Following Princeton and the University of Chicago Law School, David began practicing law at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Eventually tiring of litigation where the result was a wire transfer from Entity A to Entity B, in the early 1990’s David began his environmental law career at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. Since then, he has litigated dozens of cases under all of the major environmental statutes including, as Sierra Club’s Chief Climate Counsel, initiating and managing Massachusetts v. EPA. Most recently, he has been busy challenging FERC’s permitting of natural gas pipelines and LNG export terminals. Apart from litigation, David has helped lead efforts on both greenhouse gas regulation and global warming legislation (and may be the only person ever invited to testify by both Barbara Boxer and James Inhofe).
He has drafted a range of federal climate legislation, advised states as to their greenhouse gas regulatory authority (and for many years has represented environmental groups defending state GHG regulations from dormant Commerce Clause challenges). David has designed and taught courses on “Environmental Litigation” at Georgetown University Law Center and “Environmental Law and Science” at the William and Mary Law School/Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
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Climate Change Nuisance Suits
2018 National Lawyers Convention
The Mayflower Hotel - East Room1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
The Rise of Environmental Nuisance Litigation: Can Municipalities Sue Oil Companies for Climate Change?
The Cornell Club6 E 44th Street
New York, NY 10017
The Clean Power Plan Goes to Court
Environmental Law & Property Rights Practice Group
National Press Club Holeman Lounge529 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20045
Clean Power Plan in the Court
TeleforumCan State Courts Set Global Climate Policy?
Climate change has been described as a “super wicked” policy problem. Policymakers face profound difficulties...
Can State Courts Set Global Climate Policy?
Climate change has been described as a “super wicked” policy problem. Policymakers face profound difficulties...
Can Cities Sue Oil Companies for Climate Change? [POLICYbrief]
Short video featuring Donald Kochan and David Bookbinder
Are oil companies liable for damages to cities that result from climate change? Professor Donald...
Climate Change Nuisance Suits
2018 National Lawyers Convention
Should climate change responsibility be evaluated in the courts or by the elected policymaking branches?...
Climate Change Nuisance Suits
2018 National Lawyers Convention
Should climate change responsibility be evaluated in the courts or by the elected policymaking branches?...