At Conservation Law Center, legal advocacy happens not only at desks or in courtrooms. It is also influenced by time spent with partners, practitioners, and community members in the places where we work to promote conservation and environmental equity.
In May, a group of CLC staff traveled to northwest Indiana to visit site partners connected to our Environmental Legal Aid Program and our public trust work along Indiana’s Lake Michigan shoreline. The visit offered an important opportunity to better understand local conditions and hear directly from partners. We saw firsthand how our legal advocacy and community engagement is supporting conservation priorities in a region that is home to one of Indiana’s most significant natural landscapes .
In northwest Indiana, globally rare ecosystems exist alongside heavy industry. The region’s communities have long born the impacts of contamination and pollution. Spending time on the ground with partners helps ensure that CLC’s legal strategies remain responsive to real conditions, and that our approach is rooted in the needs of the people and places most affected.
CLC’s staff have also been connecting with colleagues across the region’s environmental law community. Christian Freitag and Rachel Schwartz attended the Environmental Law & Policy Center’s Midwest Litigator’s Conference in Chicago, which brought together approximately 60 public interest environmental attorneys to share project updates, discuss emerging legal and policy issues, and build stronger connections among organizations working to protect the Midwest’s environment.
In June, Kim Ferraro presented at the Indiana State Bar Association’s Environmental Law Practicum. Her presentation, “Current & Future Trends in Environmental Law: A Community Perspective,” highlighted the importance of centering community experience in environmental law and policy conversations. The presentation is available here.
Whether meeting with partners, learning from colleagues, or contributing to statewide conversations about the future of environmental law, CLC staff are continually reminded that effective legal advocacy begins with listening. These experiences help us stay connected to the communities, landscapes, and shared responsibilities at the heart of our mission.
