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
Executive Committee Elections
Election season is here! If you’re interested in applying to serve on your section’s executive committee, head over to the Elections page to see a list of open positions and how to apply.
If you have any questions, please email sections@wsba.org.
NEW! ELUL Annual Spring Networking Event
ELUL Law Student Mixer 2024 Invite
What: Networking! An opportunity for students and young lawyers to meet and mingle with the environmental and land use attorneys, all of whom have extraordinary experience and wisdom to share. This is also a great opportunity for attorneys to meet the next generation of Washington's environmental and land use attorneys.
When: April 4, 2024
Time: 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Where: Stoup Brewing in Capitol Hill, 1158 Broadway, Seattle, WA
Food and drink will be provided!
Please invite any friends or colleagues you think would be interested in attending!
Questions can be directed to Rachel Sinsheimer at rachel@corvidlaw.com.
NEW! ELUL 2024 Midyear Conference
Register Now for In-Person or Webcast!
Presented in partnership with the WSBA Environmental and Land Use Law Section
Join us in-person or virtually for the Environmental and Land Use Midyear from April 18-20, 2024. We are back in beautiful Suncadia this year as well as broadcasting live via the internet. Hear from jurists and practitioners about timely topics such as: case updates, updates from the ELUHO and hearing examiners; as well as housing, wildfires, and the HEAL Act. Understand concerns related to missing and murdered Indigenous Persons and to Waters of the United States.
We are delighted to welcome Kevin Underhill from Lowering the Bar as this year’s keynote speaker.
See below for scholarships!
When: April 18-20, 2024
Where: Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, WA
Credits:
1.00 Ethics
0.50 Ethics (Equity)
11.50 Law & Legal Procedure
For more details or to register online, follow these links for In-Person or Webcast!
NEW! ELUL Section 2024 Midyear Conference - Public Service Attorney Scholarships
The Environmental and Land Use Law Section of the WSBA is prepared to give two $1,000 scholarships toward 2024 ELUL Midyear Conference costs and expenses. The ELUL Midyear Conference will be held April 18-20, 2024 at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington. Scholarships may be used for conference registration, travel, room, and certain meal expenses.
Eligible applicants will meet the following requirements:
- Work in public interest or public service (i.e., non-profit (501(c)(3)), or local, state or federal government);
- Work in Washington state;
- Practice in the field of environmental and/or land use law;
- Current member of the ELUL (membership may be established any time prior to scholarship application submittal);
- Interest in attending the midyear in person.
HOW TO APPLY
Entrants should submit a short (one page or less) letter with their contact information and a brief statement showing compliance with the eligibility criteria above. Entries should be in PDF format. Entrants must submit their entry by email to jpilgrim82@gmail.com, with the subject line "WSBA 2024 ELUL Midyear Scholarship." Entries must be received on or before 5 p.m. PST on March, 1, 2024.
SELECTION
Successful applicants will be selected at the discretion of a subcommittee of the ELUL Executive Committee. Awardees will be notified by March 14, 2024, and must confirm acceptance of the award (including intent to register for the conference) by March 18, 2024. Registration will be processed using scholarship funds, with the remaining amount awards for other qualifying expenses upon submittal of receipts after the conference.
Thank you to our members and to our generous sponsors—Beveridge & Diamond PC and Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess PLLC—whose dues, donations, and sponsorships make scholarships like this possible.
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: Martha Wehling (2023-2024) Chair-Elect: Thomas Wilcox (2023-2024) Immediate Past Chair: Donya Burns (2023-2024) Secretary: Nicolas Sweeney (2023-2024) Treasurer: Darren Carnell (2023-2024) Young Lawyer Liaison: Rachel Sinsheimer (2022-2024) Board of Governors Liaison*: Jordan Couch (2023-2024) *Nonvoting member
| At-Large Members: Blog Editors*: Derek Gauthier & Chris Pierce-Wright Mini-CLE Planning: Jason Foust (2023-2024) Website, Communications, and Blog Editorial Board Liaisons*: Caroline Cress, Gabrielle Gurian, & Jessica Pilgrim
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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 4 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.