Environmental & Land Use Law Section
The Environmental and Land Use Law (ELUL) Section represents a diverse membership with individuals who are often on different sides of an issue, but who are all committed to civil and professional cooperation for the protection and enhancement of shared communities. The ELUL Section provides benefits to members by initiating, implementing, and supporting opportunities for the interchange of ideas surrounding environmental and land use law. To further discussion among members, the ELUL Section hosts an annual midyear CLE conference each spring and Mini-CLEs throughout the year. It also supports law student development by providing scholarships and hosting networking events that create opportunities for law students to meet legal professionals.
The ELUL Section helps members keep up with this rapidly developing area of law. Accordingly, it regularly publishes information and provides access to scholarly analyses of fundamental and emerging environmental and land use law issues. The ELUL Section website contains current, scholarly information on emerging trends in environmental and land use law, including analyses of cases, draft rules, and new statutes that affect this area of practice. During the legislative session, the ELUL Section shares information about bills that are relevant to environmental and land use law as a resource to further collaboration and discussion.
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The Environmental & Land Use Law Section offers many resources and benefits for members. On this page you will find information about the section, upcoming events and offerings, as well as information about the section's executive committee.
Upcoming ProgramsELUL Annual FellowshipAdvice for Law StudentsGet Involved | Social Media & List ServeSection Membership BenefitsExecutive CommitteeExecutive Committee Meetings |
Upcoming Programs
NEW Webinar! Wildfires in Washington
Developed in partnership with the WSBA Environmental and Land Use Law Section
Human activity has altered not only wildfire intensity and fire-return interval, but baseline forest structure, causing habitat fragmentation, proliferation of exotic species, and a lack of landscape diversity. Wildfires, even large-scale conflagrations, present an opportunity to reclaim nature forest structure and diversity. However, current public perception of native forest structure is biased by over a century of management decisions and the persistent impression that wildfire is ecologically destructive, rather than a natural part of the ecosystem. Addressing both will be important in shaping ecologically-focused approaches to wildfire prevention and recovery in forestlands.
When: Nov. 14, 2024
Time: 2–3 p.m. PST
Credits: 1.00 Other
NEW Webinar! Eco-Distress: What it is & Taking Care of Yourself While Working with Impacted Clients
Developed in partnership with the WSBA Environmental and Land Use Law Section
This presentation defines eco-distress, including climate anxiety and environmental grief, and identifies more common causes of eco-distress as well as how it may be impacting your mental health as environmental and land use lawyers. We'll discuss how eco-distress may relate to vicarious trauma and/or burnout for the practicing attorney and identify practices to manage such distress and increase well-being, both of which are essential to the ethical and competent practice of law. Finally, we'll discuss how to communicate with clients who may also be experiencing eco-distress.
When: Dec. 13, 2024
Time: 9–10 a.m. PT
Credits: 1.00 Ethics
Follow Us on Social Media and our List Serve!
Come follow the Environmental and Land Use Law Section social media accounts and list serve.
To join the section list serve or for general section questions, please send your email address and bar number to sections@wsba.org. For more information and to get involved with the section, please contact Section Chair, Martha Wehling. The ELUL Section is on Facebook and LinkedIn; please follow us to receive the most recent updates.
ELUL's Annual Fellowship for Students
Check here for information about ELUL Section's Annual Fellowship.
Advice for Law Students
The Environmental and Land Use Law Section Executive Committee has put together a collection of advice for law students. We hope you find this compilation of reflections and advice to be helpful as you navigate through the unique challenges of this unprecedented moment in history.
Get Involved!
Are you interested in speaking at a CLE seminar or in helping to organize a CLE? The section is always looking for ideas, speakers, and volunteers. To propose topics and speakers for our mini-CLEs, please contact an ELUL Executive Committee member. To propose topics, speakers, or co-chairs for the ELUL's Annual Midyear Seminar, please contact Tom Wilcox. Co-chairs are selected in the fall of each year, and typically begin planning the next year’s Midyear Seminar toward the end of each current year.
The Benefits of Membership
The ELUL Blog
In 2020, ELUL shifted from a newsletter format to publication of articles on a blog. The blog is a free resource that provides updates and in-depth articles on cases, draft rules, new statutes, and other topics relevant to environmental and land use law practitioners. A host of talented and dedicated lawyers donate their time to make this publication the great success it is.
Spring 2017 │ Summer 2016 │ Spring 2016 │ November 2015 │ August 2015 │ February 2015
Archived issues are available to section members upon request. To request an issue, please email sections@wsba.org.
Midyear Seminar
Every year, the Section hosts a meeting that features a two-day CLE in a resort area in the state. The CLE program is carefully vetted through the Executive Committee to ensure that top-quality presentations focus on timely topics of current utility and interest to environmental and land use law practitioners. As most of us have practices that delve into the realms of both land use and environmental law, the CLE allows us to get up to date on both areas of the law. Again, opportunities abound to network in a relaxed atmosphere ideal for forging new friendships and working relationships. We work hard to keep the cost as low as possible for our members and provide scholarships to qualified individuals. Contact AT Miller & Dylan Stonecipher to propose topics or speakers. Your dues make this possible.
Mini-CLEs
The Section provides its members with low-cost mini-CLEs to coincide with significant cases and topics relevant to environmental and land use practitioners. Please watch social media, the ELUL list serve, and this website for upcoming mini-CLEs, and please contact Jason Foust to propose topics or speakers. Your dues make this possible.
Sponsoring Law School Students in Internships
The Section helps sponsor internships in the fields of land use and environmental law to deserving law students at the three law schools in Washington. The Executive Committee believes it is important for the Section to help students find their way into practice areas that are highly specialized and in which it is sometimes difficult to find relevant experience. We hope that by helping law students in internships, we will help grow the highly skilled lawyers of the future. Your dues make this possible.
Special Projects
Giving back to the community is important. The Executive Committee in the past several years has developed a high school curriculum for Law Day specifically geared toward environmental and land use law, undertaken a project on sustainability of law office practices, and hosted numerous free brown bags on topics of interest such as I-297 and the Endangered Species Act. We have also sponsored Earth Day and Habitat for Humanity Work Days. Your dues make this possible.
Scholarship Information
The WSBA Environmental and Land Use Law Section solicits donations from law firms and section members to fund scholarships for its midyear meeting and conference held each spring. Scholarships serve an educational and charitable purpose by helping attorneys and law students attend the midyear conference and CLE who would not otherwise be able to attend.
Please Donate to the Scholarship Fund
To contribute to the ELUL Section Scholarship Fund, please donate online or contact the Washington State Bar Foundation. Donations are fully tax deductible.
Executive Committee
Chair: Darren Carnell (2024-2025) Chair-Elect: Jason Foust (2024-2025) Immediate Past Chair: Martha Wehling (2024-2025) Treasurer: Vacant (2024-2025) Young Lawyer Liaison: Katy O'Keefe (2024-2026) Board of Governors Liaison*: Jordan Couch (2024-2025) *Nonvoting member
| At-Large Members: Blog Editors*: Mini-CLE Planning: TBD (2024-2025) Website, Communications, and Blog Editorial Board Liaisons*: TBD
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Executive Committee Meetings
The WSBA ELUL Executive Committee generally conducts meetings via Zoom video conference the second Wednesday of each month at 3:30 p.m. Please see the event calendar for exact time and Zoom link.
See the ELUL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes page to see archived meeting minutes.
For more information about the Executive Committee members, check out their biographies.
