As always, this year’s APIEL conference will critically investigate emerging trends and long-term consequences of diverse environmental issues with complex scientific, ethic, legal, public health and social justice dimensions. A particularly hot session topic, “Greenhouse Gaslighting: TVA’s Proposed Gas Plants and Pipelines,” will dissect TVA plans to replace coal with natural gas. That would not only disregard Federal climate-change directions, but also saddle us with even more stranded assets that have a snowball’s chance in hell to repay their investments.

The keynote presentation by Dean Rivkin and John Rosenberg — our region’s doyens of public interest and environmental law — is titled “Re-Examining the Meaning and Mission of Public Interest Lawyering in Appalachia: What Would Sisyphus Do?” (Dean Rivkin also was a frequent contributor to Hellbender Press during its hardcopy publication days. — Ed.)

The registration fee is a mere $20, including lunch! Even free registration is possible by volunteering to help with tasks during the event. Persons in a financial pinch may apply for a waiver of the registration fee. That option is made possible by contributions from conference sponsors and by an extra registration fee for Tennessee-licensed attorneys who want to earn Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit hours toward their annual CLE requirement mandated by the Supreme Court of Tennessee’s Board of Professional Responsibility.

Those who cannot attend in person may register to attend virtually via Zoom (of course they’ll miss networking opportunities including the post conference social at Albright Grove Brewing).