We are honored to introduce the Ecology Law Quarterly’s 2020–21 Annual Review of Environmental and Natural Resource Law. Now in its twenty-second year, the Annual Review is a collaborative endeavor of students and faculty. But the greatest contributors to the Annual Review are Ecology Law Quarterly’s (ELQ) editorial board and members. ELQ continues to be the leading journal in the field because of their passion and commitment.
Three former students, all of whom are members of the bar, deserve special recognition: Natasha Geiling, Robert Newell, and Naomi Wheeler 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.
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 in the papers they have produced. 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 for analyzing a broader set of issues, developed a thesis, and wrote and polished their paper, all within one academic year. We are awed by their commitment, impressed with the product, and grateful for the opportunity to work with them.
Environmental law is a broad field, intersecting with other fields such as energy law and land use law. The range of topics in the Annual Review is a tribute to the diversity of the field. The contributions to this issue demonstrate that innovative legal analysis can not only advance legal doctrine but can also identify pathways for improving policy. All of those who contributed to the issue deserve credit for continuing ELQ’s tradition of excellence over the past half- century. Law professors, students, legal historians, and countless other scholars seeking insight into the major developments in environmental, natural resource, and land use law will benefit from this Annual Review.
