Jonathan Brown Hired to be Director of New Food and Beverage Law Clinic
“We are pleased to welcome Jonathan to Haube Law to lead this important new clinic, which will fill the gap that food and beverage entrepreneurs face when they need legal services as their businesses grow,” said David Yassky, Dean of Haub Law. “Jonathan’s outstanding background and extensive experience in transactional law make him the ideal inaugural director of Haub Law’s newest clinic.”
The Food and Beverage Law Clinic, which launches this January, will provide transactional legal services to farmers, community and grassroots groups, and mission-oriented food and beverage entrepreneurs. Under the direction of Mr. Brown, six to eight students will be involved with the clinic in its first semester, representing clients under student practice orders under the supervision of an attorney.
As previously announced, the Clinic has been made possible by a generous $400,000 grant given by alumnus Rob Sands and from Constellation Brands, where Mr. Sands is CEO and President.
“Jonathan’s experience as a transactional attorney and his experience teaching in Yale Law School’s Community and Economic Development Clinic make him uniquely suited to the challenges of building a new clinic,” said Professor Margot Pollans, Faculty Director of the Pace-NRDC Food Law Initiative. “We have been planning for the launch of the clinic for almost a year now, and we are very excited to be able to get going now that we have a director in place.”
“I am thrilled to lead this ground-breaking clinic,” said Jonathan Brown. “It will not only offer students an exciting opportunity to practice real transactional lawyering, but will address a huge need for direct legal services to those seeking to build a more sustainable and just food system. It is an honor to join the excellent clinical program here at Haub Law and to collaborate with the renowned Environmental Law program in this important effort.”
“The clinic will be critical in helping to fix our broken food system. It will provide legal help for farmers and community groups across New York State and the region as well as train a new generation of leaders who will help shape food policy for decades to come,” said Mark Izeman, Director, New York Program and Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The Food and Beverage Law Clinic is part of a broader collaboration between Haub Law and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) designed to expand the capacity of the legal community to provide direct services to individuals and organizations seeking to build a more sustainable and healthy regional food system. In order to implement innovative practices, farmers, food entrepreneurs, micro-brewers and distillers, and other activists must navigate a complicated legal landscape that governs everything from labeling to estate planning.
Jonathan Brown received his B.A from the University of Pennsylvania, and his J.D. from New York University School of Law.
