This fall marks my second year teaching Environmental Law at the University of Nevada, Reno. I also taught NEPA Compliance last spring and will return to that course again this spring.

Teaching these courses provides an opportunity to bring together several parts of my professional background. Before earning my law degree I studied environmental and natural resource science. I later completed a doctorate in biochemistry. Today, my legal practice at Schroeder Law Offices, P.C. includes water rights, public lands, administrative appeals, environmental compliance, public records, and litigation.

Environmental Law in the Classroom Benefits Students

Environmental Law introduces students to the major federal regulatory statutes and the different approaches Congress has used to address environmental problems. Students examine laws governing environmental review, water and air pollution, oil spills, endangered species, hazardous waste, and contaminated sites. The NEPA Compliance course takes a closer look at federal environmental review, including Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements, alternatives analysis, mitigation, public participation, agency decision-making, and judicial review.

Teaching these subjects reinforces an important lesson: environmental law operates at the intersection of law, science, public policy, and practical decision-making. A statute may appear straightforward, but applying it often requires agencies, attorneys, scientists, project proponents, and affected communities to work through technical information, competing priorities, and detailed procedural requirements.

Environmental law in the classroom also benefits my legal practice

Explaining complex statutes and cases to students requires identifying the central rule, understanding how the pieces fit together, and communicating the answer clearly. Those same skills are essential when advising clients, working with technical consultants, preparing administrative filings, and litigating disputes involving water and other natural resources.

At Schroeder Law Offices, P.C., our attorneys regularly work at the intersection of law, science, government decision-making, and natural-resource management. Teaching Environmental Law and NEPA Compliance complements that work by encouraging continued engagement with developing legal issues and by strengthening our ability to explain complex environmental requirements clearly and practically to clients.