Environmental Law

Girl wins $300K settlement over seizure and slaughter of pet goat

By the time Jessica Long learned where her 9-year-old daughter’s beloved pet goat was, it was too late to save him. Sheriff’s deputies had seized the goat, named Cedar, while he was staying at a Northern California farm. They delivered him to Shasta County fair officials, who claimed the county owned the goat, court documents say. Cedar was later slaughtered, and the family sued county officials.

Nov 5, 2024 3:30 PM CST

Colorado Supreme Court considers whether habeas petition can free zoo elephants

The Colorado Supreme Court considered last week whether five wild-born zoo elephants should be considered "persons" entitled to seek liberty through a habeas corpus petition.

Oct 30, 2024 2:09 PM CDT

Supreme Court clears way for Biden’s plan to cut power plant emissions

The Supreme Court cleared the way Wednesday for a Biden administration plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants burning fossil fuels, denying an emergency appeal by more than two dozen Republican-led states, utilities and others.

Oct 17, 2024 10:30 AM CDT

Landmark Chevron decision was overturned; what happens now?

A landmark ruling overturning Chevron deference has introduced vulnerability into the power of federal agencies—but attorneys are conflicted about the significance of the outcome, which they say may be much ado about nothing.

Oct 14, 2024 3:13 PM CDT

‘Spoiled rotten’ beaver caught in dramatic court case over her future

Nibi, a furry female beaver taken in by wildlife rescuers, has become a household name in Boston—and now her future is set to be determined in a court case that has made national headlines and garnered the attention of the state governor.

Oct 4, 2024 8:50 AM CDT

MacArthur ‘genius grants’ fellows include law prof, domestic violence researcher

Among the winners of the 2024 MacArthur Foundation fellowships, commonly known as "genius grants," are a law professor who studies racial inequities and a researcher who studies the impact of technology on intimate partner abuse.

Oct 3, 2024 2:30 PM CDT

Oct. 26-31, 1948: A deadly fog kills 20 in a Pennsylvania company town

On Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1948, a peculiarly dirty mist settled over Donora. Smog was a fact of industrial life. And in Donora, seated low in the Monongahela River Valley, heavy smog sometimes required streetlamps at midday. But this fog, stalled by a stubborn cold front, grew viscous and increasingly toxic as the week wore on.

Oct 1, 2024 12:10 AM CDT

Taking Care of Your ‘Good Boy’: Pet trusts ensure animals live a good life after owner dies

Most dog moms and cat dads accept the hard truth that they will likely outlive their beloved animals. But what happens when pets outlive their humans?

Sep 4, 2024 11:03 AM CDT

Give Us a Break: Supreme Court’s summer hiatus interrupted by emergency docket cases

Updated: After a blockbuster and contentious term that spilled over into July, U.S. Supreme Court justices were no doubt eager for their summer recess to begin. But at a recent annual judicial conference, Justice Elena Kagan addressed the idea of the court’s summer recess, bemoaning a trend of recent years in which the press of emergency actions encroached on the justices’ relaxation.

Aug 22, 2024 10:34 AM CDT

‘Huge market opportunity’ for some law firms during ESG backlash

Most major U.S. law firms in recent years have launched dedicated environmental, social and governance (ESG) practice groups to help clients navigate a surge of new rules and initiatives emerging across climate; sustainability; diversity, equity and inclusion; human capital; and other areas. But more recently, law firms have run squarely into the political backlash against ESG.

Aug 1, 2024 2:20 AM CDT

DC Circuit rules for PETA in First Amendment challenge to agency’s social media comment filters

The National Institutes of Health violated the First Amendment when it used keyword filters that blocked Facebook and Instagram comments that criticized animal testing, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jul 31, 2024 2:45 PM CDT

Bill would restore Chevron deference doctrine, create advocate to help citizens participate

A U.S. Senate bill introduced this week would codify the doctrine of Chevron deference, which allows courts to defer to agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous laws.

Jul 25, 2024 9:36 AM CDT

As a prosecutor, Kamala Harris ‘tried to bridge the tricky divide’

Before she became a U.S. senator, the vice president and the potential Democratic nominee for president, Kamala Harris was a prosecutor in California who opposed the death penalty but defended capital punishment on behalf of the state. After graduating from the school formerly known as the University of California Hastings…

Jul 23, 2024 3:40 PM CDT

SCOTUS curbs agency power in ruling that ends Chevron deference; dissent dubs opinion ‘Hubris Squared’

Courts may not defer to an agency’s interpretation of a statute simply because it is ambiguous, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday in a decision that curbs agency power.

Jun 28, 2024 10:17 AM CDT

SCOTUS blocks EPA’s ‘downwind’ air-quality initiative

The Supreme Court dealt a blow to the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of air quality on Thursday, putting on hold a major initiative to improve public health by reducing smog-forming pollution from power plants and factories that blows across state lines.

Jun 27, 2024 11:40 AM CDT