An Invitation to Explore the Connections Between Constitutional & Environmental Law

These days, more and more of the most important environmental law disputes arise in the crucible of constitutional law.  Preemption, the Dormant Commerce Clause, the foreign powers doctrine, constitutional principles of standing to sue and the separation of powers doctrine are all doctrines of constitutional law that have been invoked in much of the most critical environmental litigation of our generation.

Yet, surprisingly, there’s been precious little systematic discussion of how principles of constitutional and environmental law converge.  Until now.

On April 16-17, 2009, U.C. Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE), in co-sponsorship with the Environmental Law Institute, will convene an important conference, “Environmental Protection in the Balance: Citizens, Courts & the Constitution.”  This event will be held at the University of California’s Washington, D.C. Center.

The conference will bring together legal academicians, law students, practitioners and government policymakers to discuss the impact of a variety of constitutional principles on such environmental subjects as climate change legislation, citizens’ access to the courts. and Congressional authority to protect the environment.  Speakers will include many of the nation’s premier environmental and constitutional scholars, judges, and high-ranking federal and state government officials.

The conference is open to the public.  To register, and for more information, please visit this website:

http://envconstitution.wordpress.com/registration/

conference, constitution, constitutional law, environmental litigation, Environmental Protection in the Balance, Events, Policy, Washington D.C.