From the Beginning, a Fundamental Shift of Paradigms: A Theory and Short History of Environmental Law

Abstract

Looking back on the past twenty-five years, during which environmental law has developed such astonishing breadth, depth, and volume, the author suggests that it is possible to sketch a compound proposition about how environmental law evolved, the primacy of citizen litigation in its development, and what it all may signify. By exploring two paradigm shifts within the field, the author offers suggestions for why environmental law has been so energetic, broad-ranging, and often confrontational, and where environmental law may be going.