A Discussion Series Presented by the Environmental Law Section and New Lawyers Section, California Lawyers Association.

1.0 Hour Self-Study Credit

Interested in the practice of environmental law? Running into environmental issues in another area of law? The Environmental Law Section (ELS) and the New Lawyers Section (NLS) of the California Lawyers Association (CLA) are excited to co-present this free series covering key practice areas within the environmental legal field. This series is geared toward law students, new lawyers, and even experienced attorneys interested in learning more about environmental law.

Participants will receive a “101” level introduction to the practice area from private, government, and non-profit lawyers. Each panel will include a high-level overview of the basic legal framework, real-life project examples, and a question-and-answer session for attendees to meet members practicing in the field.

This session will begin with an overview of the different energy sectors in California and how they interact and an explanation of the energy regulation of electricity covering the federal and state roles. Potential additional topics will include an overview of the renewable energy sector and a brief explanation of how renewable resources and their intermittency affects the regulation of electricity, a summary of the steps and complexity of electrifying the transportation sector with carbon-free electricity, and the different energy regulation agencies in California and the scope of their programs and authority.

This Energy Law & Policy 101 session is being held in advance of the 2024 Energy Law Conference to be held on Friday, April 19 at the Elihu M. Harris State Building in Oakland, CA. Be on the lookout for more series programs this summer.

Speaker: John McKinsey

John McKinsey has practiced energy law since 1999 and has taught energy law at the School of Law at UC Davis since 2011. He regularly writes and speaks on energy policy and law. Mr. McKinsey gained significant applied science knowledge and skills while serving in the United States Navy on submarines as a nuclear power plant operator and supervisor and leading electrician. He graduated cum laude with his B.A. from California State University Sacramento in Economics and received his J.D. from UC Davis School of Law.

Moderator: Nick Oliver

Nick Oliver is Assistant General Counsel at Elevate, where he handles a wide range of in-house matters for a growing energy and climate justice nonprofit. Elevate’s goal is to help to create a just and equitable world in which everyone has clean and affordable heat, power, and water in their homes and communities — no matter who they are or where they live.

Prior to joining Elevate, Nick was a Senior Attorney at the California Energy Commission, where he worked on a range of energy programs including California’s renewables portfolio standard, appliance efficiency regulations, equitable building decarbonization programs, and power plant siting. Nick has a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School and Bachelor of Arts and Science degrees from UC Berkeley.

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