Alaska judge dismisses Trump-era approvals for Arctic oil project
A US federal judge invalidated permits approved during the Trump administration for a large oil development project on Alaska’s North Slope on Wednesday. In a 110-page ruling, Judge Sharon Gleason vacated the permits granted to ConocoPhillips, Alaska’s largest crude oil producer, by the Bureau of Land Management (the Bureau) because they violated the National Environmental [...]
Ecuador to pay $374M to oil company Perenco to settle investment dispute
Ecuador’s government said Tuesday that it would pay the USD $374 million award granted to French oil company Perenco, following the country’s failure to have an arbitral award granted against it annulled. In 2008, Perenco had sued the Ecuadorian government over a new law implemented by then-president Rafael Correa at a time of surging oil [...]
US federal judge denies request to shut down Dakota Access Pipeline
Judge James Boasberg of the US District Court for the District of Columbia denied a request Friday for an injunction to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline, ordering the parties to file a joint status report on how to proceed. Judge Boasberg said that the plaintiff, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, failed to show that [...]
Explainer: Why are so many countries racing to lay claim to the Arctic?
As natural resources remain ever necessary to power our technologically advanced society, nations are looking for new sources for key resources including coal, oil, and natural gas. As polar sea ice has melted and opened new potential shipping lanes, the Arctic has become a new frontier where nations are seeking oil and natural gas reserves [...]
A Resolution for International Disputes in Greco-Turkish Seas
The recent controversy ignited by the exploratory drills conducted off the coast of Cyprus is just the latest addition to the chain of conflicts between Greece and Turkey. The apparent reason for the spark seems to be the new-found energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, which has attracted competition in the region. However, there [...]
There Is No Ascertainable Proof that the Bar Exam and the MPRE Protect the Public
An August 5, 2020 webinar organized by the University of Miami received a great deal of attention for remarks made by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) president Judith Gunderson suggesting that NCBE critics might encounter difficulties with their character and fitness evaluations. I was equally struck, though, by a remark made later in [...]
Yesterday, the CEOs of Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Apple testified before the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee in a hearing on “Online Platforms and Market Power.” As Congress takes up the question of market power in the tech sector, the time is ripe to consider the issue in our broader economy. For decades, corporations in a [...]
Federal appeals court temporarily permits Dakota Access Pipeline operation
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled Tuesday that the Dakota Access Pipeline can continue operating amid legal proceedings. The order rejects a lower court’s decision last week to shut down the pipeline as owner Energy Transfer LP faces legal challenges from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Tuesday’s decision emphasizes [...]
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of the US government allowing oil drilling to proceed in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. The Reserve was first designated a source of oil in 1923, and in 1976 management of the land was turned over to the US Department of the Interior, which [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on Monday that the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) must shut down pending a review of its environmental impact. This ruling comes after Judge James Boasberg ruled in March that the US Army Corps of Engineers violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). [...]
