Doug Ruley joins Miami Law as associate professor of clinical education and director of the Environmental Justice Clinic, building on three decades of experience in environmental law and litigation, including as a staff attorney for Earthjustice in Alaska, as managing attorney for the Asheville office of the Southern Environmental Law Center, as the director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic at Vermont Law School, and as counsel to a private law firm.
Over his career, he has represented Native Alaskan tribes and villages, minority neighborhoods, and low-income communities harmed by logging, highway projects, and industrial activities. Ruley's international experience includes serving as chief counsel for ClientEarth and teaching at the University of Ljubljana Law School pursuant to a Fulbright Fellowship.
"We are delighted that Doug Ruley is joining our faculty," said David Yellen, dean and M. Minnette Massey Professor of Law. "He has a tremendous background in environmental law practice and teaching. Our environmental law program and clinic are doing impactful work, and Doug will help us do even more."
Miami Law's Environmental Justice Clinic advocates for and empowers marginalized communities that disproportionately bear the ecological, economic, and health burdens of developing, implementing, and enforcing environmental law. The EJC's work sits at the intersection of civil rights, environmental, poverty, and public health law, tackling issues in South Florida, including climate change, displacement, contamination, environmental health, and municipal equity. Utilizing a community lawyering approach, the EJC seeks systemic change through advocacy, policy development, education, and transactional assistance. The clinic is a part of the School of Law's expansive experiential learning curriculum.
"I am incredibly excited to return to teaching and working on behalf of the communities most affected by environmental degradation, in a city and region that are on the front lines of the climate and pollution crises," said Ruley, who grew up as a fan of the Miami Dolphins in the years leading to their 1972 perfect season. "It is an honor to join such a vital law school and its outstanding clinical and experiential programs."
Read more about Miami Law’s environmental law area of study.
Read more about the Environmental Justice Clinic
