Senior Staff Attorney Sam Bookman spoke at two events during the first week of the the UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP. On November 13, Bookman spoke on a panel, “Bar Associations and Lawyers Ensuring that Climate Duties are Fulfilled.” He joined representatives from the bar associations of Rio de Janeiro, Lima, and the Federal Bar Association of Brazil, as well as the American Bar Association and International Bar Association to discuss bar associations’ role in combating the climate emergency. Bookman emphasized how bar associations can effectively promote pro bono work, highlighting the Vance Center’s unique model and origins... read more
Post tagged in "environment program"
Vance Center Staff Contribute to Inaugural African Bar Association Presidents’ Summit in Kenya
Posted on October 13, 2025Panelists (L-R): Prof. Kivutha Kibwana of Daystar University; Patricia Kameri-Mbote, Director of UNEP’s Law Division; Adaobi Egboka, Director, Africa Initiatives at the Vance Center; and Maria Mbeneka, Council Member and Treasurer of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association. Photo credit: Vance Center This inaugural summit, titled “Catalyzing Environmental Rule of Law for Environmental Action in the African Region,” was organized by the Law Society of Kenya and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in partnership with the East Africa Law Society and Daystar University in Kenya. On October 8 and 9, the event brought together presidents of bar associations, jurists, academics, policymakers,... read more
International Court of Justice Climate Decision Cites Vance Center Research
Posted on August 26, 2025The Peace Palace (Vredespalais), which houses the International Court of Justice, in The Hague, Netherlands. Source: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 License. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month released its landmark Advisory Opinion on States Obligations in Respect of Climate Change. The Opinion is the latest in a series of recent decisions from international human rights tribunals on climate change, and marks an extraordinary step forward in international climate law. The Vance Center is pleased to have played a small role in contributing to the Court’s decision. The Court cited our Environment Program’s extensive... read more
Vance Center Helps Train Lawyers Across Southern Africa on Environmental Law
Posted on December 15, 2024Participants in the environmental litigation training workshop in Cape Town, December 2024. Photo credit: Natural Justice. More than 50 lawyers from 10 southern African countries convened in Cape Town from December 5-8 for an environmental and climate litigation training, covering topics ranging from climate change to critical minerals to carbon markets. The Vance Center co-organized the workshop with African legal empowerment organization Natural Justice and the American Bar Association’s Center for Human Rights. The workshop was designed to provide generalists and human rights litigators with the tools to take on environmental cases across the continent. It is a pilot project... read more
Vance Center Project Builds Knowledge About Corporate Climate Laws in 17 Countries
Posted on May 28, 2024The Vance Center worked with partner law firms to help update a widely used international database of climate change laws, contributing essential information for NGOs and companies in 17 countries in Southeast Asia and the MENA region. Many countries now require companies to reveal more about the climate-related impacts of their activities, through legislation and policies such as corporate disclosure regulation. In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission recently introduced requirements for large companies to provide more information on their climate impacts, and similar laws have also been introduced in the European Union. Keeping up with these laws... read more
Vance Center Recognizes 8 Firms at 2025 Michael Cooper Celebration of International Pro Bono Excellence
Posted on May 26, 2025On May 7, the Vance Center hosted its ninth annual Celebration of International Pro Bono Excellence, recognizing the pro bono achievements of seven firms. read more