Environmental Law

Environmental Law Program

Environmental Law Program

The Environmental Law Program uses strategic legal campaigns to fight climate change, to protect clean air, water and wilderness, and to promote justice for communities threatened by pollution.


In the past year alone, we launched more than 200 legal actions to challenge the fossil fuel industry's destructive effects on our air, water, and climate.

About Our Program

Our team of top-notch attorneys and legal staff leverages all of the Club's tools of democracy, integrating legal advocacy with grassroots organizing, sophisticated communications, a state-of-the-art digital strategies team, and administrative lobbying.

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Support the Environmental Law Program

We pair litigation with effective community organizing and strong local communications to build genuine, informed support from community members and government officials.

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Our Staff

We are a team of professional attorneys and staff who combine sophisticated legal tactics with a commitment to social and environmental justice at the grassroots level. We pair litigation with effective community organizing and strong local communications to build genuine, informed support from community members and government officials, making courtroom victories sustainable over the long term.

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June 30, 2020

U.S. Court of Appeals for DC Circuit issued ruled against FERC's controversial practice of issuing tolling orders. The decision has major implications for how fracked gas pipelines get approved and built in the US

June 26, 2020

SAN FRANCISCO — The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today ruled that President Trump’s attempt to circumvent Congress and transfer of $2.5 billion in military pay and pension funds for border wall construction is unlawful. The court also…

June 21, 2020

The Sierra Club filed a motion for preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against the Permian Highway Pipeline. In late April, the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit arguing that the Army Corps failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (…

June 15, 2020

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision that limited the U.S. Forest Service’s authority to issue a permit to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP)

June 5, 2020

WASHINGTON, DC - Leaders of four organizations from across the progressive spectrum released the following statement today demonstrating unity and support for protecting Black lives and protestors who have taken to the streets. The following…

10M+

acres of wilderness protected

200+

lawsuits filed to resist Trump

1K+

miles of dirty fuel pipelines blocked

382

coal plants retired