On Tuesday, February 4th, ELP partnered with the Evening Part Time Program (EPT) for a Tuesday Programming Event, featuring a talk story with the Honorable Judge Merideth Wright on “Practical Access to Justice in Environmental Matters.” Judge Wright joined the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) as a Distinguished Judicial Scholar in 2012.  She had presided over the Vermont Environmental Court (now known as the Environmental Division of the Vermont Superior Court) since its creation in 1990.  Before her appointment to the bench, Judge Wright worked for nine years in the Environmental section of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, and as a staff attorney for the Vermont Supreme Court.  Judge Wright began the talk by discussing the history of the Vermont Environmental Court and how it came to be the first court with statewide jurisdiction.  An interesting aspect of starting the court involved her traveling around the state to hear cases.  She then delved into the elements of access to justice, which she described as the first building blocks for a good judicial system.  Judge Wright talked about standing, geographic accessibility, and access to legal expertise and technical experts, as being essential elements when considering access to justice in the environmental law field as well as more broadly.  Thank you to Judge Wright and EPT for collaborating on this wonderful talk!

RR 2/15/2020