Join the Office of Undergraduate Programs at the Climate School for our Spring 2026 Environmental Law Panel! Hear from leading practitioners and scholars working at the intersection of climate, justice, and environmental policy as they share insights into their careers and the evolving role of law in addressing sustainability challenges. The conversation will be followed by a Q&A and open networking with the panelists, food will be served. Please note that seats are limited and registration is mandatory.
Panelists include:
Paul Gallay, who directs the Resilient Coastal Community Project, a partnership between the Columbia Climate School’s Center for Sustainable Urban Development and the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance working to foster actionable, equitable solutions to climate-driven flood risks while advancing complementary goals like habitat restoration, community cohesion, and restorative justice. He is also a member of the faculty of Columbia’s Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development.Prior to his appointments at Columbia, Paul held legal and/or leadership positions with the New York State Attorney General and Department of Environmental Conservation, Hudson Riverkeeper and land conservation organizations in New York and Maine. Paul is a graduate of Williams College, where he also served as a Visiting Professor of Environmental Law, and Columbia Law School.
Michael Gerrard, an Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia Law School, where he teaches courses on environmental and energy law and founded and directs the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. He is also former Chair of the Faculty of Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Before joining the Columbia faculty in January 2009, he was partner in charge of the New York office of Arnold & Porter. He practiced environmental law in New York City full time from 1979 to 2008. He has chaired the environmental sections of the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association, and the Executive Committee of the New York City Bar Association. Since 1986, Gerrard has written an environmental law column for the New York Law Journal. He is author or editor of fourteen books, two of which were named Best Law Book of the Year by the Association of American Publishers.
Christine N. Appah-Gyamfi, an environmental legal educator and advocate with over 15 years of experience working on behalf of communities on environmental health and sustainability issues. She teaches environmental justice and environmental policy and governance at the Climate School at Columbia University. She previously served as a Professorial Lecturer in Law at George Washington University Law School, where she directed the Environmental Justice Clinic within the Health Justice Clinic, and as an Adjunct Professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University. Before entering academia, Christine served as a senior staff attorney at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and was a Regional Director at the New York State Division of Human Rights. She began her career at the Legal Aid Society of New York providing direct legal services to families in need. Christine has also served as an appointee of the OneNYC Advisory Board and of the New York City Environmental Justice Advisory Board.