Michael B. Gerrard is Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia Law School, where he teaches courses on environmental and energy law and founded and directs the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. He is also a member and former Chair of the Faculty of Columbia’s Earth Institute. Before joining the Columbia faculty in January 2009, he was partner in charge of the New York office of the Arnold & Porter law firm; he is now Senior Counsel to the firm. He practiced environmental law in New York City full time from 1979 to 2008. His practice involved trying numerous cases and arguing many appeals in federal and state courts and administrative tribunals; handling the environmental aspects of numerous transactions and development projects; and providing regulatory compliance advice to a wide variety of clients in the private and public sectors. Gerrard was the 2004-2005 chair of the American Bar Association’s 10,000-member section of environment, energy, and resources. He also chaired the New York City Bar Association’s executive committee and the New York State Bar Association’s environmental law section. He has served on the executive committees of the boards of the Environmental Law Institute and the American College of Environmental Lawyers. Since 1986, Gerrard has written an environmental law column for the New York Law Journal. He is author or editor of thirteen books, two of which were named Best Law Book of the Year by the Association of American Publishers: Environmental Law Practice Guide (twelve volumes, 1992) and Brownfields Law and Practice (four volumes, 1998). Among his other books are Global Climate Change and U.S. Law (with Jody Freeman) (2d ed. 2014); Law of Clean Energy: Efficiency and Renewables (2011); Climate Engineering and the Law: Regulation and Liability for Solar Radiation Management and Carbon Dioxide Removal (with Tracy Hester 2018); and Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States (with John Dernbach, 2019). He received his B.A. from Columbia University and his J.D. from NYU Law School, where he was a Root Tilden Scholar.
Work Phone:
(212) 854-3287
Email:
Michael.gerrard@law.columbia.edu
Website:
www.columbiaclimatelaw.com
EPA Region:
Region 2 – (NJ, NY, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands)
Year of induction:
2008
Degrees:
B.A. Columbia University, 1972
J.D. New York University Law School, 1978
Admissions:
New York
Court Admissions:
New York; ; SDNY, NDNY, EDNY, WDNY; 2nd Circuit; US Supreme Court
Professional Societies and Organizations:
American Bar Association (Chair, Section of Environment, Energy and Resources, 2004-2005)
New York State Bar Association (Chair, Environmental Law Section 1995-1996)
New York City Bar Association (Chair, Executive Committee, 1997-1998)
Columbia University Earth Institute Faculty (Chair, 2015-2018)
Environmental Law Institute (Board of Directors, 2007-2013)
Other Environmental Career Experience:
Berle, Kass & Case (Associate, 1978-1985; partner, 1985-1994)
Arnold & Porter (Partner, 1994-2008; Senior Counsel, 2009-present)
Columbia Law School (Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice, 2009 - present)
Representative Publications:
Global Climate Change and U.S. Law (co-editor with Jody Freeman and Michael Burger), American Bar Association (3d edition 2023) (first edition published in 2007)
Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States (co-editor with John Dernbach), Environmental Law Institute (2019)
The Law of Climate Engineering Governance and Liability for Solar Radiation Management and Carbon Dioxide Removal (co-editor with Tracy Hester), Cambridge University Press (2018)
Threatened Island Nations Legal Implications of Rising Seas and a Changing Climate (co-editor with Gregory E. Wannier), Cambridge University Press (2013)
The Law of Adaptation to Climate Change U.S. and International Aspects (co-editor with Katrina F. Kuh), American Bar Association (2012)
The Law of Clean Energy Efficiency and Renewables (Editor), American Bar Association (2011)
The Law of Green Buildings Regulatory and Legal Issues in Design, Construction, Operations, and Financing (Co-Editor, with J. Cullen Howe), American Bar Association and Environmental Law Institute (2010)
The Law of Environmental Justice Theories and Procedures to Address Disproportionate Risks (Editor), American Bar Association (Second Edition, 2008, with Sheila Foster)
Amending CERCLA The Post-SARA Amendments to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (with Joel M. Gross), American Bar Association (2006)
Brownfields Law and Practice The Cleanup and Redevelopment of Contaminated Land (General Editor), Matthew Bender & Co., four volumes, 1998, supplemented twice a year (named best law book of 1998 by Association of American Publishers)
Whose Backyard, Whose Risk Fear and Fairness in Toxic and Nuclear Waste Siting, M.I.T. Press, 1994 (paperback edition published in 1996)
Environmental Law Practice Guide State and Federal Law (General Editor), Matthew Bender & Co., 1992, twelve volumes supplemented three times per year (named best law book of 1992 by Association of American Publishers)
Environmental Impact Review in New York (with Daniel A. Ruzow and Philip Weinberg), Matthew Bender & Co., two volumes, 1990 supplemented annually
Illustrative Projects:
Model Laws for Deep Decarbonization in the United States. lpdd.org
Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative