Vermont Law and Graduate School

Hot Topics | Climate Advisory Opinions in International Tribunals
2026-07-14 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Climate Advisory Opinions in International Tribunals,” will be presented by David Wirth of Boston College Law School.

Led by the International Court of Justice in the Hague, three international tribunals have now delivered transformative advisory opinions on the international legal obligations of states to address anthropogenic climate disruption. After describing the advisory opinion process and purpose, this presentation will explore the catalytic impact of these judgments on the public international law of climate protection, including their relationship to treaty efforts such as the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate—from both of which the U.S. is now withdrawing.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | What Robin Hood Tells Us About Climate Competitiveness
2026-07-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “What Robin Hood Tells Us About Climate Competitiveness,” will be presented by Bruce Piasecki of AHC Group, Inc.

One of the most effective ways we communicate with each other, and move our society forward, is through stories and fables that endure. The tale of Robin Hood, more appealing than the usual diatribes about climate risk, is now 700 years old. What does this tale tell us about the human psyche, the needs for the redistribution of wealth, and our primary prejudices about business and society?

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

The Power of Policy
2026-07-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
Join Graduate School Dean Dan Bromberg for a virtual event centered on policy and the vital role it plays. We’ll explore the powerful mechanism of policy and how public policy professionals are central to communities navigating challenges and building resiliency.

Dean Bromberg will highlight the work of our students and alumni as well as the unique opportunities VLGS has to offer. The session will include a Q&A, as well as information on how to apply.

Reserve your spot in the webinar by clicking here.

*This event is geared toward prospective master’s students.

Hot Topics | Environmental Security in the Earth's Polar Regions
2026-07-21 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

This session, “Environmental Security in the Earth’s Polar Regions,” will be presented by Mark Nevitt, Emory University School of Law and VLGS Climate Law Distinguished Scholar, and Bob Percival, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | The Long Tail of Nikolai Vavilov: On the Trail of the World's Centers of Plant Biodiversity in a Post-Colonial Era
2026-07-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.This session, “The Long Tail of Nikolai Vavilov: On the Trail of the World’s Centers of Plant Biodiversity in a Post-Colonial Era,” will be presented by Mark Schapiro, VLGS Center for Agriculture and Food Systems Law Media Fellow.

A century ago, Russian botanist Nikolai Vavilov identified the Earths’ centers of biodiversity. Today, big-ag and big-pharma are headed to those centers in search of climate-resilient plants. Schapiro will discuss how access to genetic resources is being reshaped by the rise of indigenous rights, emerging international covenants and assertions of national sovereignty.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | Occupational Hazards in a Warming Climate: Preventing Heat Illness in Agricultural Settings
2026-07-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.This session, “Occupational Hazards in a Warming Climate: Preventing Heat Illness in Agricultural Settings,” will be presented by Emma Scott, director of VLGS’s clinical programs and the Food and Agriculture Clinic.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

Hot Topics | How Do We Transition? What Committing to Decarbonization Means for Legacy Fossil Fuel Infrastructure
2026-07-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us online for the Hot Topics in Environmental Law Summer Lecture Series, brought to you by the Environmental Law Center at VLGS. The series is free and open to the public. In addition to featuring live Q&A with the audience, each installment is eligible for Vermont Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.This session, “How Do We Transition? What Committing to Decarbonization Means for Legacy Fossil Fuel Infrastructure,” will be presented by Emily Grubert, University of Notre Dame and VLGS Energy Law Distinguished Scholar.

Ending greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century is crucial for international climate targets, but what that actually means at a practical, physical level is rarely discussed. This Hot Topics talk will describe how coordinating fossil infrastructure phase-out could help us move faster by ensuring that we understand when, what, and in what order existing fossil fuel infrastructure needs to close.

Tune into the livestream by clicking here.

2026 Colloquium on Environmental Scholarship
2026-09-24 00:00 - 2026-09-26 23:59
Vermont Law and Graduate School will host the Seventeenth Annual Colloquium on Environmental Scholarship on Friday September 25, 2026. Colloquium participants are environmental law faculty in the U.S. and abroad. This event offers environmental law scholars the opportunity to present their works-in-progress, to get feedback from their colleagues, and to meet and interact with those who are also teaching and researching in areas related to environmental and natural resources law, or any related specialty areas.

If you are interested in presenting a paper at the colloquium, please submit a working title and abstract of 200-300 words no later than May 31, 2026. For an abstract to be eligible for submission, the author must anticipate that the paper will be a true working draft (neither published nor so close to publication that significant changes are not feasible) by the date of the colloquium. We will do our best to notify authors about acceptances by mid-June.

Stay tuned for more details!
