Our Work at a Glance
We use our legal expertise, applied research, and unique educational opportunities to shape environmental law and climate policy at the local, national, and international levels.
The Emmett Institute is the central environmental law hub at UCLA. Since 2008, the Emmett Institute has grown to become one of the top environmental law programs in the country. Our faculty members are renowned for their public service, teaching excellence, and scholarship in state, federal, and international law. Located in Los Angeles, a diverse city facing unique environmental justice and climate change challenges, the Emmett Institute provides J.D., LL.M. and M.S. students unmatched opportunities for mentoring, career placement, and experiential learning. Through groundbreaking research, public interest initiatives, and impactful legal clinics, the Emmett Institute helps shape climate change and environmental law and policy in California, the United States, and jurisdictions around the world. Our alumni are environmental leaders across all sectors doing critical work at government agencies from Sacramento to Washington D.C. and beyond, as well as law firms, nonprofits, corporations, law schools and universities around the globe. Tapping this network, the Emmett Institute regularly convenes public and private events to drive real-world law and policy change.
Knowledge Into Action
Our faculty and students draw on the resources of the country's premier public university to develop solutions to complex problems like climate overshoot, air quality, extreme heat, drought, coastal erosion, deforestation, and decreased biodiversity. Read more about all our projects.
The Emmett Institute is dedicated to training the next generation of leaders in environmental law and policy.
The Emmett Clean Energy Law & Leadership (E-CELL) project produces actionable research, analysis and scholarship that advances real solutions to urgent problems in energy law and policy.
A globally focused initiative to inform policymaking and advance methane regulation using remote sensing and remote measurement.
A major sub-national coalition focused on reducing tropical deforestation and related greenhouse gas emissions.
UCLA Law faculty and students contribute to protections for communities disproportionately affected by climate change, air and water pollution, and other environmental harms.
The Geoengineering Governance Project at the UCLA Emmett Institute is a world-leading initiative for the study of legal and policy issues presented by solar geoengineering and carbon dioxide removal technologies
Emmett Institute faculty are among the leading U.S. scholars of federal environmental law and frequently engage with the application of federal law in practice.
Through research, education, and service, the Emmett Institute works to support and improve California’s climate and environmental policies.
Emmett Institute faculty are focused on addressing climate change, environmental injustice, water insecurity, and other important sustainability and public health issues in the Los Angeles region.
China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gas pollution, faces many environmental challenges. The institute is addressing these issues by conducting research, engaging with policymakers, and providing learning opportunities for students.
With the world undergoing a transition to clean energy, the Emmett Institute provides research to guide a path forward for government and industry and training opportunities for future leaders.
Emmett Institute faculty are leading experts on natural resources law, including water safety, the governance of tropical forests, protection of the California coast, and more.
Who We Are
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Affiliated Faculty
Sabrina Ashjian
Clinical Supervising Attorney and Project DirectorWilliam Boyd
Professor of Law
Michael J. Klein Chair in Law
Faculty Co-Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the EnvironmentAnn E. Carlson
Shirley Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law
Faculty Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the EnvironmentKimberly Clausing
Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and PolicyDenise Grab
Energy Law and Policy Project Director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the EnvironmentJason Gray
Project Director of the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task ForceCara Horowitz
Andrew Sabin Family Foundation Executive Director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Director, Frank G. Wells Environmental Law ClinicTimothy Malloy
Professor of Law
Faculty Director, UCLA Sustainable Technology and Policy Program
Frank G. Wells Endowed Chair in Environmental LawMary D. Nichols
Distinguished CounselEdward A. Parson
Dan and Rae Emmett Professor of Environmental Law
Faculty Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the EnvironmentJames Salzman
Donald Bren Distinguished Professor of Environmental LawJulia E. Stein
Deputy Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Supervising Attorney, Frank G. Wells Environmental Law ClinicAlex Wang
Professor of Law
Walter and Shirley Wang Chair in U.S.-China Relations and Communications
Faculty Co-Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the EnvironmentJonathan M. Zasloff
Professor of Law -
Directors
Ann E. Carlson
Shirley Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law
Faculty Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the EnvironmentEdward A. Parson
Dan and Rae Emmett Professor of Environmental Law
Faculty Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the EnvironmentWilliam Boyd
Professor of Law
Michael J. Klein Chair in Law
Faculty Co-Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the EnvironmentAlex Wang
Professor of Law
Walter and Shirley Wang Chair in U.S.-China Relations and Communications
Faculty Co-Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the EnvironmentCara Horowitz
Andrew Sabin Family Foundation Executive Director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Director, Frank G. Wells Environmental Law ClinicJulia E. Stein
