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<p>At Delaware Law, clinic students get to work on real-life court cases &ndash; including a groundbreaking environmental lawsuit filed this fall.</p>
<p>The Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic is representing six youth plaintiffs, organized through the nonprofit <a href="http://ourchildrenstrust.org/">Our Children&rsquo;s Trust,</a> in the&nbsp;<a href="https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/AppellateCourtReport.ashx?docketNumber=467+MD+2015">Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania case</a>. The governor of Pennsylvania and six state agencies are among the defendants.</p>
<p>The youths maintain climate change is threatening their constitutional rights to clean air, pure water, and other essential natural resources, which they rely on for survival and wellbeing. They want the governor and state agencies to take steps to regulate Pennsylvania&rsquo;s carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in a way that satisfies the state&rsquo;s duty as a public trustee under the Pennsylvania constitution. The state Supreme Court has ruled the constitution provides environmental protections for present and future generations.</p>
<p>Clinic Director and Associate Professor <a href="ipl://20//WyIxMjAiXQ==">Kenneth T. Kristl</a> tasked clinic intern Moses Bates last year to do some of the legal research that provided groundwork for the underlying complaint. Bates, who graduated in May and has since passed the Pennsylvania bar, gladly took up the challenge under Kristl&rsquo;s supervision.</p>
<p>&ldquo;After two years of law school I was hungry for something that was where the rubber meets the road,&rdquo; he said of his motivation for enrolling in the clinic.</p>
<p>This fall, current clinic intern Tim Scordato also got involved. Scordato, an Illinois resident who chose Delaware Law for the strength of its environmental law program, researched procedural concerns for the lawsuit and for service of the complaint. It is one of several environmental cases Scordato has touched during his clinic experience.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;d be working on something that bold, but Professor Kristl is very good at instilling confidence in his students,&rdquo; said Scordato. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s &lsquo;Here&rsquo;s the case. I trust you. I know you&rsquo;re able to do this,&rsquo; and, of course, if we have questions or need him, he&rsquo;s right there.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Kristl is serving as lead counsel and he said students will continue to play a role through additional research, possible factual investigation, and interaction with the youth plaintiffs.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This is a landmark case for putting environmental standards on the government&rsquo;s agenda. I&rsquo;m pleased our students can play a role in it,&rdquo; Kristl said.</p>