About the Environmental Law and Justice Clinic

The Environmental Law and Justice Clinic (ELJC) at GGU School of Law was established in 1994 and was one of the first law clinics in the U.S. to focus on environmental justice. Our mission is to train GGU law students to be effective and ethical lawyers and to improve environmental conditions for communities of color and low-income people, located primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area and California.

ELJC is staffed with students who, under close faculty supervision, represent community clients on environmental matters. ELJC clinicians are certified under State Bar of California rules to perform many of the tasks of an attorney: they interview and counsel clients, develop legal strategies, draft legal documents, appear at hearings, and negotiate with opposing parties. The Clinic also has an environmental scientist on staff.

Support for Neighborhoods with Pollution Problems

A large part of our work consists of providing legal services to communities facing a variety of environmental pollution problems, such as toxic air emissions from power plants and manufacturing facilities. Matters that we normally handle include: enforcement of federal and state pollution laws, participation in permit proceedings, and challenges to environmental rulemaking or the siting of hazardous facilities. Our staff scientist provides technical assistance to our legal staff on these cases as well as other clinic projects. The Clinic also advises clients on options to solve problems without bringing a lawsuit.

Working for New Policies to Reduce Pollution

Additionally, ELJC works in collaboration with environmental advocates to strengthen regional and national environmental policies to protect public health and the environment. In one of our projects, for example, the Clinic's staff scientist provides technical support and policy analysis to the Bay Area Environmental Health Collaborative (BAEHC), a coalition of more than thirty Bay Area environmental and community groups advocating for changes in regional air pollution policies.

For additional information, see Cases and Projects

Honors

The Clinic's work on behalf of environmental justice communities and in the field of clinical legal education has been recognized locally and nationally:

• In 2006, the the Clinical Legal Education Association gave its "Award for Excellence in a Public Interest Case or Project" to the Clinic for our work on the Southeast San Francisco Energy Project. The award recognizes projects that "significantly redress a high-priority need of a low-income community."
• In 2004, San Francisco County recognized the Clinic for its work in protecting the environment.
• In 2000, Environment Now gave former Clinic Director Alan Ramo the "Wells Family Award" for his work on urban environmental issues.
• On Earth Day 1999, the US Environmental Protection Agency honored the Clinic along with one other San Francisco public interest organization for our work in protecting the environment.
• In 1998, the Clinic was one of three university presenters at a plenary meeting of the American Association of Law Schools' workshop on "New Strategies for Inner Cities: Academics, Professionals and Communities in Partnership."
• In 1997 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors commended the Clinic's work with the Bayview-Hunters Point community.
• In 1995, the American Bar Association's Section on Natural Resources, Environmental and Energy Law gave ELJC its student Law clinic award for our work in Bayview-Hunters Point.