environmental law

On Wednesday, Louisiana’s Senate Commerce Committee became ground zero for the battle against environmental law clinics. The committee hosted a hearing for a bill proposed by state Sen. Robert Adley which would prohibit state-funded clinics from mounting legal challenges to state entities. And if clinics refuse to disclose client information, the bill says, they could lose all state funding. Even for the private Tulane University, that would mean a loss of millions. And critics say the timing, right on the heels of BP’s oil disaster, couldn’t be worse.

In honor of Earth Day (today!), we wanted to bring you some big picture developments from the world of environmental law. At any moment, there are dozens of legal issues touching on environmental regulations that could improve the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the scenery we enjoy. But as the threat of climate change worsens, some high profile domestic and international lawsuits have started to simmer that could redefine the notion of public accountability for the effects of over pollution.