ACOEL is an invitation-only association of distinguished lawyers dedicated to maintaining and improving the ethical practice of environmental law through rigorous focus, outreach and education.
ACOEL fellows value collegiality, balanced and objective perspective, integrity and rigor in expertise. Our diverse practices, viewpoints and backgrounds help us understand how environmental laws can advance common goals.
Exciting things are happening at ACOEL!
Fellows, learn more about our events!
News from ACOEL
ACOEL Announces Newly-Elected Fellows for 2026
ACOEL welcomes the class of 2026 to the College with the election of 19 new fellows, each a prominent environmental practitioner in private practice, academia, a not-for-profit organization, or the government.
Recent Insights from our Fellows
Oregon Wants Better Buildings
by Patty Dost
Just down the block from my office in Portland, an enormous set of jaws has been steadily devouring an elegant, slightly time-worn building. Very soon, the 1906 Governor Building, until recently the home of performance artists, a tattoo parlor and an iconic record store, will be reduced to a giant pile of bricks, plaster, wood, […] 
Whither Goest Offshore Wind Projects in the United States?
by Jeff A. Thaler
Digging Ourselves Out of a Hole: Enabling Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material
by Elizabeth Armistead Andrews
Keeping Secrets Under TSCA Has Never Been Easy and it is Getting Harder
by Lynn L. Bergeson
ACOEL Topic Focus
There has been a lot of discussion on artificial intelligence, data centers, and the environment in the news recently. Read about what ACOEL Fellows have been focusing on and discussing.
Artificial Intelligence & Data Centers
Are State Legislatures Artificially Intelligent or Humanly Thinking?
by Kathy G. Beckett
The Clean Power Plan—And Around We Go
by F. William William Brownell
