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Mike Floyd
Richard Laster
Professor of Environmental Law & Policy
Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Professor Laster taught a unique course this past semester. I am sure many of you would like to see what he does at the Hebrew University. I know that I found it fascinating. Below is a link to a short promo of the course with English subtitles and a short description of the course.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Y6xz5xHOo
Eilat is located in the Gulf of Aqaba, one of the most popular diving destinations in the world. The coral reefs along Eilat's coast remain relatively pristine and the area is recognized as one of the prime diving locations in the world.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ืืืื ืืืจืกืืื ืืขืืจืืช ืืืจืืฉืืื
Faculty of Law, Mt. Scopus ืืคืงืืืื ืืืฉืคืืื, ืืจ ืืฆืืคืื
Jerusalem 91905 Israel ืืจืืฉืืื 91905
From the Desk of Richard Laster*
Professor of Environmental Law & Policy March 2023
In 2021, I received an email from fourth-year Hebrew University law student Inbar Druyan. I did not know her, nor did I fully realize, at the time, what repercussions were to follow.
Inbar was enamored with Eilat and its environs, especially its coral reserve. She asked me to teach a course on environmental law—in Eilat, on Eilat. Something that had never been done, and I wasn’t even sure how to go about it. But I never refuse a student initiative, although I knew this was an unusual and expensive proposition for the University.
Money was found and the Faculty of Law and the Inter-University Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat agreed to host the course. As I wracked my brain for ideas, I recalled my experiences working for Ralph Nader in the late 60s as a “raider,” investigating the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
In our first meeting with Ralph, he explained his “research interview” method. Every day, each “raider” interviewed two FTC employees; we typed up the interviews in eight copies, which were distributed among the team. By the end of three weeks, we knew more about the FTC than its employees. At the end of the summer, each “raider” wrote a chapter for a book, which was published as The Closed Enterprise System (ed. Mark Green). I decided to use the same approach in Eilat. I would convert the students into investigators, investigating Eilat’s claim to be a “green city.”
To do this we needed smart and motivated law students, so we marketed the course. Inbar was relentless. During the summer of 2022, she posted flyers and scheduled a lecture for me to introduce the course to students. There was room for only 19 students in the course. When 34 showed up for the lecture and 54 applied, I knew the chosen cohort would be willing to work hard.
This became evident as we held two full-day lectures before the semester even began. For the “official” opening, we invited the mayor to explain his vision for Eilat. That vision became the basis for the students’ investigations. They chose subjects of environmental concern, such as the legal regime protecting the corals, renewable energy, and Eilat’s planning and building code.
On December 5, 2022, we arrived in Eilat for five days. From 8 am-8 pm, we heard scientific lectures, met with experts on local environmental problems, interviewed the mayor and his staff, and met with some of Eilat’s polluting companies. The site visits solidified the students’ impressions, the lectures helped them better understand scientific data, and free time provided camaraderie and opportunities to exchange data or just loosen up.
On the fourth and fifth days, the students delivered their oral presentations and three weeks later, their written reports. These will be produced as a book and presented to the mayor. The students had fully grasped the challenges while developing tools to improve the city’s environment. I felt an immense sense of pride, seeing their transformation into Israeli “raiders” and know these skills will serve them in their future careers.
The Eilat course is one more step towards establishing a Sustainability and Environmental Justice Clinical Legal Education Center, similar to the existing clinics through which law students advocate for marginalized populations, youth at risk, diversity, and more.
My life’s mission has been creating, teaching, and advocating for environmental law, and I’m thankful and proud to be passing on the torch to Hebrew University students, even if it requires a five-day detour to Eilat.
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