Professor Luke Cole
Frequently Asked Question about Assignment #2
Small Group Assignment #2
Teach Us All Environmental Law
In this assignment, your small group will choose an environmental statute (from the list provided below), and research and write a synopsis of that law. Your synopsis will include the legislative and political history of the law; a discussion of what the law does and how it works; and an overview of significant caselaw interpreting the law. The end product will be a two-page fact sheet on the particular law, which I will have reproduced and distribute to the class.
The statutes you can choose among are:
California Environmental Quality Act
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
Endangered Species Act
Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
Food Quality Protection Act
Marine Mammal Protection Act
Occupational Safety and Health Act
Pollution Prevention Act of 1990
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Safe Drinking Water Act
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA)
Surface Mining and Reclamation Act
Toxic Substances Control Act
You may also propose a statute not on this list, which I may or may not approve. All of the laws except the California Environmental Quality Act are federal laws.
The statutes will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, based on your group’s office hours with me on Tuesday, April 13.
Requirements:
1. By TUESDAY, April 13, you need to A) prioritize the statutes in the order that you would like to choose them, so that when you meet with me you can be assigned a statute – please rank at least twelve in case your first choices are already taken; B) sign up for a 10-minute conference with me as a group on Tuesday afternoon; and C) attend that conference with me on Tuesday afternoon during my office hours.
2. By THURSDAY, April 15, you need to agree on a division of labor within your team so that one person will tackle the legislative and political history, one person will tackle discussing the law and how it works, and one person will tackle the overview of significant caselaw interpreting the law. You need to inform me of this division of labor in writing by 5 pm on Thursday (e-mail is fine).
3. By TUESDAY, April 20, you need to A) have a rough draft of your section to share with your teammates by the time class meets; B) sign up for a second 10-minute conference with me as a group; and C) attend that conference with me on Tuesday afternoon during my office hours.
4. By TUESDAY, April 27, at the start of class, you need to turn in your two-page product. The product should include your names and group number, and at least three sections: the overview of the law and how it works, the legislative and political history, and the synopsis of key caselaw interpreting your law. Each of these sections is worth three points. The organization, order and presentation of the product is up to you; the presentation of the product is worth one point, creativity is encouraged (but everything must be in these two pages, which I will reproduce and distribute to your classmates). The total assignment is worth 10 points (out of the 100 points of your total grade for the class).
Have fun – this is your on-your-own exploration of environmental law. Report back to us what you find.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ASSIGNMENT