ACOEL Foundation

Lawyers in Service to the Environment

History, Mission, and Structure

The Foundation was incorporated in Delaware in October 2017 and obtained approval in August 2018 as a nonprofit charitable foundation with 501(c)(3) status under the federal Internal Revenue Code.  The Foundation raises funds and provides resources to support the public interest work of the Fellows of the American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL).

The Foundation’s Bylaws provide that the officers of ACOEL will serve as the Trustees of the Foundation.  Those Foundation Trustees elect from among the ACOEL membership the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Foundation and any other officers, as appropriate, and approve the designation of the members of the Foundation Advisory Council. The Foundation officers and members of the Advisory Council typically meet monthly to conduct the business of the Foundation. 

Officers, Advisory Council and Trustees 2025-2026

Officers

Jim Morriss	President
Kevin Healy	Vice President
Polly Jessen	Secretary
Kathy Beckett	Treasurer
Mike Hockley	Immediate Past President
Karen Crawford	Vice President for Development
Barbara Koonz	Vice President for Development
Gail S. Port	Vice President for Development

Advisory Council

Jim Bruen*

Ginny Robbins*

Allan Gates*

Peter Culp

Pam Giblin

Tracy Hestor

Christopher Locke

Kevin Murray

Ken Warren

*Advisory Council Members on the Development Committee

Trustees

Kevin R. Murray

Robin Kundis Craig

Jessica E. Merrigan

Tracy D. Hester

Kenneth J. Warren

Past Presidents

Michael D. Hockley	2023-2024
Virginia C. Robbins	2021-2023
Allan Gates	2019-2021
John Cruden	2018-2019
Jim Bruen	2017-2018

Current Project Support

Webinar – EPA’s Community Change Grant Program

On June 27, 2024, the American College of Environmental Lawyers and the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) presented a Webinar at no cost to registrants that aims to assist Federally recognized Tribes in the continental U.S. and community-based organizations to understand how they can optimize their efforts to access Inflation Reduction Act Community Change Grant funds for climate action and pollution reduction projects. $300 million is earmarked under the program for eligible tribal projects.  The Webinar is open to all individuals nationwide.  This Webinar is co-sponsored by the ACOEL Foundation. 

EPA Region 7 staff identified on the program flyer will present information about the goals of the grant program and the application process.  A representative of EnDyna, Inc. will explain the technical assistance it will make available to applicants. 

To register, there is a QR code on the program flyer that will take a registrant to the ELI website to complete registration information. 

There is also a link identified on the flyer for access to the ELI website; additionally, below is the direct link for registration:
https://www.eli.org/events/epas-community-change-grant-program-what-tribes-and-community-organizations-need-know-apply

Annual Stephen E. Herrmann Environmental Writing Award

The winning author and the publishing law journal each receive a stipend honoring work that promotes the understanding of environmental legal issues. Learn more about our recipients here.

2016
Irene Weintraub, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and Cardozo Law Review
NEPA and Uncertainty in Low-Risk, High-Impact Scenarios: Nuclear Energy as a Case Study

2017
Jin Hyung Lee, Emory U. School of Law, and Emory Law Journal
Establishing Applicable Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters on Indian Reservations

2018
Emily Hush, Columbia University Law School, and Columbia Journal of Environmental Law
Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Future of Sustainable Development in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and New Generation Free
Trade Agreements

2019
Joshua Landis, Vanderbilt University Law School, and Vanderbilt Law Review
Sunny and Share: Balancing Airspace Entitlement Rights Between Solar Energy Adopters and Their Neighbors

2020
Nina Lincoff, University of California – Berkeley School of Law, and California Law Review
Looking to Hybrid Species for the Future of Coral Reefs

2021
Madeeha Dean, University of California – Berkeley School of Law, and California Law Review
An Environmental FOIA: Balancing Trade Secrecy with the Public’s Right to Know

2022
Kelly McGee, University of Chicago Law School, and University of Chicago Law Review
A Place Worth Protecting

2023
Emma Shumway, Columbia Law School, and Columbia Journal of Environmental Law
Wood Pellet Production in the U.S. South and Exportation for ‘Renewable’ Energy in Europe: The New Green Sacrifice Zone

2024
Isaac Lunt, Columbia Law School, and Columbia Law Review
Toward Distributed Nature: The Afforestation Easement and a Regenerative Land Ethic

2025
Nathan Spindler-Krage, University of Iowa College of Law
What Are You Doing in My Swamp? Reconciling Swampbuster, Civil Society, and Sustainability

Cuba Symposium

On February 9-10, 2023, seven ACOEL Fellows participated in a joint symposium, held in Havana, Cuba, organized by ACOEL and the Foundation Antonio Nunez Jimenez of Nature and Humanity (FANJ), the Cuban NGO with which ACOEL had entered into a February 2019  Memorandum of Understanding designed to identify opportunities to foster U.S./Cuba environmental cooperation and engagement. The topic and title of the 2023 symposium was: USA-Cuba Key Environmental Issues: Lessons Learned – Lessons Shared.  David Farer, co-chair of the ACOEL International Pro Bono Committee and chair of its Cuba Working Group, was joined on the ACOEL faculty at the symposium by Fellows Elizabeth Andrews, Bessie Daschbach, Lee DeHihns, Lewis Jones, Rob Kirsch and Marla Wieder. Also attending the symposium were representatives of FANJ, representatives of MINREX, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Organization of Collective Law Firms (the organization of Cuban lawyers), and representatives of the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture.  Although each of the ACOEL Fellows who participated in the symposium bore his or her own expenses for the trip to Cuba, the ACOEL Foundation is proud to have helped fund some of the other expenses incurred in connection with this important and interesting joint symposium.  More information on the symposium, including the topics covered by the six panels and follow-up steps, can be found on the ACOEL webpage here. 

 

 

Waste Plastic to Fuel for Diesel Engines

The Foundation has provided targeted support for the work of Empowered Solutions for Environmental Sustainability (ESES) to combat plastic waste accumulation in the environment and to deploy in Uganda a PolyFuel Processor that converts waste plastic into clean fuel oil.

Proposal to ALI for a Restatement of Environmental Law or Environmental Law Principles Project

The Foundation is facilitating a February 2023 Workshop of ACOEL Fellows, environmental members of the American Law Institute, and third-party experts to analyze the feasibility of persuading ALI to commission a first-ever Restatement of Environmental Law or Principles of Environmental Law.

Foundation Support for Projects that Meet Strategic Plan Goals

As an initial matter, the Foundation primarily will focus its support and funding on projects that fall within the following two categories and meet the criteria set forth in its Strategic Plan: (1) Climate Resilience or Mitigation; and (2) Water Quality, Quantity and Resources. The Foundation is in discussions with other not-for-profit organizations and academics who work in these areas to identify opportunities for potential support. The Foundation is evaluating projects that have the potential to identify legal barriers impeding infrastructure resiliency projects adjacent to coastal areas, and projects that would implement innovative technologies for water preservation in the Western U.S. and the legal solutions to permit these types of projects to proceed.

Our 2024 Donors

Become a Donor

Donations to the Foundation may be made on-line using the donation button above, or by sending a check payable to ACOEL Foundation to the following address:

ACOEL Foundation
2800 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 210
Alexandria, VA 22314

Donations to the ACOEL Foundation qualify as tax deductible charitable contributions.

To view the Foundation’s bylaws, strategic plan, gift policy and Conflict of Interest Policy, go to ACOEL Foundation Documents (ACOEL Members Only) (login required).