Practice Areas

Education

Duke University Law School, J.D., 1972; Editor, Duke Law Journal
U.C.L.A., A.B., 1969

Bar and Court Admissions

State Court: California, District of Columbia, Alaska

Past Professional Experience

Center for International Environmental Law, Washington, DC & Geneva, Founder & President, 1989-2003
International Environmental Law Program, American University Washington College of Law, Founder, Director, & adjunct Law Professor, 1989 - 2003
Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund (now Earthjustice), Alaska & Washington, DC offices, Director, 1980-89
U.S. Department of Justice, Special Litigation Attorney, 1978-80
Environmental Law Institute, 1974-78
Adams, Duque & Hazeltine, Los Angeles, 1973-74

Durwood J. Zaelke

Partner

Washington, DC
1700 K Street N.W.
Suite 655
Washington DC 20006

TEL: (202) 498-2457
FAX: (866) 794-2651

dzaelke@zelle.com

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Durwood Zaelke is an international environmental law specialist focusing on sustainable business practices and litigation involving toxic chemicals and other public health and environmental threats. He teaches masters and Ph.D. courses at the Bren School for Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he co-founded and co-directs the Program on Governance for Sustainable Development. Durwood was appointed by President Clinton and re-appointed by President Bush to the Trade & Environment Policy Advisory Committee in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. He is the director of the Secretariat for the International Network for Environmental Compliance & Enforcement (INECE) and the President and founder of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development. In addition to the Bren School, Durwood also teaches courses in International Environmental Law & Policy at American University’s Washington College of Law and at Johns Hopkins University. He has also taught at Yale Law School and Duke Law School.

Articles & Presentations

"The Securities and Exchange Commission Issues, Interpretive Guidance on Disclosure of Climate Change Impacts," White Paper, March 19, 2010, author
Reducing Abrupt Climate Change Risk Using the Montreal Protocol and Other Regulatory Actions to Complement Cuts in CO2 Emissions, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (October 2009), co-author
Strengthening the Montreal Protocol: Insurance Against Abrupt Climate Change, Sustainable Development Law & Policy Publication (March 2007) co-author
After "The Day After Tomorrow": What Will Society Learn from the Inevitability of Rapid Climate Change Events, 15 National Strategy Forum Review 16 (Fall 2006) (with Young & Stone)
The Role of Compliance in the Rule of Law, Good Governance, and Sustainable Development, Journal of European Environmental & Planning Law (Fall 2006) (with Higdon)
International Environmental Law & Policy (Foundation Press, 3rd ed. 2006) (with Hunter & Salzman)
Making Law Work: Environmental Compliance & Sustainable Development, Vol. 1 & 2 (Cameron May 2005) (Zaelke, Kaniaru & Kruzíková, eds)
Industry Genius: Inventions and People Protecting the Climate and Fragile Ozone Layer (Greenleaf 2003) (with Andersen)
Trade & Environmental Law, Economics & Policy (Island Press 1995) (Zaelke, Housman & Orbuch, eds.)
Freedom for the Seas in the 21st Century: A New Look at Ocean Governance (Island Press 1993) (Van Dyke, Zaelke & Hewison, eds.), co-winner of the Sprout Award for best book on international environmental affairs
Global Warming and Climate Change: An Overview of the International Legal Process, 5 Am. U. J. Int'l L. & Pol'y 249 (Winter 1990), selected as one of the best law review articles of the year and reprinted in 22 Land Use & Envt'l L. Rev. (1991), and in Italian in Futuro Sostenible: Effetto Serra 36 (1990)

Professional Affiliations

Center for International Environmental Law, Washington, DC & Geneva, President, co-founder, and board member (1989-2002)
Foundation for International Environmental Law & Development, UK, co-founder, board member (1989-2002)
Kings College, University of London, Fellow (1989-90)
American University, Washington College of Law, Scholar-in-Residence, founder and Director, International & Comparative Environmental Law Program (1990-2002)
Renew America, Washington, DC, Member, Board of Directors(1992-93)
Scientific Certification Systems, Founding Chairman, Board of Directors, a privately held life cycle analysis and eco-labeling company in Oakland, California (1994-98)
U.S. National Advisory Committee, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, NAFTA, Member (1994-98)
Euronatura, Member, Advisory Board, Lisbon, Portugal (1998- )
Center for Human Rights and Environment, Member, Advisory Board, Argentina (2000-)
Int’l Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Member, Executive Planning Committee (2000-)
National Association of Environmental Law Societies, Founding Board Member and President (2001-)
Keystone Center, Member, Board of Directors, (2001- )
President’s Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee, Member (1999-2002; reappointed in 2003)
Program on Governance for Sustainable Development, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, co-founder and co-director (2003-)