CLW has been informed that the court in Energy Policy Advocates v. Regents—a California Public Records Act lawsuit seeking the UCLA Law School, Wells Environmental Law Clinic contract for providing clinical instruction with the “climate” plaintiffs’ tort from Sher Edling—has ruled, denying EPA’s request.
CLW has not yet seen the opinion, but is informed that argument revolved around the concept that, rather than the firm’s lawyers being clinical instructors of the students, the students serve as (CLW’s phrase) a ‘boiler room’ for a favored cause because underserved communities (such as Leonardo DiCaprio‘s project, the climate lawsuits) need to be served. And this is very valuable. This is reflected in the declarations the School submitted, which you can read here, here, here and here.
Two notable excerpts:
UPDATE: The Court’s opinion is available here. Of note:
In conclusion:
