The fight has shifted to Louisiana, where legislators soon will consider a bill that would prohibit any law school clinic at a public or private university that receives state money from suing a government agency or seeking monetary damages from an individual or business. The proposal is similar to legislation initially considered then rejected by Maryland lawmakers. It is largely seen as a slap at Tulane University Law School’s environmental clinic.
Last year, the clinic helped secure a mercury contamination settlement from EnerVest Operating LLC, an oil and gas management company. It also helped stop the planned conversion of a power plant into a coal and petroleum coke burning facility — reversing earlier approval given by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. The clinic alleged that the move would emit large amounts of carbon dioxide. Critics have accused the clinic of driving investments and commerce out of the state, while supporters credit it with standing up for citizens’ rights and protecting natural resources.
