Comparative Environmental Law

Students in this course will look at the ways in which the development, application, and enforcement of environmental law differs across jurisdictions, both within the United States and abroad. By contrasting the legal systems and the environmental laws of other countries with those of the United States, students will obtain critical and creative perspectives on how legal principles can evolve to better protect the environment. This course will also touch on the tensions and synergies embedded in overlapping international and domestic environmental legal regimes. Through an expansive survey of environmental legal strategies and protections around the world, students will learn to interrogate U.S. methods of environmental protection with an eye toward adapting those methods to the context of the 21st century and the ongoing climate crisis. Students will be expected to research, write, and present a paper comparing and analyzing a particular environmental legal principle or strategy across two different jurisdictions.