Environmental Law Centre
Welcome to UVic Law
Environmental Law Centre
The UVic Environmental Law Centre (ELC), created in 1995, is home to Canada's only public interest environmental law clinic. The ELC provides legal information and assistance to local provincial and national environmental groups. It also sponsors conferences and workshops and publishes law reform papers and citizen handbooks on emerging environmental topics.
ELC clients have included the Sierra Legal Defence Fund, the Suzuki Foundation, the West Coast Environmental Law Association and Probe International.
The Executive Director of the ELC is Professor Chris Tollefson. ELC students also receive ongoing supervision from the ELC Board of Directors, which includes many highly experienced and respected environmental law practitioners and community leaders.
Recent ELC initiatives include:
- a comprehensive legal analysis of the implications of a report on the future of salmon farming in BC
- publication of cleanair.ca: a citizens action guide, a hands-on primer on the science and law of air pollution supported by a website maintained by ELC students
- various reports for B.C. First Nation communities relating to Aboriginal forestry and water rights.