The challenge of climate change is unlike anything our governments have faced before, and citizens are often left wondering – what power do I have to enact change? Our conference will explore the complex relationships between the law and those who seek to change it. Speakers will highlight the work of activists on the local, national, and global scales who are using and reshaping the law to ensure a habitable, more just planet for future generations. The Conference will feature an Activism Fair, where local climate organizers will share their work with conference attendees.

The tentative schedule is as follows:

8:15 a.m. - Registration begins

8:50 a.m. - Welcome remarks

9:00 a.m. - Panel 1 – Advocacy, Direct Action & Education

The first panel features scholars in education, children’s rights, and environmental justice. Our panelists will discuss how those who are most impacted by climate change and environmental harms are structurally the least empowered to enact change, and how the legal system should change to address that power imbalance.

Speakers:

• Aoife Daly
• Mia Montoya Hammersley
• Sarah Stapleton

Moderator:

• Madison Schettler

10:15 a.m. - BREAK

10:30 a.m. - Panel 2 – Local Activism

The second panel will focus on the local context, discussing a variety of approaches that activists and legal professionals are adopting on the ground throughout Connecticut, to advance policy changes in schools, on the streets, in the courts, in city halls, and in the legislature.

Speakers:

• Naina Agrawal-Hardin
• Bruni Pizarro
• Roger Reynolds

Moderator:

• Camila Bustos

12:00 p.m. - LUNCH

During the lunch hour, attendees are invited to visit the Activism Fair, featuring exhibits from local climate-based organizations.

12:45 p.m. - Keynote by David Wallace-Wells

Keynote speaker David Wallace Wells, renowned climate journalist and author of The Uninhabitable Earth, will offer his perspective on the importance of climate organizing, and the dangers of criminalizing peaceful protest.

1:45 p.m. - BREAK

2:00 p.m. - Panel 3 – International Activism

The third panel will unite Martin Flynn global law faculty from Ghana, Brazil, Germany, and France to discuss the possibilities inherent in a human rights-based approach to tackling climate change. They will also evaluate the tactics that climate activists have engaged in around the world.

Speakers:

• Enam Antonio
• Eleanora Bottini
• Dirk Hauschel
• Dani Pamplona

Moderator:

• Joseph MacDougald

3:30 p.m. - Dairy Bar ice cream and Activism Fair

After the third panel, attendees can take action by interacting with local organizers and students at our Activism Fair, while enjoying ice cream from UConn’s Dairy Bar.

RSVP HERE!

Come spend the day with LLSA for a relaxing break from studying and school in nature.

Join UConn Law Mental Health Committee and People’s Parity Project for donuts and coffee to unwind before the beginning of exams.