The Red Velvet Lawyer

Using ADR to Compensate Victims of Environmental Catastrophes In my Environmental Dispute Resolution course, I devote one class to a discussion of the claims facilities used in the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the BP Gulf Coast oil spill disaster.  The facilities attempted to handle the inevitable claims arising from these traumatic events in an organized way that allowed expeditious handling of the claims outside of litigation.  Both adopted a form of arbitration.   If well designed, these facilities could also enhance procedural justice for claimants --  voice, careful consideration of the facts by the neutral, impartiality by the neutral, and respectful and dignified treatment of claimants. Updating the Story An  article  in The New York Times today updates the status of the Gulf Coast claims facility.     The Times describes the spill this way: The oil rig fire and the nearly unstoppable fountain of oil that followed at the Macondo Prospec

Understanding and Solving Complex Environmental Issues This Cold Morning Schools and offices closed as the temperatures dipped to lows not seen in decades. Experts explained what was happening here and here .  A deep dip in the jet stream allowed the frigid cold and winds of the North Pole to descend far south.   This morning, my little micro-climate in the central Appalachian Mountains registered a temperature of nearly six degrees below zero.  My home town of St. Louis, inundated with a large snow fall and even colder temperatures, is reportedly "closed" today.  The entire city. As I write this post, I am bundled in a fleece robe, long underwear, yoga pants, a hat, and my pink, fluffy, finger-less gloves.  I've got a lap blanket wrapped around my legs and mid-section, but I'm about to crawl inside my down sleeping bag so I can continue to work at the computer comfortably. Boo Boo, my littlest dog, is wearing two layers of dog clothes and has cur

Appalachian School of Law Environmental Law Society The Appalachian School of Law Environmental Law Society is open to any student enrolled at the school.  Students created it in 2007.  Its Facebook page appears  here . Mission Statement The ELS: Promotes awareness of environmental concerns, issues, and problems within the legal community, the student body, and the local community; Bridges the communication and information gaps between the scientific and political/legal communities; Enhances the law school experience for students interested in environmental issues confronting southwest Virginia, the United States, and the World; and, Serves the community and the school by actively engaging in projects and events to serve this mission.  Sponsored Activities As noted in my posting on the Energy and Mineral Law Society , ASL students have planted trees, including blight-resistant American Chestnuts, in honor of Arbor Day in April. ESL co-sponsors this ev

This month, the Energy and Mineral Law Institute is featuring Appalachian School of Law on its  website .  I have reproduced that lengthy discussion below.   Be sure to check out the link for the upcoming symposium.  It will be terrific. Students may get a discount.   Our Program Excitement is growing over the official launch of ASL’s Natural Resources Law Program in 2013.  The NRLP is intended to provide a place for rational discussion, intelligent debate and collaboration by engaging both students and the surrounding community in efforts to balance our very real energy needs with stewardship of our land and natural resources.   A few years back, ASL formulated a plan to create a nationally-recognized natural resources law program.  The goal was to take advantage of ASL’s location in the heart of Appalachia’s coal and gas fields, to attract high quality students with an interest in this area of the law, to provide a resource both to the surrounding community and to t