Deputy Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Supervising Attorney, Frank G. Wells Environmental Law ClinicJason Gray
Project Director of the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task ForceSabrina Ashjian
Clinical Supervising Attorney and Project DirectorDenise Grab
Energy Law and Policy Project Director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment -
Staff
Juan Pablo Escudero, Staff Attorney, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Juan Pablo Escudero is a staff attorney at the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law. His work lies in environmental, land use, and indigenous law both local and comparative. He previously worked as the coordinator of the environmental legislative agenda of the Government of Chile, and advised the Presidency of Chile on environmental and indigenous law issues. In this role, he participated in the drafting and submission of relevant legislative bills, such as the Chilean Framework Act on Climate Change and the national ban on plastic bags. Escudero received his J.D. at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and an LL.M in environmental law from UCLA. Escudero's environmental and indigenous law publications have appeared in Libertad y Desarrollo editorial (Chile) and the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation.Evan George, Communications Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Evan George is the Communications Director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law. He’s a writer, editor, content strategist and veteran journalist with a passion for addressing the climate crisis through research, policy and storytelling. He sits on the advisory council of Bank Climate Advocates, which fights to reform the climate change lending practices and policies of financial institutions. Prior to coming to UCLA, Evan was the News Director at KCRW – the flagship NPR member station in Los Angeles – where he led the newsroom’s broadcast and digital operations. He served in multiple roles at KCRW, including Senior News Editor, Managing Producer of the syndicated public radio show “To the Point,” and as a reporter/producer. Previously, Evan worked as an editor at the Daily Journal, the legal publication. He oversaw several beats, including federal courts, labor & employment and entertainment. He covered the healthcare industry for the paper as a reporter. A second generation Californian who grew up on the East Coast, he returned to LA to attend Occidental College, where he graduated with a degree in History, focusing on American politics. Evan has also worked in professional kitchens and as a food writer. He co-authored two plant-based cookbooks that the Los Angeles Times called “cutting edge.” He’s a five-time champion of the Grilled Cheese Invitational and once performed on stage at the Coachella Arts and Music Festival.Heather Morphew, Program Manager, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Heather Morphew is the Program Manager for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law. In this role, she oversees events, onboarding and training, vendor relationships, and the Institute’s student workers. She also assists the executive team with alumni relations, board meetings, budgets, managing grants, and more. At UCLA Law since 2020, Heather also served for several years as Program Administrator for the Native Nations Law and Policy Center. Heather has a strong legal background, having worked as a paralegal in legal aid, family law, criminal law, bankruptcy law, and real estate law. She has a passion for public advocacy and volunteers her time to mentor young adults. Heather received her B.A. in Global Studies from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and is currently in graduate school pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Administration. - Fellows
- Project Affiliate
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Advisory Board
Dan A. Emmett
Chairman of the Emmett Institute Advisory Board Chairman of the Board, Douglas Emmett Inc.Phil Angelides
President, Riverview Capital InvestmentsEvan A. Graham Arango
Regenerative farmer and founder of Ojai Roots farm, UCLA Law alumnusDaniel Emmett
CEO, Next Energy Technologies, Inc.Jordan Kaplan
President and CEO, Douglas Emmett, Inc.Diane Keaton
Actress, Producer, DirectorMiguel J. Koenig
CEO Koenig Investments, CFO The Erich & Della Koenig FoundationRep. Ted Lieu
California's 33rd Congressional DistrictAdrian Martinez
Staff Attorney, EarthjusticeFran Pavley
California State Senator representing California's 27th State Senate DistrictTina Quinn
The Oppenheim Family FundAndrew Sabin
Andrew Sabin Family FoundationShirley Shapiro
Shapiro Family Charitable FoundationKassie R. Siegel
Director, Climate Law Institute, Center for Biological DiversityTerry Tamminen
Executive Director, Seventh Generation AdvisorsHenry Waxman
Chair, Waxman Strategies, Former U.S. Representative of California's 33rd Congressional District
Student Opportunities
UCLA Law offers J.D., LL.M., and M.S. students one of the country's most extensive environmental course offerings, covering a range of state, federal, and international law issues. The Emmett Institute provides students with scholarship funding, experiential learning, and connections to an unparalleled network of alumni in leadership positions across the country. Through one-on-one mentoring, our faculty helps students find meaningful internships and early-career positions in government, nonprofits, and private practice. The Emmett Institute also gives students unique opportunities to work at the forefront of climate and environmental advocacy in California and around the world. As part of our law clinic, students advocate on behalf of real clients. In our legislation clinic, students help make California law. Working with our staff, students also gain real-world skills for negotiations, public speaking, engaging with the press and utilizing storytelling tools as part of their advocacy.
