LAW & POLICY PROGRAM
Established in 2012, the Stegner Center’s Law and Policy program provides actionable and pragmatic research on emerging issues affecting public lands, agency decision-making, indigenous peoples, resource management, and climate change. We aim to provide real-time analysis that protects the environment and promotes a just and democratic society through wise and thoughtful policies.
Research Professor John Ruple quoted in Bloomberg Law about Trump administration resizing Utah monuments
Jul 15, 2026Research Professor John Ruple was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article about how Trump’s resizing of Utah national monuments complicates the legal fight over the president’s power to set aside/reopen sensitive federal land.
Associate Professor Jamie Pleune co-leads multinational workshop in Albania on mining policy
May 12, 2026Associate Research Professor Jamie Pleune traveled to Tirana, Albania, in April as part of a team from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program that facilitated a multi-lateral workshop and legal consultation on mining policies and responsible mining.
International Law Clinic connects students with opportunities to help impacted communities throughout the world
Jan 30, 2026Utah Law’s International Law Clinic, directed by Associate Professor (Lecturer) Jackie Morrison (JD ’12), launched in January 2025. Morrison designed the clinic to give students hands-on experience and bridge international law classes with practical skills-building.
Wallace Stegner Center faculty write letter to Congress urging lawmakers not to repeal BLM resource management plans
Sep 03, 2025Members of the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources and the Environment faculty joined law professors across the country Sept. 2 to ask Congress not to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal three Bureau of Land Management (BLM) resource management plans.
The Law & Policy Team
PRINCIPAL SPONSORS
The ESRR Endowment Fund for
the Wallace Stegner Center
Wilburforce Foundation
The Law and Policy Program produces research under contract with various federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. State Department. We also depend on gifts and grants from generous supporters. The Stegner Center is solely responsible for the content of our research and the views expressed in our publications do not necessarily represent those of any governmental entity or funder. Donors exercise no substantive or editorial control over our research or recommendations.