Environmental Law

Environmental Law Division attorneys represent the City in an extensive range of environmental matters. The Division’s practice focuses on:

• Drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and coastal storm management infrastructure
• Solid waste management
• Land use and environmental review of City projects
• Use of parkland
• Clean-up and redevelopment of contaminated property
• Climate and environmental justice

Division attorneys litigate in State and federal courts; represent the City in administrative proceedings; and counsel agencies on their environmental programs, policies, and compliance with environmental laws and regulations.

What Experienced Attorneys Do

Experienced attorneys in the Environmental Law Division represent and advise City agencies on a broad range of environmental matters, taking leading roles in litigation teams, negotiations and client counseling.  Some representative areas and matters that lateral attorneys would be expected to work on include the following:

• Representing the City in negotiations with federal agencies and other parties in federal hazardous waste cleanups at Newtown Creek and the Gowanus Canal.
• Protecting the City’s power grid, including advising on planned construction of transmission lines to the City, and on wind energy and solar power programs.
• Challenging Trump Administration changes to federal environmental statutes and regulations, including EPA’s rescission of Endangerment Finding for greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.
• Advising on, and defending, recent City initiatives, including the Dining Out/Open Restaurant program; Charter amendments simplifying public land use reviews for some housing projects; transitional housing (e.g. Just Homes); residential solid waste containerization; and Congestion Pricing.
• Working with federal and State partners on climate resiliency projects in the Rockaways, Staten Island and Lower Manhattan.
• Developing environmental review guidance for assessing potential impacts to disadvantaged communities pursuant to the State Cumulative Impacts Law.

The Division seeks attorneys with litigation experience, strong writing and oral communication skills, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.  Familiarity with land use and environmental regulations is a plus, but not required.

What New Attorneys Do

New attorneys work on all of the types of matters described above. They draft briefs, affidavits, and other legal papers for State and federal environmental litigation, under the supervision of senior attorneys. New attorneys also attend court conferences and hearings, and may argue motions in court. In addition, new attorneys help counsel client agencies on regulatory compliance and participate in complex negotiations with state and federal regulatory agencies by conducting legal and factual research; drafting and reviewing correspondence; and assisting in managing and coordinating agency action. New attorneys may also assist in intra- and inter-agency policy negotiations, and commenting on proposed federal or State regulations and other initiatives.

What Summer Interns Do

Working closely with lawyers in the Division, interns in Environmental Law will be exposed to a broad range of municipal environmental issues. Interns will typically write two or three legal research memoranda on environmental, land use and energy law matters which are used in providing advice to client agencies. Research projects from past summers include analyzing authority reserved to local governments under federal environmental laws, researching the regulation of battery energy storage systems by different municipalities in the State of New York, and drafting brief points in litigation defending New York City’s Local Law 97. Students also draft affidavits and sections of briefs in State and federal court litigation and administrative proceedings, under the supervision of attorneys. Interns participate in meetings and attend court appearances. The Division generally takes two interns each summer, usually first year students.

Read the Law Department's Annual Reports for More Information about the Environmental Law Division