Year: 2013
More on the Two-Year Law School
Today, Berkeley and a number of other law schools offer specialized courses and activities in the environmental area. For instance, this year at Berkeley, we’re offering Biodiversity Law, Energy Project Development & Finance Class, Environmental Justice, Environmental Law Writing Seminar, Environmental Law and Policy, Land Use Law, and the Law of Hazardous Waste, along with a field placement program. Students can also …
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CONTINUE READINGEnvironmental Law and the Two-Year Law School
The NY Times reports that Obama has endorsed the idea of two-year law schools: On Friday, he questioned the utility of a third year of classes and suggested that students use their final two semesters to gain work experience. “In the first two years, young people are learning in the classroom,” Mr. Obama said. “The …
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CONTINUE READINGFeds Argue California’s Shark Fin Ban Is Preempted in Third-Party Litigation
In 2011, the State of California enacted a ban on the sale, possession and trade of shark fins. California’s ban follows similar laws passed by Hawaii, Washington and Oregon over the past few years. The legislation, codified as California Fish & Game Code sections 2021 and 2021.5, followed years of advocacy by marine conservation groups, …
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CONTINUE READINGMonitoring problems again
I’ve posted a lot on how important monitoring of environmental conditions is for environmental law, and how difficult it can be to do monitoring well. Here is another recent example from the news. After the Deepwater Horizon blowout, there was a lot of concern about how much oil was leaked into the Gulf of Mexico, …
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CONTINUE READINGUCLA / UC Berkeley Law Report on High Speed Rail Policies for California’s San Joaquin Valley
The environmental law centers at UCLA and UC Berkeley Schools of Law are releasing today a new report on policies to maximize the economic and environmental benefits of high speed rail in the San Joaquin Valley. “A High Speed Foundation: How to Build a Better California Around High Speed Rail″ is the eleventh report in …
CONTINUE READINGDid Kenny Kill High Speed Rail?
On Friday, California Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny ruled that California’s plan for the initial construction segment of high speed rail in the San Joaquin Valley violated the terms of the 2008 voter-approved initiative that launched the project. Petitioners and some in the media are calling it a major setback for the system. However, the …
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CONTINUE READINGLegal Planeteer Rick Frank Appointed to California High Speed Rail Authority
Congratulations to co-blogger Rick Frank for his appointment to the California High Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors. As an expert on California environmental law, Rick will bring invaluable expertise to the Authority board as they implement this enormous infrastructure project. For a blast from the past, read his Legal Planet take on high speed …
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CONTINUE READINGBusinesses Without Standing
Standing is notoriously a barrier to litigation by environmental groups. In fact, many of the Supreme Court’s major standing decisions involve environmental claimants. The conventional wisdom is that standing is no problem for businesses because regulations limit their freedom of action and impose financial costs. But recent cases suggest that’s an oversimplification. In fact, it …
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CONTINUE READINGThe American Way of Eating
Gallup has done a fascinating series of surveys recently on fast food and diet. Here are some highlights: What we eat? About 30% of Americans have fast food at least once a week, while another 30% say they have it once or twice a month. Interestingly, about half of Americans think fast food isn’t really …
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CONTINUE READINGA New/Old Jewish Environmental Ethic: Don’t Go About Like a Merchant
Even the most cursory look at Jewish ethics will reveal a vehement — at times almost obsessive — concern with preventing gossip. Even little kids grow up being warned against לשון הרע (“Lashon Hara”), literally the “evil tongue” — a horrific sin in traditional Jewish ethics. The great rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (1838-1933, and no …
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