LAW 468 - Water Law

This course will combine a general survey of U.S. water law and policy with an examination of water law doctrines, institutions, and policy issues. One goal of this course is to give students a basic introduction to the laws and institutions that have shaped the use, development, and preservation of water throughout the United States. Thus, we will examine the legal principles and doctrines that have shaped the use of surface water and groundwater in different jurisdictions across the United States, as well as the evolution of public and private rights in these resources. In addition, this course will examine how water law doctrines and water law institutions have evolved to influence the development and preservation of other important resources, including but not limited to biodiversity, coastal and marine resources, energy, and land use.