Professor Noah Hall
"Teaching environmental law at Wayne Law is both exciting and rewarding. Our courses and extracurricular opportunities prepare students to solve the most pressing environmental issues of the 21st century."
Why did you specialize in environmental law? I was passionate about environmental issues before I went to law school, and pursued law because it was the best way for me to contribute to solving environmental problems.
What courses do you teach at Wayne Law? Do you have a favorite? I teach environmental law, water law, administrative law, international environmental law, and advanced seminars. I should probably say that I don't have a favorite - I love them all the same (like my kids). But I especially enjoy teaching administrative law, since it is important to students with diverse interests, including immigration, health, labor, and of course the environment. Administrative law addresses fundamental questions regarding the role of government, how decisions are made, and public accountability.
You've recently had a great deal of involvement with the Great Lakes compact, which was just passed by Michigan and the other seven Great Lakes states. Can you tell us briefly what that entails and how you became involved? The Great Lakes compact could be the regional policy success story of the decade. It's a legally binding agreement between the eight Great Lake states that prevents most diversions of Great Lakes water out of the region and establishes new water conservation and environmental protection standards for water use within the region. The compact protects the world's largest freshwater resource from future threats, most importantly climate change. I was part of a collaborative process led by the governors of the eight Great Lakes states to negotiate, draft, and ultimately pass the compact into law. It was a tremendous opportunity to be a part of a historic policy.
How do you share this kind of experience with students in the classroom? Well, students in my water law class probably hear more about the Great Lakes compact than they want, although many of them share my excitement over it. More broadly, I try to give students the sense that they can shape the future of environmental policy. I share my experience advocating for environmental protection in courts, before agencies, and with elected leaders.
It seems as though the environment is at the core of many of today's most pressing issues. What do you see as the future of environmental law? We are really seeing the beginning of the next generation of environmental law. The first generation was in the 1970's, with a focus on reducing pollution from factories, cities, and automobiles. The next generation is obviously focused on climate change, but also on the role that individuals can and must play to solve our most pressing environmental problems.
What kinds of career opportunities are available to those specializing in environmental law? Environmental law is a rapidly growing field. Firms are actively looking to hire environmental attorneys to counsel clients as new environmental laws and policies are being shaped. International environmental law is really taking off, and Wayne's location near the Canadian border gives us a great position. In Michigan, water law is becoming an important new practice area. Environmental attorneys have careers in firms, government, and environmental organizations, sometimes changing tracks mid-career. Attorneys that understand how to solve environmental problems are always in demand.