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Environmental Law Specialization
The Environmental Law Specialization offers J.D. students a robust program of study with some of the country's top scholars in environmental law — who have also earned accolades for their teaching excellence. Our doctrinal environmental law courses cover an array of topics from energy law to environmental justice.
Students in the specialization can represent nonprofit advocacy groups and government agencies in the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic, engage with elected officials and their staff through the California Environmental Legislation and Policy Clinic, enroll in several practical and simulation courses, and serve as interns with leading nonprofits and government agencies.
Students in the specialization benefit from one-on-one faculty advising, with each student developing an individualized curriculum package. Students completing the specialization create a demonstrated record of study and experience in environmental law and prepare for careers with public-interest organizations, government agencies, and private law firms. Upon successful completion of the required courses, students are awarded a diploma notation at graduation.
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Internships
Second- and third-year students may gain valuable real-world experience by choosing to participate in UCLA Law’s externship program. UCLA’s environmental law internships include opportunities with government agencies like the California Attorney General's Office, and with non-profits, including Natural Resources Defense Council and Earthjustice.
Students can choose from full-time and part-time internships. Full-time interns spend an entire semester working for the agency or organization and receive full law school credit, while part-time interns split their time between classes and their internship and receive credit for each. Internships let students work with practicing environmental lawyers, develop skills, and gain insight into future job opportunities.
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Career Advising
Students interested in environmental law careers receive one-on-one advising with Emmett Institute faculty on career tracks, internships, and post-graduate employment. With support from the Emmett Institute, our students have been appointed to highly competitive clerkships and fellowships.
The Emmett Institute fosters a community of prominent alumni in leadership roles at government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private practice. Our graduates practice law and serve their communities in California and across the country. Alumni frequently speak on campus, participate in Emmett Institute social events and career panels, and welcome engagement with current students.
Students pursuing environmental law careers also benefit from UCLA Law’s Office of Career Services and career advising through the Office of Public Interest Programs.
Emmett Institute faculty are committed to providing resources for the environmental law community in California and across the country. Our faculty maintain a broad network of professionals in environmental law and policy. Several of our faculty members hold leadership positions in the California Lawyers Association's Environmental Law Section.
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Scholarships and Funding
The Emmett Institute offers tuition scholarships for incoming students looking to devote their careers to climate change, environmental justice, and other environmental law issues. These scholarships include the Will Scholarship in Environmental Law, the Shirley Shapiro Scholarship in Environmental Law, and the Emmett Scholarship in Environmental Law.
The Institute regularly supports public interest summer placements in environmental and climate law. We have provided financial support for student internships at non-profits such as Communities for a Better Environment, Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Biological Diversity, and government agencies like the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division, California Air Resources Board, and California Attorney General's Office, among others.
UCLA Law students can receive funding for summer environmental work through the Public Interest Law Fund.
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Curriculum
Students interested in environmental law and policy can select from many courses led by Emmett Institute faculty celebrated for their teaching excellence. Visit the UCLA Law Curriculum Guide for a list of current environmental courses.
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Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic
Founded in 1994 as one of the first law school clinics in the country to focus on environmental issues, the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic provides students opportunities to take on important environmental cases and projects while representing non-profit groups and other public interest clients.
Students have drafted successful petitions to enforce air monitoring near oil refineries; performed legal analysis to help LA County phase out oil and gas operations; and won awards from The Clinical Legal Education Association. Students have also successfully challenged the grant of a permit for coal mining on Native American lands in Arizona on behalf of Hopi tribal members; drafted petitions and comment letters urging changes in federal law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the Center for Biological Diversity; and worked through the United Nations on behalf of small island states fighting for aggressive international climate change action.
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California Environmental Legislation & Policy Clinic
The California Environmental Legislation & Policy Clinic provides a hands-on opportunity for UCLA Law students to engage with state senators and assembly members, legislative staffers, advocates, and stakeholders on cutting-edge environmental issues. Student work has informed successful legislative efforts related to wildfire, groundwater, single-use plastics, and extreme heat. We have worked closely with elected officials including State Senator Ben Allen, Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, former Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon, State Senator Henry Stern, Assemblymember Lori Wilson, and U.S. Rep. (and then-State Senator) Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
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Environmental Law Society
The mission of UCLA's Environmental Law Society is to educate students about current issues in environmental law and policy, provide a space to facilitate conversations about environmental problem-solving, and foster a supportive community for students interested in addressing environmental issues.
ELS plans speaking events featuring environmental law practitioners and professors, arranges an annual trip to the Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite, where UCLA Law typically has the largest student delegation. ELS coordinates student participation in inter-school environmental moot court and competitions like the California Lawyers Association's annual environmental law negotiations, hosted at UCLA Law every other year.
