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Korrin Peterson shares how her two decades with the Buzzards Bay Coalition shaped her unconventional environmental law career, blending litigation, policy advocacy, grant management, and hands-on wastewater infrastructure work before transitioning into private practice at Bowditch & Dewey. She explains how environmental law extends far beyond statutes and regulations, requiring attorneys to understand science, engineering, public policy, and the financial realities facing municipalities and developers. With practical insight for attorneys across practice areas, Korrin discusses: Why environmental law requires lawyers to understand science, infrastructure, and public policy alongside legal analysis How climate change, aging infrastructure, and seasonal population surges are creating growing challenges for Massachusetts coastal communities Why wastewater and environmental infrastructure projects are often politically and financially difficult for municipalities to address What attorneys in real estate, probate, and family law should watch for when handling coastal or environmentally sensitive properties Why environmental issues frequently emerge in real estate transactions through contamination, wetlands restrictions, and permitting requirements Why bringing environmental counsel into a project early can save clients significant time, expense, and regulatory complications How legislative advocacy differs from traditional legal practice and why lawyers play an important role in shaping evolving environmental policy Throughout the conversation, Korrin emphasizes that environmental law is constantly evolving as communities adapt to changing environmental conditions, infrastructure limitations, and development pressures. She highlights the importance of long-term thinking, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and proactive legal strategy when navigating environmental challenges affecting businesses, municipalities, and property owners alike. Featured Guest Korrin Peterson — Environmental attorney at Bowditch & Dewey, Korrin advises clients on environmental permitting, wastewater infrastructure, brownfields redevelopment, compliance, and real estate matters. Prior to joining Bowditch, she spent more than 20 years as Chief Advocate for the Buzzards Bay Coalition, where she led litigation, policy initiatives, and environmental infrastructure projects across southeastern Massachusetts. Connect with us on social!Instagram: mcle.newenglandLinkedIn: Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. (MCLE│New England)X (Formerly Twitter): MCLENewEnglandBluesky: mclenewengland.bsky.socialFacebook: MCLE New England Important Note:Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. (MCLE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing high-quality, practical continuing legal education for the legal community. As part of its educational mission, MCLE presents a wide range of viewpoints and instructional content intended solely for educational purposes.The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by individual participants in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of MCLE, its Board of Trustees, staff, or affiliated institutions. Inclusion of any material or commentary does not constitute an endorsement of any position on any issue by MCLE.
Environmental litigation reform is a complex issue that balances the need for environmental protection with efficient infrastructure development. The current system of prolonged litigation processes has led to significant delays and increased costs for major projects across the United States. There is growing debate about how to streamline these processes while still addressing legitimate environmental concerns and maintaining public input, according to Robert Poole from Reason. Potential reforms range from limiting who can file lawsuits to changing the timing and nature of public participation in project planning. These discussions raise important questions about the balance between local interests and national priorities, as well as the role of scientific expertise in environmental decision-making.
Josh Goldberg is an attorney who is faced with a dilemma. Stuck in Houston, his girlfriend Keisha is about to give birth to their child in a Cincinnati hospital. Standing between them is the worst storm in recorded history. Josh has a decision to make, especially when he finds that Keisha's obstetrician is her old flame: in a rented Lincoln Town Car, and accompanied by his alcoholic colleague Geoff and self-centered conniving boss Diane, Josh sets out on a dangerous odyssey to get to Keisha. Along the way, Josh and Keisha both consider what they really want in life and what will happen next, if the storm doesn't kill Josh first. "Reap the Wind" is the latest novel from Joel Burcat, and he comes to the Brown Posey Press Show to discuss his stories, characters and how his many years as an environmental attorney shaped his second career. His previous works, "Drink to Every Beast," "Amid Rage" and "Strange Fire" bring courtroom drama and our current environmental crisis front and center. Now retired, Joel was selected as the 2019 Lawyer of the Year in Environmental Litigation for Central Pennsylvania by Best Lawyers in America. He has also edited non-fiction books on envirinmental and energy law and is the author of numerous professional articles on environmental law. He lives in Harrisburg, PA.
On the latest episode of Kelley Drye’s Legal Download, in the second of a two-part series, Chicago Office Managing Partner Matt Luzadder speaks with Partner Jaimie Nawaday and Mark Pohl of The Pohl Group about search warrants and the action plan for you and your company if agents should show up with a warrant. In Part I, Jaimie and Mark discussed grand jury investigations and agent interviews. These guests draw on their experience from both the law enforcement and defense perspectives, giving the audience practical advice on handling the investigative process. For more information, contact: Jaimie Nawaday Partner & Chair, White Collar Practice Kelley Drye & Warren LLP (212) 808-7695 Cell: (646) 864-7420 JNawaday@KelleyDrye.com> www.kelleydrye.com/Our-People/Jaimie-Nawaday Mark Pohl President & Founder The Pohl Group Special Agent, DoD (Ret.) (937) 901-1244 www.ThePohlGroup.com Matthew Luzadder Kelley Drye & Warren LLP Tel: (312) 857-2623 Cell: (305) 609-5497 MLuzadder@KelleyDrye.com www.kelleydrye.com/Our-People/Matthew-C-Luzadder About Kelley Drye & Warren LLP Founded in 1836, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is home to skilled practitioners in the areas of litigation, trade, regulatory, government relations, real estate, corporate and more. A powerhouse firm with the heart of a boutique, the firm’s attorneys provide legal counsel carefully connected to their client’s business strategies. Among the firm’s recent recognitions: Law360 International Trade Group of the Year; Law360 Consumer Protection Practice Group of the Year; one of “America’s Best Law Firms” by U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firms – “Tier 1” national ranking in Communications Law, Environmental Litigation, Trusts & Estates Law, and Real Estate. www.kelleydrye.com
On the latest episode of Kelley Drye’s Legal Download, in the first of a two-part series, Chicago Office Managing Partner Matt Luzadder speaks with Partner Jaimie Nawaday and Mark Pohl of The Pohl Group about grand jury investigations and agent interviews. In Part II, Jaimie and Mark will discuss search warrants and the action plan for you and your company if agents should show up with a warrant. These guests draw on their experience from both the law enforcement and defense perspectives, giving the audience practical advice on handling the investigative process. For more information, contact: Jaimie Nawaday Partner & Chair, White Collar Practice Kelley Drye & Warren LLP (212) 808-7695 Cell: (646) 864-7420 JNawaday@KelleyDrye.com> www.kelleydrye.com/Our-People/Jaimie-Nawaday Mark Pohl President & Founder The Pohl Group Special Agent, DoD (Ret.) (937) 901-1244 www.ThePohlGroup.com Matthew Luzadder Kelley Drye & Warren LLP Tel: (312) 857-2623 Cell: (305) 609-5497 MLuzadder@KelleyDrye.com www.kelleydrye.com/Our-People/Matthew-C-Luzadder About Kelley Drye & Warren LLP Founded in 1836, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is home to skilled practitioners in the areas of litigation, trade, regulatory, government relations, real estate, corporate and more. A powerhouse firm with the heart of a boutique, the firm’s attorneys provide legal counsel carefully connected to their client’s business strategies. Among the firm’s recent recognitions: Law360 International Trade Group of the Year; Law360 Consumer Protection Practice Group of the Year; one of “America’s Best Law Firms” by U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firms – “Tier 1” national ranking in Communications Law, Environmental Litigation, Trusts & Estates Law, and Real Estate. www.kelleydrye.com
Local regulation often conflicts with federal and state law, including the United States Constitution and its state counterparts. This Podcast discusses litigation tools and strategies regarding the intersection of constitutional and environmental law, particularly in the case of local overreach.
Local regulation often conflicts with federal and state law, including the United States Constitution and its state counterparts. This Podcast discusses litigation tools and strategies regarding the intersection of constitutional and environmental law, particularly in the case of local overreach.
The authors of the Year-in-Review publication will discuss key cases occurring in environmental litigation, including cases that have created an ongoing legal debate concerning the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, liability for PFAS contamination, corporate responsibility for climate change, and the scope of class certification in environmental cases. In part 3 of the three part series, join Matt Wickersham and William S. “Buddy” Cox III. The 2018 Year in Review is available now. Access the chapters by becoming a section member today. To join, visit americanbar.org/environ.
The authors of the Year-in-Review publication will discuss key cases occurring in environmental litigation, including cases that have created an ongoing legal debate concerning the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, liability for PFAS contamination, corporate responsibility for climate change, and the scope of class certification in environmental cases. In part 2 of the three part series, join Matt Wickersham and John Watson in discussing the Giovanni v. U.S. Department of the Navy case. The 2018 Year in Review is available now. Access the chapters by becoming a section member today. To join, visit americanbar.org/environ.
The authors of the Year-in-Review publication will discuss key cases occurring in environmental litigation, including cases that have created an ongoing legal debate concerning the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, liability for PFAS contamination, corporate responsibility for climate change, and the scope of class certification in environmental cases. In part 1 of the three part series, join Kim Bick and Denise Fellers in discussing the Hawaii Wildlife Fund v. County of Maui. The 2018 Year in Review is available now. Access the chapters by becoming a section member today. To join, visit americanbar.org/environ.
* Use coupon code PODCAST25 for 25% off this webcast * Webcast URL: https://www.theknowledgegroup.org/webcasts/environmental-litigation-in-2019/ Our panel of key thought leaders and practitioners will offer a discussion of the outlook for environmental law and litigation in 2019. They will also discuss the fundamentals as well as updates regarding the significant trends and issues in the previous year, arising from various enforcement and regulatory changes implemented by the current administration. This LIVE Webcast aims to help you to avoid common pitfalls and risk issues that may arise due to the recent changes. For anymore information please click on the webcast url at the top of this description.
In this episode, Professor Karl Coplan, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, explains Marbury v. Madison. Prof. Koplan has a particular insight into the workings of the Supreme Court having clerked for Justice Warren Berger. And, true to his commitment to environmental law, Prof. Koplan is working hard to leave a zero carbon footprint, kayaking to school. Look for an easter egg around 16:45!Professor Karl S. Coplan has been a Professor and Associate Professor of Law at Pace Law School and director of Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic since 1994. Prior to joining the Pace faculty, he practiced land use and environmental litigation for eight years with the New York City firm of Berle, Kass & Case. As the principal outside counsel for Riverkeeper, Inc., Professor Coplan and the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic have brought numerous lawsuits enforcing the Clean Water Act and other environmental laws. These cases include Catskill Mountains Chapter, Trout Unlimited v. City of New York, in which the Second Circuit Court of Appeals held that the transfer of polluted, silt-laden water from one watershed to another required a permit pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act. Professor Coplan has also participated in litigation and Clean Water Act permitting proceedings involving several Hudson River power plants, including the proposed Bowline 3 power plant, and the Lovett, Roseton, Danskammer, and Athens plants.In addition to directing the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic, Professor Coplan teaches courses in Environmental Law and Constitutional Law. He is recently the author of the chapter on Citizen Suits in Environmental Litigation, Law and Strategy (ABA, Cary Perlman, Ed.) and the chapter on Takings Law in Handbook on Constitutional Environmental Law (ABA, James May, Ed., forthcoming 2010).Before entering private practice, Professor Coplan clerked for The Honorable Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice of the United States, and The Honorable Leonard I. Garth, Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Professor Coplan received his J.D. degree from Columbia Law School in 1984 and his B.A. degree from Middlebury College in 1980.As always, if you have any suggestions for an episode topic, please let us know! You can email us at leslie@lawtofact.com or tweet to @lawtofact. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@lawtofact) and to like us on Facebook! And finally, your ratings and reviews matter! Please leave us a review on iTunes. Want to stay updated on all things Law to Fact? Join our mailing list by visiting us at www.lawtofact.com.
China’s legal system is much derided and poorly understood, but its development has, in many ways, been one of the defining features of the reform and opening-up era. Rachel Stern, a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Berkeley, has researched the contradictions, successes and failures of China’s changing approach to governance and legal oversight of society. She has also written a book, Environmental Litigation in China: A Study in Political Ambivalence, which examines the intersection of Chinese authoritarianism, pollution and the nation's laws. In this podcast, Rachel talks with Kaiser and Jeremy about her recent research, the Chinese bar exam and its politicization, the ways in which environmental litigation works (or doesn't), and the anxious uncertainty behind much of the self-censorship in media. You can find background reading for this podcast here, which includes a curated reading list on China's legal system. You can also learn more about Rachel in her supplementary Q&A with Jeremy Goldkorn in which they discuss comparisons between the U.S. and Chinese legal systems, the phrase "rule of law" and the Chinese citizens who are filing lawsuits. Recommendations: Jeremy: Chinese politics from the provinces blog. Rachel: The Chinese Mayor, a documentary film by Zhou Hao. Kaiser: Moonglow, a novel by Michael Chabon.
Abbie Dillen, Vice President of Litigation for Climate and Energy at Earthjustice joins Melissa Legge in the studio to discuss public interest environmental litigation as a tool to make broader changes in environmental governance in the public and private sectors.
Earthjustice sues the EPA to force federal regulations on coal ash. Earthjustice attorney Lisa Evans comments.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency releases a report on black carbon, a component of soot that fuels climate change. Earthjustice attorney Erika Rosenthal comments.
Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed new standards that will limit industrial carbon pollution from new coal-fired power plants. Earthjustice Senior Legislative Representative Sarah Saylor comments.