The University of MichiganEnvironmental Law Society

Introductory Meeting

Introduction• Co-chairs:

– Wendy Watson– Amanda Heyman

• Mission: The University of Michigan Environmental Law Society (ELS) serves foremost as a forum for students energized by environmental issues and concerned with how the law may or may not adequately address those issues. ELS also strives to provide first hand opportunities for those students who see environmental law in their professional future.

Board Members• Co-Chairs:

– Amanda Heyman: anheyman@umich.edu– Wendy Watson: wmwatson@umich.ed

• Treasurer:– David Hobstetter: davidhob@umich.edu

• Journal/Symposium:– Anjali Patel: agpatel@umich.edu– Kara Alesi: kcalesi@umich.edu

More Board Members• Speakers:

– Kyle Marinello: kmarine@umich.edu

• Pro Bono Service:– Stephen Oertle: soertle@umich.edu– Mark Shahinian: mlvs@umich.edu

• Careers/Alumni Panels:– Shane Conway: conwaysh@umich.edu

Still More Board Members• Social Committee:

– Heather Gott: hgott@umich.edu

• Publicity: – Lara DuMond: dumondl@umich.edu

• Faculty Liaison: – Susan West: selwest@umich.edu

Upcoming Social Events• Heather Gott

– hgott@umich.edu

• Events– Canoe Trip– Happy Hour– Hikes– BBQ

Publicity Committee• Lara DuMond

– dumondl@umich.edu

• Responsibilities– Designing ELS event posters– Event advertisement

Ways to get involved……Symposiums, Journals, Casenotes,

Pro bono and more

Great Lakes Symposium• Kara Alesi

– kcalesi@umich.edu

• Anjali Patel– agpatel@umich.edu

• September 29, 2006

• Four topics:– Federalism– Public Trust Doctrine– International Law– Public Policy

Great Lakes Symposium Continued

• Free for Students

• $5 for banquet

• Register on website:http://students.law.umich.edu/els/

symposium_home.html

• Need help with• Transportation to/from airport for

speakers• Registration on the 29th

Conferences• National Ass’n of Environmental Law

Societies (NAELS) Annual Conference– March 15-18, 2007 – George Washington University,

Washington, D.C.

• The Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC)– March 1-4, 2007– 25th Anniversary– Unapologetically pro-public interest

and pro-environment

Moot Court• 19th Annual National Environmental

Law Moot Court Competition

• Location: Pace University Law School, White Plains, NY

• Dates: Feb. 22 – 24

• One team of up to three students submits a brief prior to the competition and presents oral arguments during the competition

Casenotes • Get Published!

• Environment Section of the State Bar of Michigan’s Environmental Law Journal

• Summarize an important state case

• Latest issue: www.michbar.org/environmental/pdfs/winterspring06.pdf

Become an ELS 1L Representative!

• New Board position

• One-semester commitment

• Help involve 1Ls in ELS

• Come talk to Wendy or Amanda, or email us by Friday if you are interested

Jobs / Alumni• Shane Conway

– conwaysh@umich.edu

• Events– Environmental jobs meeting– Alumni talk

Speaker Committee

• Kyle Landis-Marinello– kmarine@umich.edu

• Mission: – Get speakers that will fill the room

• Think Big . . .

Speaker Committee

Speaker Committee

Speaker Committee

Speaker Committee

Speaker Committee

Pro Bono CommitteeMark Shahinian & Stephen Oertle Mission: link law students with non-profits, governmental organizations, and private institutionsBenefits: Provides students with a volunteer outlet in which they can also receive valuable legal training and mentoring. In return, the partner organizations net academic year law student “interns” with all of our associated resources

Land Use

• Washtenaw land trust (conservation easements)– Kate Redman --

team leader

• City of Ann Arbor (wetlands permits, other general work)

Energy

• Michigan Public Service Commission– Contracting work for

pilot energy efficiency program

• Rosebud Sioux Tribe– Looking at expiring

transmission line easements

• Will help Rosebud and other tribes put wind power on the grid

Litigation

– Private, for-profit law firm located in Traverse City, Michigan

– Specializes in environmental law, land use, real estate, Indian, and corporate law.

– Represents local governments, community organizations, Indian tribes, small businesses, and individuals. With the conviction that the law can be a tool for positive social change

Representative cases• Suit to prevent rezoning of a 470 acre

recreational property for sand and gravel mining– The Boy Scouts own a large camp – historically used for

recreation – in Metamora Township. – They leased 470 acres to Levy Corp. for gravel mining. – The surrounding community has many concerns, including

for example the destruction of habitat and polluting natural resources, affecting the remediation of the groundwater contamination, dust and noise, and truck traffic effects.

– An organization of affected neighbors and community members filed a motion to intervene in the litigation in order to prevent Levy Corp. from rezoning the land for mining.

– Law student volunteers may help with several projects such as preparing a brief on certain affirmative defenses, and reviewing public files and reviewing discovery responses for relevant evidence.

Another case• Wastewater Discharge into AuSable River

headwaters:– Merit Energy has proposed to pump groundwater

contaminated by crude oil and brine through an air stripper to remove the oil contamination and then pump it through a 1.3 mile pipeline into Kolke Creek, a prime trout stream.

– The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued a Certificate of Coverage under a General NPDES permit to Merit Energy to discharge the treated wastewater into Kolke Creek.

– The firm needs assistance researching and drafting a brief appealing a NPDES permit issued by the DEQ and upheld by an administrative law judge..

– They also need help preparing for a civil action over surface water rights, riparian rights, trespass/nuisance, and the Michigan Environmental Protection Act

Green OCICarbon offsets program for on-

campus recruiting process• Need help with marketing and expansion• http://students.law.umich.edu/els/

goci_home.htm

Speaker Committee• Mandatory Duties:

– 1 meeting every month– Email brainstorming

• Optional Duties:– Contacting potential speakers

• Especially if you know someone

– Helping with travel arrangements– Introducing a speaker– Writing a thank-you note

Thanks for coming…• This presentation, with contact

names, email addresses, etc., will be emailed to the ELS listserv

• Other questions?