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Foreword

David W. Case

On April 1, 2011, the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (ABA-SEER) held a symposium on U.S. Environmental Justice and the Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law. The law school and the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi were co-hosts of this event. The symposium brought together representatives of academia, government, the private bar, nongovernmental organizations, and the corporate sector from around the country to discuss current issues in the field of environmental justice.

The idea for ABA-SEER to hold the symposium at the University of Mississippi School of Law was the brainchild of two individuals, Steve McKinney, then chair (now immediate past chair) of ABA-SEER, and John Milner, a member of the ABA- SEER Council. Both are graduates of the University of Mississippi—including Milner as a graduate of the law school—and they pursued their desire to bring this event to their alma mater enthusiastically and relentlessly.

We at the University of Mississippi School of Law are extraordinarily grateful to Steve and John for working so tirelessly to bring this important event to their alma mater. The law school was honored and privileged to host the symposium as well as the 2011 Spring Council Meeting of ABA-SEER. Special thanks also go to the members of the ABA-SEER’s Symposium Planning Committee for nearly a year of dedicated work in organizing the event. Members of the planning committee included McKinney (Balch & Bingham, Birmingham, AL); Milner (Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, Jackson, MS); Alexandra Dapolito Dunn (Executive Director, Association of Clean Water Administrators, Washington, DC); Tara Duhy (Lewis, Longman & Walker, West Palm Beach, FL); James McDonald (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC); Nicholas Targ (Holland & Knight, San Francisco, CA); and Professor David Case (University of Mississippi School of Law, Oxford, MS).

Symposium Articles:

• SPEECHES:
• • Environmental Symposium Opening Remarks
  • Eileen Gauna - Environmental Symposium Address
  • Jewell A. Harper - Environmental Symposium Address
  • Daria E. Neal - Environmental Symposium Address
  • Malcolm D. Jackson - Environmental Symposium Address

• ESSAYS:
• • Melissa McGee-Collier – Reflection on Environmental Justice
  • Stephen Renfroe - The Mutual Benefits of Community Engagement
  • Alec D. Van Ryan - Community Engagement: One Point of View on the EPA’s Newly Re-defined Environmental Justice Initiative & Path Forward Strategies for Counsel and Industry