We are honored to introduce Ecology Law Quarterly’s 2019–20 Annual Review of Environmental and Natural Resource Law. Now in its twenty-first year, the Annual Review is a collaborative endeavor by students and faculty. But the greatest contribution to the Annual Review is made by the editorial board and members of Ecology Law Quarterly (ELQ). ELQ continues to be the leading journal in the field because of their passion and commitment. Three students deserve special recognition: Kaela Shiigi, Emily Miller, and Katie Sinclair devoted a substantial portion of their final year of law school to assisting and advising the student authors. This Annual Review is infused with their talent and insights. Along with her co-Editor-in-Chief, Mary Rassenfoss, Ms. Shiigi played a particularly important role, as she also shepherded the issue through to publication as she prepared for the bar exam and her post-graduation employment.
Finally, the Annual Review would not be possible without the extraordinary group of student authors whose work is profiled in this Foreword. Their aptitude and zeal for the law is evident from the scholarship they have produced. This year’s Annual Review consists of eleven longer pieces, or Notes, and ten shorter pieces, or In Briefs. All of the In Briefs featured in this issue were written by first-year law students. These authors worked with law student mentors to produce stellar work during what most consider to be the most challenging year of law school. We commend them on their efforts and congratulate them on a job well done. The Note authors completed their pieces as part of a year-long environmental law writing seminar. Often starting with
little background, each dove into a recent decision, worked tirelessly to understand its context and import, used the decision as a starting point to analyze a broader set of issues, developed a thesis, and wrote a polished Note, all within the space of an academic year. We are awed by their commitment, impressed with their final products, and grateful for the opportunity to work with them.
