Environmental law presents unique challenges for pro bono practice, with technically complex issues that can drag on for years. Meanwhile, communities facing environmental injustice desperately need legal representation but rarely have resources to pay for it. How can lawyers provide meaningful access to justice when environmental cases demand resources that pro bono models struggle to provide?
This panel explores how different approaches to pro bono environmental advocacy navigate these structural tensions. Attendees will learn what distinguishes environmental cases from other pro bono work, including which matters are feasible within typical pro bono constraints and when resource limitations require difficult decisions about case selection. Panelists will discuss how to navigate divided client groups, balance legal strategy with community organizing goals, and recognize when legal intervention alone may not serve communities' needs. This session examines the gap between access to justice ideals and resource realities, and explores how lawyers can serve communities effectively while acknowledging the structural limitations of volunteer legal work.
Moderator:
- Gail Suchman, Partner, Sheppard
Speakers:
- Cliff Villa, Professor of Law, University of New Mexico School of Law
- Lauren Worsek, Director of Pro Bono Initiatives, Lawyers for Good Government
Panel Liaison:
- Joshua Ash, Director, Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Law