On Wednesday, November 6, 2023, Professor Justin Pidot of the University of Arizona delivered the annual Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Ƶ, speaking on “Environmental Justice at the White House.” Haub Law students, faculty and staff filled the auditorium for the timely lecture which was held the day after the 2024 presidential election, raising pressing questions about the future of current executive orders designed to address national issues such as climate change, climate justice, and environmental sustainability.
Following welcome remarks from Vice Dean and Professor Jill I. Gross, Haub Distinguished Professor of Environmental Katrina Fischer Kuh, introduced Professor Pidot, who is currently the Ashby Lohse Chair in Water & Natural Resources and Co-director of the Environmental Law Program at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. Professor Pidot spoke about environmental initiatives taken by the Biden Administration, which he said are likely to be undone by the new Trump Administration in 2025. His expertise was drawn from his impressive background and career, including his roles as Deputy Solicitor for Land Resources for the Department of the Interior during the Obama Administration. Professor Pidot also served as an appellate litigator at the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and most recently as General Counsel at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Professor Pidot began by examining the concept of environmental justice, which includes recognizing environmental harms concentrated in communities of color and low-income communities, as well as less access to natural resources such as parks -- or “nature-deprived communities” -- and ensuring meaningful involvement of these groups in environmental issues. He then identified various offices that are tasked with environmental justice activities, such as the White House Office of Environmental Justice, and actions they have taken to promote it. This includes promoting “Justice 40,” part of an Executive Order aiming to ensure that 40% of the benefits of government funds spent on clean energy, climate, affordable housing and other investments went to disadvantaged communities.
Professor Pidot’s thoughtful reflections and steadfast belief for in the future and endurance of the capacity of environmental law provided inspiration for the Pace | Haub Environmental Law community. - Professor Jason Czarnezki
Pace | Haub Environmental Law Professor Jason Czarnezki, Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law and Associate Dean of Environmental Law Programs and Strategic Initiatives, presented Professor Pidot with the 2024 Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law medal, which signifies the distinguished history of the Law School’s nationally renowned Environmental Law Program and the birth of environmental law.
“For faculty and students who attended and listened to the work on environmental justice done by Professor Pidot and the CEQ during his time in the White House, the significant question of what happens next loomed as the audience sought to understand the implications of the recent election for environmental law in the United States," said Professor Czarnezki. "Professor Pidot’s thoughtful reflections and steadfast belief for in the future and endurance of the capacity of environmental law provided inspiration for the Pace | Haub Environmental Law community.”
Following his lecture Professor Pidot opened the floor to audience questions. He then joined guests at a reception where further discussions on the topic ensued.
Haub Law established the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law in 2000 to expand its programs of research, education, professional and scholarly activity and publications in environmental law, a field for which the law school has received national and international recognition. The Kerlin endowment funds a named professorship in Environmental Law at Haub Law. Professor Nicholas A. Robinson, founder of the Haub Law’s environmental programs, was named the first Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor in 1999, and Professor Czarnezki was designated as the second Kerlin Distinguished Professor in 2013. Previous Kerlin Lecturers include Sam Kalen, Associate Dean, William T. Schwartz Distinguished Professor of Law, Jeffrey Prieto, Senate confirmed General Counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Roger Martella, Chief Sustainability Officer, GE, among many others.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Ƶ proudly awarded the prestigious 2024 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy to Singapore’s Ambassador for International Law, Rena Lee, and Kristina Maria Gjerde, Senior High Seas Advisor to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Ƶ is pleased to announce that three new members have joined its Board of Visitors. All three members, Basil Seggos ’01, Jacqueline Hattar ’91, and Jud Siebert ’85, are distinguished Haub Law alumni.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Ƶ is proud to announce that Professor Alexander K.A. Greenawalt was awarded the 2024 Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship for his article, “With Intent to Destroy in Whole or in Part: Genocide, Ethnic Cleansing, and a Lost History,” which was published by Wisconsin Law Review earlier this year (2024 Wis. L. Rev. 933 (2024)).