Professor Margot J. Pollans has been appointed as the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.
“Professor Pollans exemplifies the excellence, innovation, and leadership that define the Pace | Haub Environmental Law Program,” said Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. “Her scholarship has not only deepened our understanding of environmental governance and sustainable food systems, but also strengthened Pace Haub Law’s national and international reputation as a leader in environmental law education and policy. Equally important, she has demonstrated exceptional service to the Law School by mentoring students, leading initiatives, and contributing to key faculty committees. This appointment is a well-deserved recognition of her remarkable impact on our community.”
Since joining the faculty in 2015, Professor Pollans has served in several roles including Faculty Director of the Pace Food Law Center and Joseph P. D’Alessandro Faculty Scholar. She previously held titles such as James D. Hopkins Professor of Law from 2023 to 2025 and Shamik and Adrienne Trivedi Faculty Scholar from 2020 to 2022.
Her research focuses on food and agriculture law, administrative law, and social justice. Her work has appeared in journals such as California Law Review, Michigan Law Review, Ohio State Law Journal, Columbia Journal of Gender and Law, and Harvard Environmental Law Review. She co-authored “Food Law: Cases & Materials” and received the Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship for her article “Eaters, Powerless by Design” published in Michigan Law Review in 2022. In addition, she was recently named a winner of the 2025 Dukeminier Awards with co-author Noa Ben-Asher for their article “Gender Regrets: Banning Abortion and Gender-Affirming Care” published in Utah Law Review.
Professor Pollans leads efforts at Pace Haub’s Food Law Center which serves as a center for interdisciplinary research focused on food systems, climate issues, and justice concerns. She is also involved with Farm Bill Law Enterprise—a group working toward more equitable farm legislation.
Before joining Pace Haub School of Law, Professor Pollans worked at UCLA School of Law’s Resnick Program for Food Law and Policy as its first academic fellow; she was also a staff attorney at Georgetown University’s Institute for Public Representation where she supervised student clinicians on environmental litigation matters. She clerked for Judge David Tatel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit; in 2017 she was recognized among “40 Under 40 Rising Stars in Food Policy” by NYC Food Policy Center.
The Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professorship honors faculty who have made significant contributions to environmental legal scholarship; it supports both professorships like this one as well as an annual lecture series dedicated to environmental law topics.
