EDITOR’S NOTE

Written by Jennifer L. Harder

In this issue, Environmental Law News is pleased to publish the following articles:

• Professor Karrigan Bork describes the reasons why some California older water rights may be ripe for re-examination, and explains why review is neceessary to ensure environmentally sound and equitable allocation of water.
• Ashley Werner explores the ways in which the California’s Housing Element Law requires cities and counties to adopt plans to address place-based disparities that impact residents on the basis of income, race, and other characteristics.
• Justin Zucker and Alex Klein assess recent developments related to "the Builder’s Remedy," under which local governments who fail to adopt substantially compliant housing elements must approve housing projects that fulfill certain affordability requirements, even if the development is not compliant with relevant zoning ordinances or general plan.
• Gary Lucks and Kenya Rothstein address the issue of "greenwashing" and transparency in an analysis of whether environment, social, and governance (ESG) reporting frameworks provide sufficient disclosure to investors and otherwise comply with legal requirements.
• Jennifer Novak presents the Environmental Law Section’s outstanding recent cohort of Environmental Law Diversity & Inclusion Fellows, providing each fellow with the opportunity to share their summer 2023 experiences.
• Paige Samblanet offers insight into one of the Environmental Law Section’s regular partners, the New Lawyers Section of the California Lawyers Association-an invaluable resource for attorneys in their first years of practice.
• Sara Dudley reviews two practice guides published by Solano Press Books: Environmental Law and Policy: A Practical Guide, 2nd Edition (2017) by Albert I. Herson and Gary A. Lucks and Natural Resource Regulation in California: A Practical Guide to Agency Permitting and Procedures, 1st Edition (2019) by Clark Morrison and Scott B. Birkey.

Environmental Law News invites you to submit an article! Whether you are a new or seasoned author, we are eager to hear from you. Feel free to pitch an idea for an article that you would like to write, or offer a response to a prior article. Please contact me at jharder@pacific.edu with proposals or questions.