Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic
Harvard Law School
Home / About

News & Highlights

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
ELP News & Events Featured News

Harvard Law School receives $15 million to launch Emmett Environmental Law Center

May 16, 2024 – We’re excited to announce a new $15 million gift to establish the Emmett Environmental Law Center at Harvard Law School. This gift by alumnus Dan Emmett ’64 and the Emmett Foundation will bolster the work of the Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic and the Environmental…
Faculty Featured News

Clinic Faculty Director Andrew Mergen featured on EELP CleanLaw Podcast, “The Loper Bright Case and Fate of the Chevron Doctrine”

Commercial fishing boats are berthed at the harbor in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Editorial credit: James Kirkikis / Shutterstock.com August 23, 2023 – Clinic Faculty Director Andrew Mergen spoke with Harvard Law professor and Environmental & Energy Law Program (EELP) founding director Jody Freeman on a CleanLaw Podcast episode…
Faculty News

Clinic Faculty Director Andrew Mergen discusses EJ implications of SCOTUS affirmative action ruling in Inside Climate News

July 7, 2023 – Clinic Faculty Director Andrew Mergen is featured in Inside Climate News discussing how the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action ruling could complicate environmental justice initiatives, specifically the Biden Administration’s Justice40 initiative. The Justice40 initiative “directs federal agencies to deliver 40 percent of the ‘overall benefits’…
Clinic Publications Featured News

Emmett Clinic Publishes Report on Advancing Environmental Justice in Renewable Energy Siting

Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash In June 2023, the Clinic produced a report for the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) titled Opportunities to Advance Environmental Justice in Renewable Energy Siting. The report considers how transitioning to clean energy has triggered concerns about the environmental justice…
Faculty News

Welcome to the Clinic’s New Faculty Director Andrew Mergen

January 3, 2023 – The Clinic welcomes Andrew Mergen as a Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic. Prior to joining the Harvard Law School, Andrew Mergen served in the Appellate Section of the Environment & Natural Resources Division…
Clinic Publications News

Emmett Clinic Publishes Paper on how the Massachusetts EFSB Can Integrate Environmental Justice into its Review Process

Image: Mystic Generating Station in Everett, Massachusetts. Credit: Fletcher6 / Creative Commons July 2022 – The Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic published Opportunities for the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board to Advance Environmental Justice, which explores how the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) can or…
Clinic Publications News

Emmett Clinic and Native American Rights Fund Publish Guidebook for Alaska Natives to Put Land in Trust

July 13, 2022—Today, the Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic and Native American Rights Fund (“NARF”) published Putting Land in Trust: A Guidebook for Alaska Native Tribes and Individuals, which informs and guides Alaska Natives about the process of applying to have their privately held land converted to land…
Clinic Publications News

Emmett Clinic Files Amicus Brief in Case Challenging EPA’s Approval of the Herbicide Paraquat

June 1, 2022 – The Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic submitted an amicus brief today on behalf of three leading experts supporting a challenge to an action by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) involving the toxic herbicide paraquat dichloride (often simply called “paraquat”).  Specifically, EPA approved paraquat’s use…
Clinic Publications News

Emmett Clinic Files Comments Supporting EPA’s Proposal to Reaffirm Mercury Standards for Coal-fired Power Plants

April 11, 2022 – The Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic submitted comments today on behalf of a group of leading scientists supporting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to reaffirm earlier findings underlying the agency’s regulation of mercury and other toxic air pollutant emissions from coal-fired power plants. The…
Clinic Publications News

Clinic Submits Comments on Massachusetts DOER’s Net Zero Stretch Code

March 18, 2022 – Today, the Clinic submitted comments on the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources’ Straw Proposal for Stretch Code Update and New Specialized Stretch Code. The comments highlight opportunities to preserve municipal flexibility to address climate change and minimize compliance burdens for municipalities and building owners.  The comments…
ELP News & Events

Clinic Co-Sponsoring March 24th HRP Event, “Fighting Climate Change with Human Rights Law – Advantages and Disadvantages”

The Clinic is co-sponsoring a March 24th webinar event organized by the Harvard Law School Human Rights Program (HRP) entitled Fighting Climate Change with Human Rights Law – Advantages and Disadvantages.  The webinar will explore both the strengths and the weaknesses of human rights law as a vehicle…
Faculty Featured News

Acting Director Shaun Goho previews SCOTUS case West Virginia v. EPA in Harvard Law Today

Credit: iStock/kamilpetran February 28, 2022 – Acting Director Shaun Goho is featured in Harvard Law Today discussing West Virginia v. EPA, which is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court and is scheduled for oral argument today.  The question before the Court in this case is whether the Environmental Protection Agency…
Clinic Publications News

Emmett Clinic Submits Comments on Biden Administration’s Proposal to Restore Clean Water Act Protections

February 8, 2022 – The Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic submitted comments yesterday on the Biden Administration’s proposal to revise the definition of “the waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act.  That definition determines the scope of a wide range of the Act’s programs to safeguard…
Clinic Publications News

Clinic Submits Comments in Support of Proposed Changes to National Environmental Policy Act Regulations

November 22, 2021 – Today, the Clinic submitted comments to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) supporting its proposed partial reversal of the Trump administration’s weakening of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing regulations.  The Clinic’s comments argue that agencies are required under NEPA to examine cumulative and indirect…
ELP News & Events Faculty News

Clinic testifies in support of An Act relative to the Future of Heat in the Commonwealth

November 3, 2021 – Emmett Clinic Staff Attorney Aladdine Joroff testified yesterday before the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy in support of H.3298, An Act relative to the Future of Heat in the Commonwealth.  Click here to view the bill.
ELP News & Events News

Clinic supports the Post Road Foundation to integrate distributed energy resources under Dept. of Energy’s Connected Communities Program

Photo Credit:  Connecticut Green Bank October 19, 2021 – The Clinic is supporting efforts by the Post Road Foundation and its collaborators who have recently been awarded a grant to integrate distributed energy resources under the Department of Energy’s recently announced Connected Communities Program. Post Road, the…
News

Clinic congratulates City of Boston for signing the BERDO standard to reduce GHG emissions from existing buildings

The Clinic congratulates the City of Boston for signing BERDO 2.0, a building performance standard to reduce GHG emissions from existing buildings. The Clinic was honored to work with the City’s Environment Department on this important initiative.      …
Faculty News

Clinic’s efforts to help Massachusetts cities and towns reach net zero by 2050 featured in Harvard Law Today

Photo Credit: iStock/DrAfter123   September 15, 2021 – The Clinic’s various efforts to assist Massachusetts cities and towns with reaching their decarbonization goals was featured in Harvard Law Today.  Staff Attorney Aladdine Joroff discussed several examples of the Clinic’s work, including a white paper, draft model law, and proposed ordinance…
News

Student Testimonial: Nathan Lobel, JD’22

Nathan’s testimonial was originally published in the Clinic’s 2021 Annual Report: I came to law school because I wanted to be able to use the law—both existing and as-yet unwritten—to promote a just transition to our clean energy future. More than any other single facet of law school,…
Clinic Publications News

Clinic Submits Comments Regarding the Use of Cost-Benefit Analyses in Clean Air Act Rulemakings

On June 14, 2021, the Clinic submitted comments on behalf of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and National Parks Conservation Association supporting EPA’s decision to rescind the Trump-era regulation regarding the use of cost-benefit analyses in Clean Air Act rulemakings.  The letter supported EPA’s conclusion that the rulemaking was unnecessary, unresponsive…