, Australia, Latin America, India and Southeast Asia.  The topic for this year is nuclear energy.  The competition includes a preliminary round, which will be held at an east-coast law school (to be determined) over a weekend in January or February, 2012.  From this competition, the top teams on each side will advance to the International Finals at Stetson in Florida March 30th through April 1st, 2012.

If you are interested in participating, or have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to contact ELP.PennLaw@gmail.com.

Congratulations to our new ELP board for 2011-2012! 

The Environmental Law Project is now accepting applications for its 2011-2012 board! We are seeking an extremely collaborative, innovative and dedicated board. Please note that you do not need to be an active member or an expert in environmental law to be considered for a board position—only a demonstrated interest and future commitment to ELP are required. Please contact ELP.PennLaw@gmail.com for more information or for an application. The deadline for submissions is 5:00pm on March 27th.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is now accepting applications from 1L students for our Summer Legal Internship program and we encourage all students with an interest in environmental law to apply!  Please forward the attached flyer to any students who may be interested.  Each NRDC office with internship availabilities is accepting applications via our online system at www.nrdc.org/jobs.  Students should include a cover letter indicating each NRDC office to which they are applying, a current resume, writing sample, transcript, and a list of three references.

Pro-bono forms for the semester are due soon! If you have worked on a pro-bono project for ELP this semester, please fill out the pro-bono log, print it out, and put a HARDCOPY paper version of your hours in the Environmental Law Project file folder outside the Dean's Suite (behind the fooseball table). Please fill out and turn in your form by THURSDAY, DEC. 2nd at NOON. We will review and sign your forms and turn them into TPIC for you. To avoid loosing forms in our various emails, we will not be accepting forms electronically.

Please join the Penn Law Energy Club and the Environmental Law Project for a career panel on November 3, 2010, at 5:30 in Silverman 240-A. The panel will feature Victor Contract from Gamesa Corp., William Donohue from Exelon, Robin E. Eiseman of the USA EPA Region III, and Adam Cutler of the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia. Each panelist will speak about their career path and answer student questions. All are welcome! 

Refreshments will be served.

TIre Incinerator Community Assistance Project: ELP is conducting background research on citizen's rights of action with respect to the siting of a proposed tire incinerator.  ELP plans to share the results of this research with Crawford Area Residents for the Environment (CARE).  For more information see, http://www.stopburningtires.com/.  (Currently accepting volunteers, email vbaron@law.upenn.edu for more information or to sign-up). 

Welcome to Penn Law's Environmental Law Project website. We will be posting information on events, pro-bono projects, and other opportunties throughout the year.

If you have any questions, please contact an ELP co-chair:

Valerie Baron (vbaron@law.upenn.ed)

Natasha Dandavati (natdan@law.upenn.edu)

Laura Moore  Smith (Laura.Moore@law.upenn.edu)