Upcoming Live CLE Webinar • April 21, 2026
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The Earth Law and Rights of Nature (RoN) movements have gained significant traction in the past decade. Marking a departure from traditional environmental law, both Earth law and RoN are broadly based on the idea that elements of nature, including ecosystems and wildlife populations, can properly be accorded legal personality and enjoy the protections of certain rights. What was once an obscure legal theory has quickly become the subject of numerous cases and legislative actions in the U.S. and an impactful trend in international law.
With roots in Indigenous legal thinking and relationships to traditional environmental law, RoN is an established (if contested) legal principle in some countries in Latin America and has taken root throughout Europe. This program looks at where RoN is today and where it appears to be heading, in the U.S. and around the world.
What You Will Learn
After completing this program, participants will be able to:
Grasp the diverse applications of Earth law, from human rights to clean air, water, and a healthy environment to nature-centric land trusts and corporate governance
Appreciate the legal, scientific, and philosophical foundations of Rights of Nature laws
Track the growth of Earth-centric and RoN laws and policies around the world
Understand the opposition to RoN, including anti-RoN laws in various U.S. states including Idaho, Utah, and Florida (possibly also the removal of RoN from Ecuador’s constitution)
Gain insights into how courts around the world are ruling in cases seeking expansion of Earth-centric and RoN protections, including legal recognition of specific ecosystems and wildlife populations
Speaker
Kevin R. Schneider, Esq.
Earth Law Center
Kevin Schneider is counsel to the Earth Law Center, a US-based nonprofit advancing earth-centered laws. Since 2013, Kevin has devoted much of his legal career to expanding legal rights to animals and ecosystems. As executive director of the Nonhuman Rights Project (2015-22), he represented an elephant named Happy in a historic habeas corpus case in New York. He has authored several articles and textbook chapters, including for the first and second editions of the textbook Earth Law, and has delivered guest lectures at leading institutions including Harvard, Yale, George Washington University, Fordham, and NYU. Kevin holds a JD from Florida State University with a certificate in environmental and land use law and a BA in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He is admitted to practice in New York and the federal courts.
Program Details
Program Date: April 21, 2026 from 12:00-1:00 Eastern Time
Format: Live Webinar
Cost: $79
Audience: Environmental lawyers, sustainability practitioners, government lawyers, legal academics, and judiciary members.
CLE credit: Credit has been applied for in California and New York and approval is pending. This program is designed to qualify for CLE credit in jurisdictions that permit self-reporting of live educational activities.
Financial Assistance: Earth Law Center provides financial assistance to attorneys who require it. Attorneys seeking financial aid should submit a Financial Aid Application prior to registering for the program. Learn more about our financial aid policy.