Emily Hammond, Jeffrey and Martha Kohn Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Glen Earl Weston Research Professor, participated in the Energy Bar Association’s 2020 Annual Meeting on April 15. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the day-long conference was held virtually for its 600 attendees.
Senior Associate Dean Hammond joined a panel on the evolution of administrative law over the past year and how that evolution is likely to affect the energy sector. The discussion focused on recent Supreme Court decisions and whether they signal a revolution in administrative law; how significant developments at the Circuit Court level have played out over the last year; and important administrative law decisions in the energy sector.
“This is a critical juncture for administrative law and the energy sector,” said Senior Associate Dean Hammond. “I was very grateful for the opportunity to address consequential issues involving the division of power between federal agencies and the courts.”
A nationally recognized expert in energy law, environmental law, and administrative law, Senior Associate Dean Hammond’s scholarship focuses on the regulatory process, the responses of various legal institutions to scientific uncertainty, electricity markets, climate change, and the law of water quality.
The conference attendees, including attorneys, non-attorney professionals, and students, heard from attorneys, government officials, industry leaders, journalists, academics, and CEOs on the legal issues related to all aspects of energy law. Special guest Gina McCarthy, President of the Natural Resources Defense Council and former Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, kicked off the program. Other sessions highlighted how the energy sector is handling the COVID-19 crisis and how the presidential candidates are addressing climate issues.