For thousands of years, the Yurok people have looked to the Klamath River Basin close to California’s northern border for a rich variety of nutritional and cultural sustenance: salmon from the river, elk and berries from the forests, and mussels and clams along the coast, among other culturally significant species. But the arrival of European settlers in the 19th century brought changes that impeded tribal members’ ability to harvest on their ancestral territories.

Scholars from UCLA School of Law’s Promise Institute for Human Rights played a key part in defining the new crime of ecocide, which could have significant implications for battling climate destruction.

With the effects of climate change increasing across California, state legislators are exploring new policies to better protect communities – and students in UCLA School of Law’s California Environmental Legislation and Policy Clinic are helping.

Distinguished Professor Hiroshi Motomura and Professor Timothy Malloy were presented with the Rutter Award for Excellence in Teaching at a virtual ceremony on April 28. They are the 43rd and 44th recipients of UCLA School of Law’s highest honor for distinction in the classroom.