On April 3, 2003, the Environmental Law Institute co-sponsored a seminar with the Land Use Law Center at Pace Law School and the Pace Environmental Law Review to celebrate the discovery of local environmental law. The seminar explored topics including the evolution of environmental and land use law over the past decade, the scholarship of Pace Law School students, the approaches different states use to protect the environment at the local level, the training programs offered through the Land Use Law Center, and the future of local and regional environmental protection and land use. The Environmental Law Institute and Pace Law School Professor John Nolon, in collaboration with environmental law students at the Pace Land Use Law Center, recently published three books on local land use law: Well Grounded, Using Local Land Use Authority to Achieve Smart Growth; New Ground: The Advent of Local Environmental Law; and Open Ground: Effective Local Strategies for Protecting Natural Resources.
The program featured presentations by David Cohen (Dean of Students, Pace Law School), Nicholas Robinson (Professor, Pace Law School), John Nolon (Adjunct Professor of Local Environmental Law, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies) and Michael Gerrard (editor of Environmental Law in New York) who also served as Master of Ceremonies. Professors, lawyers, and students each spoke on how their work has played an important role in the discovery of local environmental law. Students receiving a joint JD/Masters in Environmental Science also discussed the collaborative efforts of Pace Law School and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.