Legal Implications of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Topic of October 6 Program at Rutgers Law School –Newark

NEWARK, NJ – Speakers at “Crude Oil: Legal Implications of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill,” to be presented by the Eric R. Neisser Public Interest Program at Rutgers School of Law–Newark on Wednesday, October 6, 2010, at 4 pm, will explore the environmental and community impact of the BP disaster in the Gulf region.

Rachel Jacobson assists the Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior in managing an office of 300 attorneys. She was previously director of the impact-directed environmental accounts at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and, before that, worked at the U.S. Department of Justice where she represented the government in nationally-significant civil litigation under federal environmental statutes. Sarah Chasis of the Natural Resources Defense Council is a long-time advocate for healthy oceans. In recognition of her work, she was selected as the first Coastal Steward of the Year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Professor Steve Gold was senior attorney in the Environmental Enforcement Section of the U.S. Department of Justice before joining the law school in 2007. During his tenure at the Department of Justice, he received numerous service awards from both the department and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The event represents the law school’s annual First Monday participation in Alliance for Justice’s Student Action Campaign, programming on social justice topics held around the country each year in conjunction with the opening of the new U.S. Supreme Court term. The program will begin with a screening of Crude Justice, an Alliance for Justice documentary on the topic.

Following the panel discussion, Oda Friedheim ’96, staff attorney at the Law Reform Unit of the Legal Aid Society, will receive the 2010 Eric R. Neisser Public Interest Award.