294.18 sec. 001 - The Supreme Court and Emerging Developments in Environmental Law (Fall 2025)
Instructor: Ian Fein
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Units: 1
Grading Designation: Credit Only
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meeting:
W 6:25 PM - 8:15 PM
Location: Law 10
From August 20, 2025
To October 01, 2025
Course End: October 01, 2025
Class Number: 33194
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 1
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 24
As of: 04/15 12:13 PM

The field of federal environmental law is undergoing significant changes at the U.S. Supreme Court. This course will critically assess these developments by comparing the Court's recent and prior decisions on important topics -- ranging from greenhouse gas regulation, to clean water protections, to principles of judicial review, and beyond. We will aim to identify the through lines that may help explain these doctrinal developments, and predict what further changes may be in store. The course will also explore ways that the practice of environmental law may need to adapt to account for these changes.
Ian Fein served as senior counsel for litigation strategy at NRDC, where he worked on high-profile environmental litigation at all stages of the federal judiciary. Prior to joining NRDC, Fein worked in the Supreme Court and Appellate practice of a private law firm. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, Judge William Fletcher of the Ninth Circuit, and Judge Judith Rogers of the D.C. Circuit. He holds a bachelor's degree in English and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated first in his class and served as editor-in-chief of the California Law Review.
Exam Notes: (None) Series of papers or assignments throughout the semester
(Subject to change by faculty member only through the first two weeks of instruction)
Course Category: Environmental and Energy Law
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