environmental justice SYMPOSIUM

Shaping Communities: The Role of Zoning in Environmental Justice

ENRG Logo ColorFriday, February 21, 2025
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Texas A&M University School of Law
Fort Worth, Texas

EENRSLP-w320-1 2.25 Texas CLE credit hours*
Click here for the agenda

Presented by Texas A&M Law's Environment and Natural Resources Group (ENRG) student organization and Energy, Environmental, and Natural Resource Systems (EENRS) Law Program

Made possible by the generous support of the Good Bull Fund

The Environment and Natural Resources Group (ENRG) student organization at Texas A&M Law proudly presents our fourth annual Environmental Justice Conference, a pivotal event dedicated to examining the environmental justice issues of our home community, Fort Worth.

Zoning policies have shaped the development of cities across the United States, often creating patterns of segregation and inequity that persist today. While zoning laws have long been seen as tools to promote urban growth and orderly land use, they have also contributed to environmental injustices. This conference will provide an introduction to environmental justice, analyze how zoning practices can disproportionately expose minority and low-income communities to harmful pollution, and explore strategies for effective advocacy. 

Scheduled Presenters, Panelists, and Moderators: 
  • Michael Bates, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas
  • Vanessa Casado Pérez, Professor, Texas A&M University School of Law
  • Teena James, community leader for Echo Heights/Stop Six Environmental Coalition
  • Richard Perez, community leader for Fort Worth Environmental Coalition of Communities
  • Caleb Roberts, Executive Director, Downwinders at Risk
  • Haley Varnadoe, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas
  • Sarah Zampierin, Clinical Associate Professor, Texas A&M University School of Law
Topics include:
  • Overview of Environmental Justice
  • How Zoning Creates Environmental Justice Problems
  • Impacts on Communities
  • Solutions to Zoning-Induced Environmental Justice Problems

*CLE information:

  • This course has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE in the amount of 2.25 credit hours, of which 0 credit hours will apply to legal ethics/professional responsibility credit.
  • Texas A&M School of Law, as the CLE sponsor, will submit CLE attendance to the State Bar of Texas by March 21, 2025 for all verified attendees (in-person or online) who are members of the State Bar of Texas and provided their valid Texas Bar Card Number at registration.