Washington, D.C. — The current state of America’s judiciary represents a major threat to pro-environmental efforts. In recent years, due in large part to former President Donald Trump’s judicial appointees, far-right legal theories have flourished, and extremist judges are bolstering efforts to dismantle and block environmental protections. The courts are now stacked with individuals who gained their legal expertise working on behalf of corporations—far too often to the detriment of the environment. Ordinary people—particularly communities of color—are bearing the brunt of these harms.
To address this state of affairs, it is essential to rebalance the U.S. judiciary. To start, federal lawmakers must prioritize the confirmation of judges with demonstrated legal experience in advancing climate protections and representing the interests of communities harmed by climate change.
Join the Center for American Progress for an important discussion on the current state of climate-related litigation in the federal courts and what is needed to safeguard new environmental protections moving forward.
WHO
Introductory remarks:
Christy Goldfuss, Senior Vice President, Energy and Environment Policy, Center for American Progress
Keynote remarks:
Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO)
Panelists:
Coby Dolan, Legislative Director, Earthjustice
Nicole Ndumele, Vice President, Racial Equity and Justice, Center for American Progress
Karen Sokol, Professor of Law, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Moderator:
Stephanie Wylie, Senior Policy Analyst, Courts and Legal Policy, Center for American Progress
WHEN
Thursday, October 7, 2021
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
WHERE
You must RSVP at this link to watch the livestream event.
If you have questions for our panel, please submit them on Twitter using the hashtag #EnvironmentalJudges or via email to [email protected].
For more information, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].