US Int'l Enviro Laws Pol

2 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course introduces the variety of important environmental challenges addressed by environmental laws and the legal complexities of environmental regulatory schemes. The course teaches first the US legal system in the context of environmental protection with emphasis on the legal framework for environmental protection as it has evolved in the United States, including an overview of administrative law processes and an examination of the science methodologies that are used to support regulatory decisions. Students is exposed to key constitutional principles, common law, statutes, and regulations that govern the administration of environmental law. The course then examines the history, development, sources and principles of international environmental law and review the role of relevant international organizations in the context of environmental protection. Other key international issues including atmospheric protection, climate change and trans-boundary water are examined in the context of US and international environmental law. This course provides the foundation by covering the “fundamentals” of environmental laws.