On Thursday, November 9, FSU Law's Center for Environmental, Energy & Land Use Law presented its Fall 2023 Distinguished Environmental Lecture. The event featured a thought-provoking talk by Michael Gerrard, the Andrew Sabin professor of professional practice and director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University Law School. During his talk, “Urban Flooding: Legal Tools to Address a Growing Crisis,” Gerrard discussed the “growing crisis of flooding,” how the law addresses flooding now, and how the law should address flooding going forward. His talk included data about past flooding events caused by rain, information about systems that engineers design to deal with storm water flooding, details about current federal, state, and local policies on flooding, and information about different funding mechanisms. A recording of the lecture is available on our website.

Gerrard has pioneered cutting-edge legal tools and strategies for addressing climate change. He writes and teaches courses on environmental law, climate change law, and energy regulation. He has written or edited 14 books and previously chaired the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources. Before entering academia, Gerrard practiced law in New York for three decades and was rated the leading environmental lawyer in New York and one of the leaders in the world. We were delighted to host such a prolific scholar at FSU Law and to be able to introduce him and his work to our students.