THE LAW OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (2) (LND 405)

Professor: Richard Sobelsohn

Course Description: In this course students will examine what constitutes a green building, how a building gets certified and maintains its certification from the United States Green Building Council ("USGBC") as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design "LEED" building, the legal climate in which sustainable development exists and what role the attorney should play in the entire process. The subject will be taught from a practitioner's perspective and include a discussion of the following topics: the attorney's duties associated with: acquisitions; construction agreements, architects agreements; the USGBC LEED rating system and the application for and maintenance of certification; the United States regulatory climate and the latest federal, state and local enactments; various contracts with green specific provisions; insurance issues and emerging case law and litigation. As part of this course there will be negotiation simulations and various case studies. Students will be graded based on the participation in classroom exercises and a term paper.