Course Description

Rutgers Law School, Camden Campus

Spring 2024


CLIMATE CHANGE LAW & POLICY


Course Overview

Climate change poses urgent and complex challenges to modern society with far-reaching implications that increasingly present novel legal, regulatory, and policy issues across both public and private sectors. In this two-credit course, students will explore the scientific foundations, historic treatment, and current developments relevant to climate change as an area of law and policy. Students will be introduced to the key pillars of international climate governance, examine the regulation of climate change at the state and federal levels in the United States, and consider the treatment of climate change by business organizations and other non-governmental actors. Through readings and robust class discussion, students will explore climate mitigation (i.e., emissions reduction) and climate resilience (i.e., adaptation) policies at various levels of government, consider the practical implications of climate change across industries and areas of legal practice, and study legal issues and techniques relevant to reducing climate change and responding to its current and projected future impacts.

Throughout the course, several guest speakers will address cutting-edge climate change issues. In lieu of a final examination, students will prepare a short paper that explores one or more legal, regulatory, or policy techniques for reducing and responding to climate change.

Course Concepts and Areas of Skill Development

  • Causes and effects of global climate change and the methods available to control emissions of climate pollutants and adapt to adverse climate impacts.

  • Historical foundations and development of climate change as a field of legal study and practice through evaluation of key international, federal, state, and local legal and policy developments.

  • The role of environmental, real property, land use, corporate, financial, and other laws in reducing and responding to climate change.

  • Legal and non-legal remedies for addressing climate change impacts and damages.

  • The relationship between climate change and environmental justice and social justice causes and imperatives.

  • Roles of lawyers in evaluating climate risk and responding to climate change issues and conflicts across lawyering contexts (e.g., governmental, corporate, nongovernmental, and private practice)

  • Advocacy skills relevant to climate change as an area of legal practice, including strategic and tactical considerations varied by lawyering context.

  • Scientific and other non-legal supports that enable effective climate change practice.

  • Student opportunities for practical engagement in climate policy.