Vermont Law School alumnus David Mears '91, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, will return to VLS in the fall to lead the nationally recognized Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic (ENRLC), VLS President and Dean Marc Mihaly announced today. Mears previously served as director of the clinic in 2009-10.
Mears will succeed ENRLC Director Doug Ruley, who plans to return to his family home in North Carolina after a period of transition.
"David and Doug are among the nation's best environmental law leaders, and we're fortunate to count them among our colleagues at Vermont Law School," Mihaly said. "We welcome David back to the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, and are exploring ways that we may continue to work with Doug."
ENRLC attorneys and student clinicians represented the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) in its pursuit of a state labeling law for genetically engineered (GE) foods, making national headlines, and continue to work a case against a new railroad and coal mine proposed for Montana's Powder River Basin, among other high-profile environmental cases.
"I am excited to have the opportunity to return to teaching the next generation of environmental problem-solvers at the leading environmental law and policy program in the world," Mears said.
Before serving as the commissioner of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Mears taught at VLS as associate professor from 2005 to 2010 and served as assistant director and then director of the ENRLC. He also taught law at Sun Yat Sen University in Guangzhou, China, as a Fulbright Scholar. Prior to joining VLS, Mears served as an attorney for the state of Texas, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Washington State Office of the Attorney General. He earned a juris doctor and Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP) at VLS and a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering technology at Cornell University.
"David is a beloved alumnus and leader in Vermont, and we are pleased to see him return to our Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic," said Professor Jackie Gardina, vice dean for faculty. "But this isn't a goodbye to Doug. He remains very much a part of the Vermont Law School family, and is a key player in the nationally recognized achievements of the clinic."
For more information about the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, visit www.vermontlaw.edu/ENRLC. For more information about clinical training at Vermont Law School, visit www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/clinics-and-externships.
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Vermont Law School, a private, independent institution, is home to the nation's largest and deepest environmental law program. VLS offers a Juris Doctor curriculum that emphasizes public service; three Master's Degrees—Master of Environmental Law and Policy, Master of Energy Regulation and Law, and Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy; and four post-JD degrees —LLM in American Legal Studies (for foreign-trained lawyers), LLM in Energy Law, LLM in Environmental Law, and LLM in Food and Agriculture Law. The school features innovative experiential programs and is home to the Environmental Law Center, South Royalton Legal Clinic, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, Energy Clinic, and Food and Agriculture Clinic. For more information, visit www.vermontlaw.edu, find us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter .