Student-Run Journal’s Annual List Covers Pressing Environmental Topics for 2026
SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt. (January 30, 2026) — The Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, a publication from Vermont Law and Graduate School, has released its annual Top 10 Environmental Watch List for 2026.
The list includes 10 pieces, each written by a student editor and a faculty co-author from the school, which examine the most pressing environmental law issues facing courts, regulators and communities in 2026.
This year’s standout stories are:
- NEPA Without CEQ: Environmental Review Under Trump and Seven County
- Written by Benjamin Behimer and Christophe Courchesne
- The Night the Lights Will Go Out in Georgia: Regulatory Action Is Needed to Protect Communities From Footing the Bill of Data Centers’ Energy Demands
- Written by Cassidy McMann and Dr. Guanchi Zhang
- Rage Against the Wind: The Markets Won’t Do What the OBBB Tells Them
- Written by Emily Dwight and Mark James LLM’16
- Rescinding the Endangerment Finding
- Written by Kelli Cigelnik and Pat Parenteau
- Environmental Destruction Through Deregulation
- Written by Eric Grimes and Rachel Westrate
- Superfund Climate Acts Under Threat: Implications for States
- Written by Emily Karwacki and Kirt Mayland
- Balancing the Conservation Checkbook: How the Federal Government is Quietly Risking America’s Soil
- Written by Julia Wickham and Jonathan Coppess
- Roads Not Taken: The Trump Administration’s Roadless Rule Reversal
- Written by Drew Collins and Ross Jones
- Climate Negotiation and Litigation with the International Court of Justice and Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ 2025 Advisory Opinions
- Written by Ilinca Johnson and Beatrice Hamilton
- Ending Suburban Sprawl As A Climate Solution: New Paths Forward For Sustainable Development
- Written by Joseph Lepak and Dayna Smith JD’20
The Vermont Journal of Environmental Law offers a forum for discussion of contemporary legal issues and provides articles from academics, practitioners and students alike. Founded in 1996, it serves as a resource for environmental advocates in the legal field and beyond.
Learn more about the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, read past issues and more at vjel.vermontlaw.edu.
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Vermont Law and Graduate School, a private, independent institution, is home to a law school that offers ABA-accredited residential and online hybrid JD programs and a graduate school that offers master’s degrees and certificates in multiple disciplines, including programs offered by the Maverick Lloyd School for the Environment, the Center for Justice Reform and other graduate-level programs emphasizing the intersection of environmental justice, social justice and public policy. Both the law and graduate schools strongly feature experiential clinical and field work learning. For more information, visit vermontlaw.edu, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.