Center for Climate Change Law | Columbia Law School
Stay Connected
About the Director
A world-renowned expert, Michael Gerrard has practiced environmental law in New York City since 1979. Formerly the managing partner of the 110-lawyer New York office of Arnold & Porter LLP, Gerrard is an accomplished trial and appellate litigator, having tried numerous cases and argued many appeals in the federal and state courts and administrative tribunals. He has taught environmental law as a member of the adjunct faculties of Columbia and NYU Law Schools and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Gerrard has organized and chaired many important conferences on environmental law, including ALI-ABA’s annual course on climate change law.
Gerrard is the most prolific writer on environmental law in the United States. He has written or edited seven books in the field, two of which were named best law book of the year by the American Association of Publishers--Environmental Law Practice Guide (12 volumes, 1992) and Brownfields Law and Practice (4 volumes, 1998). His most recent books are the second edition of The Law of Environmental Justice (ABA, 2008), and Global Climate Change and U.S. Law (American Bar Association, 2007). The latter has been adopted as required reading for many (if not most) of the law school courses on climate change.
Additionally, Gerrard was the 2004-2005 chair of the American Bar Association’s 10,000-member Section of Environment, Energy and Resources. He has also chaired the Executive Committee of the New York City Bar Association, and the Environmental Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.
These activities have given Gerrard a high profile around the world. Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading Environment Lawyers, based on 4,000 questionnaires, reported that he “received more personal nominations for this guide than any other lawyer in the world.” Gerrard has consistently been ranked as either the single leading environmental lawyer in New York or as tied for first.
Gerrard has an almost unique ability to bridge the public interest and corporate worlds. His law practice has largely involved helping large corporations and real estate developers comply with, and in many cases surpass, the requirements of the environmental laws. But he is so highly regarded by the environmental community that he was one of the two winners of the 2007 Advocate Award from Environmental Advocates of New York.