Public Lands in the Roberts Supreme Court
DATE: Tuesday, October 6 2026
TIME: 12:15 pm - 1:30 pm MST
LOCATION: College of Law and Virtual Event
COST: Free and open to the public. $15 for CLE.
RegisterA Wallace Stegner Center Greenbag
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Before becoming Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts developed substantial experience in federal public lands and natural resources law and argued several major public lands cases before the Court while in private practice. This presentation will analyze opinions of the Roberts Court that have shaped natural resources law applicable to public lands, including cases involving the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, the Antiquities Act, and other public lands laws, and illustrate how some of those opinions were shaped by the Chief Justice and influenced by his background and judicial philosophy. As part of this examination, the presentation will discuss the efficacy of these lawsuits and the resulting Supreme Court decisions in changing the course of policy or otherwise fundamentally affecting the way federal public lands are used.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Andrew C. Mergen, Emmett Assistant Clinical Professor of Environmental Law, Harvard Law School
Andrew Mergen is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic. Prior to joining the Harvard Law School faculty, Andrew Mergen served in the Appellate Section of the Environment & Natural Resources Division (ENRD) at the United States Department of Justice. Professor Mergen began his career at the Justice Department in the Honors Program and concluded his career as Chief of ENRD’s Appellate Section. He has presented oral arguments in all 13 federal courts of appeals, including two en banc courts, and before several state intermediate and supreme courts. He has also worked on over a dozen merits cases in the Supreme Court of the United States. In addition, in 2009, Professor Mergen assisted the Office of White House Counsel on the confirmation of the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. During his career at the Justice Department, Professor Mergen received the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service three times. He also received ENRD’s Muskee-Chafee Award, honoring his work’s significant contribution to protecting the environment.
The views expressed in this lecture and in the event description are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the S.J. Quinney College of Law or the University of Utah.
For questions about this event email events@law.utah.edu.
SUBSCRIBE to the S.J. Quinney College of Law event lists to stay current on upcoming College of Law events. You may unsubscribe at anytime.
The S.J. Quinney College of Law is pleased to provide CLE opportunities for attorneys. All donations welcome to support our programs.