Both legally and practically speaking, getting to the water’s edge isn’t as straightforward as it might seem – or as many people might like.
Articles on public trust doctrine
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Approaches vary in terms of who is filing the lawsuit, against whom and whether it is based on protecting human rights or the rights of the environment itself.
Dating back centuries, a legal principle declares certain natural resources must be protected by the government for present and future generations to benefit from.
In principle, some portion of the shoreline is public land along virtually all US coasts. But these can sometimes overlap with private property interests, creating confusion and conflict.
Legal scholars explain why a lawsuit by 21 young people against the US government, arguing for a constitutional right to a stable climate, is such a powerful idea.
Top contributors
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Post Graduate Research Fellow, University of Oregon
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Jeffrey Bain Scholar & Professor of Law, Lewis & Clark
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Philip H. Knight Professor of Law, University of Oregon
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Legal Skills Professor and Director, Conservation Clinic, University of Florida College of Law, University of Florida
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James G. Degnan Professor of Law, University of Michigan
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Professor of International Studies, University of San Francisco
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Professor and Director of the Center for Water Policy, School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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Water Policy and Science Communications Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee