Earth Law Center supports law school professors and other educators interested in teaching Earth law, Rights of Nature, and ecocentric legal frameworks through academically grounded materials, adaptable course content, and collaborative support.
Teaching Earth Law in the Classroom
As crises related to climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss increasingly shape legal and policy debates, educators are seeking frameworks that move beyond conventional environmental law. Earth law offers a growing body of legal theory and practice that centers the Rights of Nature, relational governance, and ecological integrity.
Teaching Earth law introduces students to emerging legal approaches that are already creating new legislative initiatives and influencing courts, constitutions, and governance systems worldwide.
Why Earth Law?
Would you like a guest instructor to speak to your class about the Rights of Nature or other areas of Earth law? Earth Law Center (ELC) has a group of qualified guest instructors available to speak online (or in-person where feasible) to law school classes and other graduate classes (for example, environmental policy). We can also send guest speakers to undergraduate courses with topical fit.
To inquire about guest instructors, contact ELC Education Program Coordinator Florencia Pérez at mfperez@earthlaw.org
Earth Law Guest Instructor
Interested in teaching Earth Law?
Earth Law Center welcomes educators who are interested in teaching Earth law using our textbook and Teacher’s Manual. We also value ongoing dialogue with faculty as we continue to refine and expand our educator resources.
If you are interested in:
Teaching a course based on Earth law
Using the Teacher’s Manual in your classroom
Receiving updates and educator support resources
We invite you to share your interest through our short educator survey.
© Rach Stewart Photography
Supporting Educators who Teach Earth Law
ELC supports educators who want to teach Earth law through resources designed to accompany our foundational textbook and course materials.
Our educator offerings include:
A comprehensive Teacher’s Manual aligned with our textbook, Earth Law: Emerging Ecocentric Law
Adaptable course materials drawn from Earth Law Center’s signature course
Guidance for integrating Earth law into existing courses or developing new offerings
These resources are intended for law schools and other graduate courses, undergraduate programs, and interdisciplinary courses in environmental studies, governance, policy, and related fields.
Teacher’s Manual
The Earth Law Center Teacher’s Manual is designed to support educators in teaching Earth law with clarity, rigor, and flexibility. The manual accompanies the textbook and provides structured guidance while allowing instructors full academic autonomy.
The manual includes:
Suggested course structures and pacing options
Chapter-by-chapter teaching notes
Key concepts and learning objectives
Discussion questions and classroom prompts
Case examples and comparative frameworks
Suggestions for supplementary reading, listening, and viewing resources
Educators may use the manual to support full-semester courses, shorter modules, or integration into existing curricula.
Foundational textbook
Earth Law: Emerging Ecocentric Law provides a structured, practitioner-informed exploration of Earth law, Rights of Nature, and ecocentric governance across jurisdictions in the U.S. and around the world.
The textbook is used by lawyers, professors, & students to:
Ground theory in legal practice
Support teaching and training
Engage deeply with emerging legal frameworks
Educators teaching Earth law may also draw on the Earth Law Portal, which includes curated research materials, case examples, and journal references related to Earth-centered legal frameworks and Rights of Nature.
These materials can support syllabus development, classroom discussion, and student research across legal and interdisciplinary courses.
Earth Law Portal
Earth Law Center’s education program draws on decades of legal advocacy, global casework, and collaborations with communities and educators working to align law with the rights of Nature.
Header Photo: Unsplash / Fahrul Razi; Footer Photo: Unsplash / Victória Duarte