This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
- REGISTER HERE to attend VIRTUALLY via Zoom.
- Webinar information will be emailed upon registration.
- If you are unsure if you can access the webinar via the Zoom platform, please check your system requirements. If you are unable to participate via the Zoom platform, you may join in listen-only mode using a telephone. Please contact events@eli.org for details.
- The event will begin at 12:00 Noon Eastern (11:00 AM Central, 10:00 AM Mountain, 9:00 AM Pacific), and runs for 2 hours.
- There is no CLE for this course.
- Please note that a recording of this event will be publicly posted on this page. Those who are unable to attend live will be able to view a recording of the event on this page (usually posted within 3-5 business days). No registration is required in order to view the recording.
- Contact events@eli.org with questions.
Each summer, ELI convenes a complimentary seminar series that offers an introduction to the legal and policy foundations of environmental protection in the United States. ELI's Summer School is a series of seminars taught by experts in their fields, introducing the audience to important areas of environmental law. Faculty will also incorporate major regulatory and judicial updates to the laws.
NEPA, ESA, and the Fundamentals of Environmental Law
The oldest major environmental statutes in the United States have existed for over five decades. This session serves as an introduction to the framework of environmental law and highlights two of its major foundational statutes: the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
NEPA was enacted to establish a national policy and means for carrying out protective environmental principles. It requires federal agencies to assess the environmental and related social and economic effects of proposed actions before making decisions. NEPA also established the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to coordinate federal environmental efforts and work with other agencies on environmental policies and initiatives.
ESA is the principal law for the protection of endangered species. Administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, the statute protects and recovers imperiled species deemed either “endangered” or “threatened” and the ecosystems on which they depend.
Join our expert panelists for an introduction into environmental law, an overview of these two statutes, and updates on new developments.
Panelists:
Jamison E. Colburn, Joseph H. Goldstein Faculty Scholar & Professor of Law, Penn State Dickinson Law, Moderator
Mary Hollingsworth, Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor of Law & Faculty Director, Animal Law & Policy Clinic, Harvard Law School
Sharmeen Morrison, Senior Associate Attorney, Biodiversity Defense Program, Earthjustice
Jonas A. Reagan, Senior Associate, Beveridge & Diamond
Materials:
Materials will be posted as they are received.
A recording of this session will be posted to this page, usually within 3-5 business days of the live event.
**Check out the entire Summer School 2025 schedule.**