CMPL 580 - LAW - Fall 2026

McGill University • Guelph, ON

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The objective of this introductory course is to offer a comprehensive overview of law and policy regarding various aspects of human interactions with the environment. Environment and the law touches upon environmental law, constitutional law, civil law, administrative law, criminal law, international law and legal pluralism, along with strong links to the social, natural and physical sciences. We will review basic concepts and approaches for considering environment and the law, substantive laws and regulations related to environmental protection (including impact assessment), jurisdictional issues underpinning environmental protection, procedural and administrative issues such as public participation and rulemaking, and issues of liability and enforcement. The course will touch on environmental law and policy related to land, air and water; waste and toxic substances; plant and animal species and biodiversity; and the role and legal traditions of Indigenous Peoples with respect to the environment. We will also consider shortcomings and blind spots in environmental law and, more generally, in how the law and the environment interact, and we will examine recent innovations such as rights of nature and ecological law, as well as proposals for reform. The focus will be on Canadian law (federal, provincial, municipal and Indigenous) but we will also consider efforts to protect the environment at the international level, including how those efforts have shaped domestic law. Provinces play a strong role in relation to law and the environment, and so we will look to Québec and occasionally other provinces for examples of specific legal and regulatory approaches. Students taking this course will gain an understanding of the main legal approaches in Canada that address human interaction with the environment and how various stakeholders engage with these approaches and are involved or implicated at the intersection of environment and the law. After taking the course, students will be able to formulate legal and policy arguments with respect to environment and the law and to develop ways to improve how law responds to environmental challenges.

Requirements

• A first degree in law.
• Several years of significant practice or professional experience in the relevant area.
• Experience in teaching undergraduate law students in a bilingual setting.

Responsibilities

• Teach CMPL 580 - Environment and the Law course.
• Provide a comprehensive overview of law and policy regarding human interactions with the environment.
• Review basic concepts and approaches for considering environment and the law.
• Discuss substantive laws and regulations related to environmental protection.
• Address jurisdictional issues underpinning environmental protection.
• Cover procedural and administrative issues such as public participation and rulemaking.
• Examine issues of liability and enforcement.
• Touch on environmental law and policy related to land, air and water; waste and toxic substances; plant and animal species and biodiversity.
• Discuss the role and legal traditions of Indigenous Peoples with respect to the environment.
• Consider shortcomings and blind spots in environmental law and the interaction between law and the environment.
• Examine recent innovations such as rights of nature and ecological law, as well as proposals for reform.
• Focus on Canadian law (federal, provincial, municipal and Indigenous) while also considering international efforts.
• Use examples from Québec and occasionally other provinces for specific legal and regulatory approaches.
• Help students gain an understanding of the main legal approaches in Canada that address human interaction with the environment.
• Enable students to formulate legal and policy arguments and develop ways to improve how law responds to environmental challenges.

Benefits

• McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community.
• We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.
• McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify.
• Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, [email protected].
• McGill University is internationally recognized for its excellence as a leading institution of higher education and research.
• McGill received a Platinum STARS rating in sustainability, is among Canada’s greenest employers, and is a top Montreal Employer.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Mid Level