Environmental Law and Policy

Anchored by path-breaking programs—the Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Program (ENRLP), the Environmental Law Clinic, and the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance—and complimented by a wide array of cutting-edge research and scholarship, timely policy work, and experiential learning for students, Stanford Law School’s work in the environmental arena dates back to the 60s when the environmental movement was born and continues to this day. Through the clinic and numerous Policy Lab practicums and courses, nationally-renowned faculty, and student organizations, our students are able to actively engage in the issues and advance law and policy. Stanford’s award-winning Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Program (ENRLP) has earned its reputation as a leading program for education and research in this dynamic field. The Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance explores and develops economically sensible policy and finance solutions that advance cleaner, more secure energy.

Programs, Centers, and Clinics

In the News

Federal Judges Find New Power as Chevron Precedent Falls Away

Mountain Journal

“There are a number of federal agencies, like the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, which manage most of the federal public lands, that have been largely captured by the entities they regulate — timber companies, mining interests, etc.” Stanford Law Professor Deborah Sivas wrote. “These agencies…

Events

Master of Laws (LLM) in Environmental Law and Policy

Policy Lab Practicums

Student Organizations and Journals

2017 Bright Award Given to Green Energy Innovators

The Bright Award

The Bright Award is given annually to an “individual who has made significant contributions in the environmental preservation and sustainability area” and is awarded to an individual from one of ten rotating regions.

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Publications

Private Energy

Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy

This initiative was incubated to help entrepreneurs and environmental non-profits working on sustainability projects to find firms that are offering pro bono help on these types of important matters

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People

Deborah A. Sivas 1

Deborah A. Sivas

  • Luke W. Cole Professor of Environmental Law
  • Director, Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy Program
  • Director, Environmental Law Clinic
  • Senior Fellow, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
  • Affiliated Researcher, Center for Ocean Solutions
  • Faculty Advisor, Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources
  • Professor, Doerr School of Sustainability
Barton H. Thompson, Jr.

Barton Thompson

  • Robert E. Paradise Professor of Natural Resources Law
  • Senior Fellow, Woods Institute for the Environment
  • Professor, Doerr School of Sustainability
Alicia Seiger 1

Alicia Seiger

  • Managing Director, Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance
  • Managing Director, Precourt Sustainable Finance Initiative

ENRLP Newsletter

The Spring 2023 newsletter highlights the Climate and Energy Policy Program (CEPP), a partnership between Stanford Law School and Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. CEPP engages in research and policy analysis with government, environmental justice, and Tribal Nation partners. Current areas of focus include:

  • Analyzing and addressing legal obstacles to equitable building decarbonization;
  • Furthering understanding of wildfire and wildfire smoke risk, and developing mitigation and resilience approaches responsive to the unique concerns of vulnerable populations and considerate of the cultural perspectives and practices of Tribal Nations in California; and
  • Policy approaches to ensure a clean and resilient grid and a just and fair energy transition in California.

Read more about CEPP and other news here.

read the newsletter