Climate Law and Policy (2520): Climate change poses an existential threat to our planet. This course, open to law school students and graduate students from other schools, provides a survey of the legal and political mechanisms and social forces that may be leveraged to support decarbonization of global energy systems and adaptation to a warming planet. We will start with a brief introduction to climate science and then consider the international, federal, state and local legal regimes applicable to climate change, with an emphasis on U.S. law and policy. We will also consider the societal dynamics animating public and private net-zero commitments and the role that the environmental justice movement has in advancing climate justice. This course will include guest appearances by luminaries and practitioners in the climate space. Grades will reflect class participation, two short papers, and a take-home exam.

Climate Law and Policy (2520): This course, open to both law and graduate students, offers a survey of historical and current efforts to address climate change in the United States. We will examine legal mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas pollution at the federal, state, and local level, as well as the interplay between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches in shaping those mechanisms. The course will also cover efforts to address the emerging impacts of a changing climate. Students will read primary legal documents--including statutes, regulations, and judicial decisions--in order to evaluate the forces and institutions shaping American climate policy. Additional perspectives from climate science, economics, and political science will provide context as students analyze the evolution of climate law and policy. Grades will reflect class participation, two short papers, and a take-home exam.