Over the next ten years, California will be grappling with environmental law impacting areas from marine life to energy to climate change. Many different groups are considering environmental law from various angles. In February, Whittier Law School held its first Environmental Law Symposium to bring these groups together. The event featured prestigious speakers in environmental law from business, industry, government and non-profit organizations.

The Environmental Law Symposium was the brainchild of third-year law student Aastha Maadan, president of the Environmental Law Society, who was assisted by seven other students on the symposium committee. According to Professor Peter Reich, who teaches many environmental law courses at Whittier Law School, “The conference was an enormous success, being sold out due to the wonderful work of the Environmental Law Society.” Assisting the committee were Professor John Fentis and Ryan M.F. Baron, Senior Deputy County Counsel for the County of Orange.

The key note speaker was Joel Reynolds, the Director of the Natural Resources Defense Counsel’s Urban Program, the Marine Mammal Protection and Southern California Ecosystem projects. Reynolds spoke about litigation strategies in environmental law. Notable speakers included Susan Durbin, a Deputy Attorney General at the California Department of Justice in Sacramento, who spoke about the effects of climate change in California; Dr. Daniel Cayan, a noted researcher, who explained the historical and current trends in climate change; and Gale Filter, the executive director of San Diego Coastkeeper, who talked about the future of marine protected areas in California.

Other topics of the day included Challenges with Energy, Gas and the Environment; Stormwater Regulation; Climate Change; and Coastal Issues. Breakout sessions discussed a variety of topics such as Ensuring Equal Environmental Rights for All; NFL Stadiums and Land Use Issues; and Natural Resource Allocation and Environmental Justice on the Mexico-U.S. Border.