SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt. (March 19, 2025) — A daylong symposium presented by the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law at Vermont Law and Graduate School will bring together leaders in the field to discuss the intersection of climate change, vulnerable communities and legal advocacy.
“Climate Justice LIVE” will take place in person and virtually on Saturday, March 22. It will feature a hands-on legal learning lab and three panels:
- Legal Protection for Immigrants and Farmworkers
- Indigenous Rights and Climate Justice
- Versatility and Experience
The event’s keynote speaker is Esperanza Franco, a Spanish-U.S. immigration attorney, entrepreneur and author of “Emotionally Intelligent Lawyers: How to Navigate the Psychological Implications of Becoming a Lawyer.”
Franco is an expert in mindfulness, simultaneously advocating for those seeking temporary or permanent visas to the United States and the mental health of lawyers and law students.
Other experts featured will include Vermont Law and Graduate School professors Laurie Beyranevand, Mia Montoya Hammersley, Todd Howland and Emma Scott.
Local leaders Will Lambek from Migrant Justice and Vermont Senate Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale will participate, too, as will representatives from the Yale Law School, the University of Arizona School of Law, the National Congress of American Indians, the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, the Western New England University School of Law, Alternatives for Community & Environment and Connecticut Students for a Dream.
The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vermont continuing legal education credits are available. To learn more and register, visit vermontlaw.edu/event/vjel-symposium-climate-justice-live.
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Vermont Law and Graduate School, a private, independent institution, is home to a law school that offers ABA-accredited residential and online hybrid JD programs and a graduate school that offers master’s degrees and certificates in multiple disciplines, including programs offered by the Maverick Lloyd School for the Environment, the Center for Justice Reform and other graduate-level programs emphasizing the intersection of environmental justice, social justice and public policy. Both the law and graduate schools strongly feature experiential clinical and field work learning. For more information, visit vermontlaw.edu, Facebook and Instagram.