ELS also organizes environmentally-focused activities for students, and works to green the law school.
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UCLA Journal of Environmental Law and Policy
The UCLA Journal of Environmental Law and Policy is one of the nation’s top environmental law journals, and has a staff of nearly 50 students. The journal publishes twice a year and accepts articles from leading environmental law scholars and practitioners, as well as UCLA student-written comments and book reviews.
Media, Events, and Resources
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Conferences, Symposia and Special Events
The Emmett Institute regularly hosts conferences, symposia, and special events featuring top experts on climate change and environmental law and policy.
- Powering the Future: Digging into Critical Minerals, Supply Chains, and the Energy Transition, March 2024 Symposium
- Make or Break: Transforming U.S. Infrastructure to Meet Climate Goals, April 2023 Symposium
- Environmental Justice in the U.S.: Taking Stock Under President Biden, April 2021
- Human Rights and the Climate Crisis Symposium, Feb. 28, 2020
- Sixth International Summer School on Geoengineering Governance, Aug. 5-11, 2019
- California Climate Risk: Insurance-Based Approaches to Mitigation and Resilience, Jul. 23, 2019
- Charting California's Course on the Environment from Brown to Newsom and Beyond, Jun. 6, 2019
- Toward Zero-Emission Freight at Southern California's Ports: Prospects, Pitfalls & Policy Needs, Jun. 8, 2018
- Climate Change on Trial: An Earth Day Conversation with Julia Olson, Lead Attorney for Landmark Children's Climate Lawsuit, Apr. 22, 2018
- Holding Fossil Fuel Companies Liable for Climate Change Harms in California: Law, Science, and Justice, Jan. 25, 2018
- State Climate Policy in the Trump Era: California and Beyond, May 22, 2017
- Controlling Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transport Fuels: The Performance and Prospects of California’s Low-Carbon Fuel Standard, May 22, 2015
- Navigating Climate Regulation on Dual Tracks: The Promises and Pitfalls of AB32 and the Clean Air Act, Mar. 14, 2014
- The California-Quebec Adventure: Linking Cap and Trade as a Path to Global Climate Action?, Mar. 31, 2014
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Our Newsletter
Join the Emmett Institute mailing list for regular event invitations, updates on faculty and students' work, and our monthly newsletter. Recent newsletters below:
2024:
2023:
- December 2023
- 2022-2023 Year in Review
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- Class of 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
2022:
- 2021-22 Year in Review
- November 2022
- September 2022
- July 2022
- May 2022
- Class of 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
2021:
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Legal Planet Blog
The Legal Planet blog is a key source of insight and analysis on climate policy and environmental law. Legal Planet is a long-standing collaboration of UCLA Law and Berkeley Law's environmental law faculty. Thousands of subscribers receive our daily email newsletter with fresh blog posts from our faculty.
- Contact Us
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Media Inquiries
Emmett Institute faculty regularly share their expertise with journalists and comment on a range of climate change and environmental law issues in leading local, national, and international news outlets.
For media inquiries, please contact Communications Director Evan George, george@law.ucla.edu.
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Annual Reports
Each fall, the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment publishes an Annual Report covering our broad range of work. Read the reports here.
Publications
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Pritzker Environmental Law and Policy Briefs
The Pritzker Environmental Law and Policy Briefs are published by UCLA School of Law in conjunction with researchers from a wide range of academic disciplines as well as the broader environmental law community. The papers provide expert analysis to engage further public dialogue on important issues impacting the environment. This paper series is made possible through a generous donation by Anthony “Tony” Pritzker. Read the series.
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Emmett Institute Policy Reports
Emmett Institute faculty produce reports addressing current issues in environmental law and policy. View a list of our policy reports. See also our Pritzker Environmental Law and Policy Brief series.
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Amicus Briefs
Emmett Institute faculty frequently submit amicus briefs on behalf of various clients in high-profile lawsuits in state and federal courts, providing expert legal opinion on questions in environmental law and policy. See a list of our amicus briefs.
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Comment Letters
Emmett Institute faculty frequently submit comment letters to regulatory agencies and other government bodies addressing environmental law and policy issues. See a list of our comment letters.
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Climate Change and Business Research Initiative Reports
This series of reports explores how specific sectors of the business community can drive key climate change solutions and how policymakers can facilitate those solutions. Each report results from workshop convenings that include expert representatives from the business, academic, policy, and environmental sectors. See a list of the reports.
The convenings and resulting policy reports are sponsored by Bank of America and produced by a partnership of UCLA School of Law’s Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and UC Berkeley School of Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE).