Spring 2012 Speakers' Series

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Prosecuting Environmental Crimes: Mike Ramsey, Butte County District Attorney and Scott Thorpe, California District Attorneys Association CEO

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey has been a prosecutor for 35 years and the elected district attorney for 24 years. The son of a California state game warden, Ramsey has made protection of the environment one of the priorities of his office. As the current co-chair of the California District Attorneys Association's Environmental Protection Committee for the past decade and past chair of the Rural Counties Committee, Ramsey was one of the architects of the CDAA's Environmental Circuit Prosecutors Program.

Scott Thorpe got both his BA in Political Science and JD from UC Davis. He then spent over 30 years working in the California Attorney General's Office in the Criminal Law Division and the Executive Decision. His work included appeals, writs, trials, grand jury investigations, legislation, policy task forces, handling cases in 30 of 58 California counties and federal habeas corpus litigation. Since 2007, Thorpe has been the Chief Executive Officer of the California District Attorneys Association. CDAA trains over 2,600 member prosecutors, including 58 elected District Attorneys, and advocates on behalf of prosecutors with the Legislature and the Governor.

Spring 2012 Speakers' Series

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Matt Rodriguez, California Secretary for Environmental Protection 

Matt Rodriguez was appointed California Secretary for Environmental Protection by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in July 2011. As Secretary, Matt oversees the activities of the California Air Resources Board, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the Department of Pesticide Regulation, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the State Water Resources Control Board. As a member of the Governor’s cabinet, he advises the Governor on environmental policy. He comes to the Agency with more than 24 years of environmental experience with the California Department of Justice where he served as a Deputy Attorney General from 1987 to 1999. In this capacity, he advised or represented the Attorney General and clients of the Land Law Section of the Attorney General’s Office. His clients included the California Coastal Commission, the State Lands Commission, and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. In 1999, he was appointed Senior Assistant Attorney General for the Land Law Section by Attorney General Bill Lockyer.

This talk can be viewed online at this link .

Spring 2012 Speakers' Series

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Fran Pavley, California State Senator 

Senator Pavley took the helm of the Natural Resource and Water Committee at a challenging time. The Delta, which furnishes nearly 50% of our water supply, is no longer sustainable. Pavley joined other lawmakers in crafting legislation that will help develop a more reliable water supply, restore the Delta ecosystem and encourage investment in water management and conservation programs. Senator Pavley is also serving as the Chair of the Legislature’s Select Committee on the Environment, the Economy, and Climate Change. The committee is providing legislative oversight on a broad range of issues related to climate policy. She sees the requirements of California’s climate change law (AB 32) as an opportunity to foster innovation and green jobs -- the most promising engines to start the new economy. She seeks to create a clean, safe, secure energy future for California and the United States. Prior to her election to the Senate, Pavley served three terms in the California State Assembly. In addition to AB 32, she authored AB 1493 (Clean Car Regulations), now known as the “Pavley” law. President Barack Obama implemented a national standard modeled on the “Pavley” law. During a special ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, the president personally thanked Pavley for her work on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This talk can be viewed online at this link .

Spring 2012 Speakers' Series

Monday, January 23, 2012

Ruth Coleman, Director, California Department of Parks and Recreation

Ruth Coleman was appointed Director of the California Department of Parks & Recreation in January 2002, after having joined the department in December 1999, as Deputy Director for Legislation. During her decade at State Parks she has overseen the acquisition of over 115,000 acres of land valued at over $682 million; the expenditure of over $650 million for 1,400 park construction projects including visitor centers, campgrounds, infrastructure improvements, historic preservation and natural resource restoration; and the distribution of $1.6 billion in bond funds for more than 5,000 grants to cities, counties and special districts to construct local park facilities. In the latter part of her tenure, she has steered the organization through several significant budget cutbacks. In 2010 she received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of State Park Directors.

Fall 2011 Speakers' Series

Thursday, November 10, 2011

David Victor, Director of the UC San Diego Laboratory on International Law and Regulation

Watch Professor Victor's presentation online .

David Victor is a professor at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies and director of the School’s new Laboratory on International Law and Regulation. His research focuses on how the design of regulatory law affects issues such as environmental pollution and the operation of major energy markets. He is author of Global Warming Gridlock, which explains why the world hasn't made much diplomatic progress on the problem of climate change while also exploring new strategies that would be more effective. Prior to joining the faculty at UCSD, Victor served as director of the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development at Stanford University where he was also a professor at Stanford Law School. Professor Victor's talk was titled "Gridlock in International Law on Global Warming: New Strategies for Making Progress."

This event was co-sponsored by the California Environmental Law & Policy Center and the California International Law Center at UC Davis School of Law.

CEQA at 40: A Look Back, and Ahead

Friday, November 4, 2011

A full broadcast of the conference is available online .

The California Environmental Law & Policy Center held a major CEQA conference on Friday, November 4, 2011. This timely event brought together policymakers from all three branches of government, environmental lawyers, academics and students for a thoughtful examination of CEQA’s history and future. The conference provided a thoughtful review of the first 40 years of CEQA, focusing on how the law has developed since 1971, as well as comparisons with the concurrent evolution of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), “little NEPA” statutes in other states, and environmental impact laws from foreign nations.

Equally important, the conference focused on CEQA law and practice in the years to come. CEQA remains highly controversial, and a major policy and political debate is currently underway as to whether and how CEQA should be revised to address such challenging issues as renewable energy siting and climate change.

Fall 2011 Speakers' Series

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Frances Spivy-Weber, Board Vice-Chair, State Water Resources Control Board

Frances Spivy-Weber of Redondo Beach was elected Vice-Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board on February 17, 2009. Before being appointed to the Board, she served as the executive director of the Mono Lake Committee since 1997. From 1983 to 1992, Ms. Weber served as the director of international programs for the National Audubon Society. She previously was a legislative assistant for the Animal Welfare Institute from 1978 to 1982.

Ms. Weber was a member of the Bay-Delta Public Advisory Committee and co-chair of its Water Use Efficiency Committee. She also served as co-chair of the Southern California Water Dialogue and convener of the California Urban Water Conservation Council. She has served on many boards, including the Water Education Foundation, California Council of Land Trusts, and Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund.

Fall 2011 Speakers' Series

Wednesday, September, 28, 2011

Damien Schiff, Senior Staff Attorney, Pacific Legal Foundation

As a senior staff attorney for Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), Mr. Schiff has worked in a number of cases pertaining to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA). He has been involved in a number of CWA cases concerning jurisdiction and judicial review.

Mr. Schiff spoke about the Sackett v. United States Environmental Protection Agency case, in which he recently successfully petitioned the Supreme Court for certiorari. In the order granting review, the justices indicated they would resolve two issues: 1) whether the Sacketts may seek pre-enforcement judicial review of the EPA compliance order under the APA; and 2) if not, whether the absence of such recourse to the courts violates their right to constitutional due process. This is a major case, with the potential to affect how environmental agencies are able to enforce environmental laws. For more information, read this post  by Professor Rick Frank from Legal Planet.

Fall 2011 Speakers' Series

Monday, September 12, 2011

Timothy Duane, Environmental Studies Professor, UC Santa Cruz

Timothy Duane is associate professor of law at Vermont Law School and associate professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. An associate professor at the University of California at Berkeley from 1991-2009, he has law and policy experience in climate, water, energy, land use, conservation, and marine systems. Leading the nation's effort to produce a new paradigm for examination of the challenges posed by urban development in rural America, Professor Duane is particularly interested in land use and natural resources law, emphasizing the historical evolution of private and social interests, rights, and responsibilities in property.

Tim Duane spoke about "Greening the Grid" in California, focusing on policy options and recommendations to guide policy design and implementation for the transition to the Climate Change Era for electricity regulation, industry structure, and generation technology choice. The talk described the primary institutional forums and tools that will affect the electricity sector’s response to climate change, as well as to the obstacles that impede an economically efficient and environmentally responsible response.

25th Annual Environmental Law Super Symposium: The Greening of California— Achieving Green Goals in a Time of Limited Financial Resources

April 28, 2011

As California tightens its belt to deal with its serious fiscal issues, the need for environmental protection and enforcement continues unabated. This program featured not only top practitioners from agencies, state government, and private practice discussing recent trends and developments in environmental law, but also featured thought-provoking discussions regarding achieving balance between growing the economy, fiscal restraint, and environmental protection.

Spring 2011 Speakers' Series

April 12, 2011

Climate Change & the Supreme Court: Previewing AEP v. Connecticut

American Electric Power v. State of Connecticut was the most important environmental law case before the Supreme Court last year. The Court will address the issue of whether federal law allows states and private parties to sue utilities for contributing to global warming. King Hall Professors Vik Amar, Chris Elmendorf, Al Lin and Rick Frank provided a lively panel discussion of the legal issues, prospects and implications of this case.

Environmental Law Society 2011 Symposium

April 1, 2011

The Aftermath of the BP Oil Spill: A Reassessment of Drilling & Energy Policies 

The 2011 UC Davis Environmental Law Society Symposium took a closer look at the political and legal implications of the 2010 BP Oil Spill, the largest oil spill in the United States' history. Morning panels covered the litigation following the BP Oil Spill and the statutory and regulatory adjustments catalyzed by the spill. Afternoon panels discussed federal and state preparations for prospective oil spills and California’s shifting energy landscape. The 2011 Symposium featured a keynote from Professor Richard Lazarus, Executive Director of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.

UC Davis Law Review 2011 Symposium

March 4, 2011

The Public Trust Doctrine: 30 Years Later 

In 1980, the U.C. Davis School of Law sponsored and hosted a pioneering conference on the public trust doctrine. The conference, together with the scholarship it produced (see 14 U.C. Davis L. Rev., Vol 2 (1980)), proved to be enormously influential regarding the development of public trust law in subsequent years.

The focus of the 2011 symposium, co-sponsored by U.C. Davis Law School's newly-created California Environmental Law & Policy Center, was on how the public trust doctrine has evolved over the past three decades, and what the future holds for the public trust as a key component of natural resources law. The symposium brought together many of the nations foremost public trust scholars, litigators and jurists.

Spring 2011 Speakers' Series

February 17, 2011

Jared Huffman, California State Legislature Assemblymember

Assemblymember Jared Huffman, Chair of the California Assembly’s Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee, will speak to the King Hall community about California’s key environmental achievements and future challenges.  One of the state’s most influential environmental leaders, Huffman was a Senior Attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council before being elected to the 6th Assembly District (Marin County) in 2006.  He is the first practicing environmental lawyer to be elected to the State Legislature in California history.

Local Agencies on the Cutting Edge- Emerging Challenges to Local Land Use Authority: Proposition 26, the Public Trust Doctrine, RLUIPA, and Takings Law

February 11, 2011

The symposium focused on issues of practical importance to lawyers and policymakers who care about local governments’ role in environmental and land-use regulation. The issues are of great relevance to Californians, especially in the wake of the passage of Proposition 26 in the November 2010 election. The symposium explored what the recently adopted Proposition 26 means for local government land use and environmental fees, recent legal developments relating to RLUIPA, the present and future of the public trust doctrine in California, and current and emerging issues in Takings Law. This event was a collaboration between The Municipal Law Institute of the League of California Cities and The UCLA School of Law Evan Frankel Environmental Law & Policy Program and co-sponsored by the UC Davis California Environmental Law & Policy Center and the UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy and the Environment.

Spring 2011 Speakers' Series

January 24, 2011

California Energy Commission Chair Karen Douglas

Karen Douglas has been the Chair of the Energy Commission since February 2009. Karen was appointed to the Energy Commission by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in February 2008. She fills the Attorney position on the five-member Commission where four of the five members by law are required to have professional training in specific areas - engineering or physical science, environmental protection, economics, and law.

From 2005 to her appointment, Ms. Douglas served as director of the California Climate Initiative at Environmental Defense. Prior to going to Environmental Defense, Ms. Douglas spent four years at the Planning and Conservation League as the Natural Resources Director, General Counsel, and most recently, acting Executive Director. She has worked on a wide range of California natural resource and environmental protection issues, including the Imperial Irrigation District / San Diego water transfer, forest policy, and the California Environmental Quality Act.

Karen's speech addressed the complexities of energy regulation and management in California, and gave an in depth look in the recent push to bring California more renewable energy and a smarter grid.