The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University co-hosted the New Directions in Environmental Law (NDEL) Conference on Feb. 7 at Yale Law School. The event, themed “Collective Reimagining: Channeling Conviction into Change,” brought together scholars, practitioners, and students to discuss new challenges and approaches in environmental law.
The conference is significant as it provides a platform for emerging voices in environmental law to share research and collaborate on solutions to pressing issues. Since its founding in 2011, NDEL has been organized by students and aims to foster interdisciplinary perspectives and institutional collaboration. Pace Haub Law became an official co-host in 2021, with a student from the school serving as conference co-chair each year since then.
This year’s event saw strong participation from the Pace Haub Law community. Professors Josh Galperin and Camila Bustos served as faculty advisors, supporting student organizers. Galperin delivered closing remarks while Bustos participated in two panels. “This conference is a remarkable example of what students can accomplish when they bring together creativity, scholarship, and collaboration,” said Professor Josh Galperin. “NDEL creates space for emerging scholars and practitioners to engage deeply with the environmental challenges of our time while building a community dedicated to innovative solutions.”
Other faculty members from Pace Haub Law contributed as panelists, including Professors Smita Narula and Achinthi Vithanage. The conference also featured Professor Doug Kysar as an upcoming visiting scholar at Pace Haub Law and James Van Nostrand, an alumnus of the school’s LLM program, as presenters. Rachel Rothschild delivered the keynote address after receiving the 2025–2026 Pace Haub Environmental Law Distinguished Junior Scholar Award.
Students played key roles throughout the event. Ryan York and Julie Frey served as co-chairs for this year’s conference, coordinating activities and managing their school’s delegation. Students also developed and moderated several panels; Ashley Gentile, Eli Calhoun, and Joe Mayson were among those who led these sessions. Many participants are enrolled or have been accepted into a joint degree program between Pace Haub Law and Yale School of the Environment.
“Helping organize NDEL was an incredible opportunity to work with students and scholars from across the country who are passionate about environmental law,” said Ryan York. “Seeing the ideas generated in the panels, research presentations, and discussions throughout the day made clear how important it is for the next generation of environmental lawyers to collaborate and think creatively about solutions.” Student research was further highlighted during a poster session featuring Ayman Irfan, Jamal Fofanah, Krissadele Michael, Colin Schmitt, and Nicholas Caiciedo; both Irfan’s and Schmitt’s papers based on their posters were accepted for publication.
A total of 35 Pace students attended this year’s conference in various capacities including leadership roles, presenting research, moderating panels, reporting on sessions, or volunteering overall—demonstrating broad engagement from within their academic community.
