Students work on real environmental issues for real clients—community groups, advocacy organizations, concerned citizens—who need help advocating before a judge or regulator.
Class SpotlightAbout the Clinic
The Abrams Environmental Law clinic attempts to solve some of the most pressing environmental problems throughout Chicago, the State of Illinois, and the Great Lakes region. On behalf of clients, the clinic challenges those who pollute illegally, fights for stricter permits, advocates for changes to regulations and laws, holds environmental agencies accountable, and develops innovative approaches for improving the environment. Through clinic participation, students learn substantive environmental law and procedures for addressing concerns through the courts or administrative tribunals. Students develop a number of core advocacy competencies, such as counseling clients, spotting issues, conducting factual investigations, performing practical legal research, advocating through written and oral communications, planning cases, managing time, and addressing ethical issues and dilemmas. In addition, students develop an appreciation for the range of strategic and tactical approaches that effective advocates use. Some matters will be best resolved in front of a judge, others in an adversarial hearing, others through face-to-face meetings with government officials, and others by putting public pressure on a polluter or administrative agency. Any given matter may require the use of one or more of these approaches simultaneously or sequentially, although in general, the clinic will deploy adversarial approaches to help achieve its clients’ objectives.
Students who want to learn more about the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic may contact Professor Templeton for more information.
The Clinic is directed by Professor Mark N. Templeton. Previously, Templeton was a Trustee and Executive Director of the Office of Independent Trustees for the $20 billion Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust. He served as the cabinet-level Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, leading the state’s efforts in energy, environmental protection, state parks, and water resources.
CV & Contact for Prof. TempletonPublications
- Amicus Brief of Michael Greenstone in Competitive Enterprise Institute et al. v. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration et. al. (challenging proposed fuel economy standards for motor vehicles)
- Amicus Brief of Michael Greenstone in Citizens for Clean Energy et al. v. Department of Interior et al. (federal coal leasing moratorium)
- Amicus Brief of Professor Michael Greenstone in 350 Montana et al. vs. Bernhardt et al.
- Abrams Clinic Comment on EPA’s Proposed Rule on Benefit-Cost Analysis under the Clean Air Act
- Amicus Brief of Professor Michael Greenstone in American Lung Association, et al. v. United States Environmental Protection Agency, et al.
- Notice of Intent to Sue for Violation of the Endangered Species Act Regarding the Lake Sturgeon
- Protecting the Illinois EPA’s Health, so that It Can Protect Ours
- A Review of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Environmental Jurisprudence
- Notice of Intent to Sue for Violations of the Clean Water Act
- Amicus Brief of Steven Gaw and Steven Weisman in North Dakota v. Heydinger
- Joint Letter to SEC on Corporate Disclosures
- Joint Letter to SEC on Corporate Disclosures, Attachment
- Freeing Energy Data: A guide for regulators to reduce one barrier to residential energy efficiency
- Memorandum Supporting Request by Oceana and University of Chicago Abrams Environmental Law Clinic for Formal Investigation into Disclosures Made by Royal Dutch Shell PLC About Its U.S. Arctic Ocean Program
In this video, faculty and students at the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic talk about their efforts during the past several years to promote renewable energy in low-income, people-of-color communities near Detroit and to require the federal government to account for the global impacts of climate change when it writes rules and leases coal from federal lands.
The clinic’s work broadly falls into six different categories: traditional Clean Water Act litigation, Clean Water Act-related rule makings and comments, water quantity litigation, drinking water advocacy, climate and energy litigation and policy, and land and mining litigation and policy.
In 2016, the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic began working with East Chicago, Indiana, residents in their fight for a safe cleanup of the soil contamination that has harmed the area for decades. In a different project, the clinic represents Soulardarity, a nonprofit that helps residents in the Detroit area launch their own solar energy projects, advocate for reliable electricity service, and more.
On the surface, these two projects are very different.
Protecting Our Great Lakes, Rivers, and Shorelines
The Abrams Clinic represents Friends of the Chicago River and the Sierra Club in their efforts to hold Trump Tower in downtown Chicago accountable for withdrawing water illegally from the Chicago River.
Protecting Our Great Lakes, Rivers, and Shorelines
Since 2016, the Abrams Clinic has worked with the Chicago chapter of the Surfrider Foundation to protect water quality along the Lake Michigan shoreline in northwest Indiana, where its members surf. In April 2017, the US Steel plant in Portage, Indiana, spilled approximately 300 pounds of hexavalent chromium into Lake Michigan.
Profs. Hajin Kim, Joshua C. Macey, Mark N. Templeton, and Robert A. Weinstock discuss the legal and legislative challenges the new administration may face in implementing its policy proposals.
Student Experience
Students learn substantive environmental and energy law while working in the Clinic, develop research and presentation skills, and how to root their advocacy in the areas in which they have a comparative advantage.
Where Abrams Clinic students have worked during their summers
- Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing
- American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California
- Animal Legal Defense Fund
- Business & Professional People for the Public Interest
- California Appellate Project
- Centre for Applied Legal Studies
- Chapman & Cutler
- Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice
- City of Chicago Department of Law, Environmental Litigation Division
- County Attorney's Office for Jefferson County (Lakewood, CO)
- Covington & Burling
- Debevoise & Plimpton
- Earthjustice
- Ellis & Winters, Raleigh, NC
- Equip for Equality
- Foley & Lardner
- Fredrikson & Byron
- Jenner & Block
- Grippo & Elden
- Hanson Bridgett
- Holland & Hart
- Hon. Andrea Wood, N.D. Ill.
- Husch Blackwell
- International Labour Organization (Geneva, Switzerland)
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Latham & Watkins
- Locke Lord
- Lurie Children's Hospital Legal Department
- Merchant & Gould
- Microsoft
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Nelson Mullins
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Parr Brown
- Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
- Perkins Coie
- Proskauer Rose
- Riverkeeper
- Santa Clara County District Attorney
- Sidley Austin
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
- Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Endreson & Perry
- Sullivan & Cromwell
- Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid
- U.S. Attorney's Office, N.D. Ill.
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division
- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division
- U.S. Department of Justice, Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section
- U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental and Natural Resources Division
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission
- U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Richard Durbin
- University of North Carolina - Asheville, Office of General Counsel
- Winston & Strawn
Where Abrams Clinic alumni are working now
- ACLU of Pennsylvania
- Baker & McKenzie
- Baker Botts
- Clean Wisconsin
- Clearly Gottlieb
- Complete Wireless Consulting
- Consumer Finance Protection Bureau
- Covington & Burling
- Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle
- Earthjustice
- Ellis & Winters
- Foley & Lardner
- Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children
- Gurtin Municipal Bond Management
- Holland & Hart LLP
- Hon. Frank Easterbrook, 7th Cir.
- Hon. Joan Lefkow, N.D. IL
- Hon. Manish Shah, N.D. IL
- Husch Blackwell
- Illinois Pollution Control Board
- Iowa Department of Justice
- Kings County District Attorney's Office
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Locke Lord
- Luzzatto Company, Inc.
- Milbank Tweed Hadley and McCloy
- Morrison & Foerster
- Parr, Brown, Gee, & Loveless
- Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
- Perkins Coie
- Proskauer Rose
- Roberts & Willie
- Sapphire Ventures
- Sidley Austin
- Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett
- Sonoma County Counsel's Office
- University of Liege
- US Environmental Protection Agency
- WilmerHale
- Winston & Strawn