Tulane Environmental Law Clinic

The Tulane Environmental Law Clinic (TELC) is a legal clinic that Tulane Law School has operated since 1989 to offer law students the practical experience of representing real clients in actual legal proceedings under state and federal environmental laws.

TELC's mission is to 1) train effective and ethical lawyers by guiding law students through actual client representation; 2) expand access to the legal system, especially for those who could not otherwise afford competent legal help on environmental issues; and 3) bolster community members’ capacity to participate effectively in environmental decisions.

TELC is part of Tulane University School of Law's environmental law program and has become one of Louisiana’s premier public interest legal services organizations, known especially for its work on environmental justice issues. On behalf of their clients, TELC students and supervising attorneys litigate environmental citizen suits to abate industrial pollution, appeal permits for environmental pollution or destruction of wetlands, challenge agency regulations that fall short of legislative mandates, and prod agencies to perform statutory duties. Louisiana state courts, and most federal courts in Louisiana, have adopted "student practice" rules that allow TELC students to appear and argue in court.

The American Bar Association honored TELC as co-recipient of its first "Award for Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy" in 2000. In 2010, the New Orleans chapter of the Federal Bar Association honored TELC with its Camille F. Gravel Jr. Pro Bono Award In addition, TELC was a runner up for the National Law Journal's Lawyer of the Year award in 1998.

Attorney Suzanne S. Dickey has explained that TELC student attorneys have "handled cases involving all aspects of environmental law, including air pollution, conservation of natural resources, urban land use and siting of waste facilities." Some examples appear below.

In addition to funding from Tulane Law School, TELC relies on donations by individuals, families and corporations, foundation grants, and attorney-fee recoveries.

Many of TELC’s cases involve large corporations or issues of community, statewide, or national concern. For this reason, TELC’s work on behalf of its clients can be controversial.John R. Kramer, the law school's dean at the time of TELC's inception, publicly defended TELC's work when it frustrated Louisiana chemical and oil companies during his tenure through 1996.

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