Legal luminaries, industry experts, and government officials from across the globe will gather at the American Bar Association (ABA) 2024 Americas Conference, this year hosted at the University of Houston. The conference, titled "The Future of Energy Across the Americas: Helping Lawyers Predict and Adapt," will take place from Feb. 27 to March 1 at the Conrad N. Hilton College.
The University of Houston Law Center, nationally and internationally ranked for Energy and Global Law LL.M. programs, will kick off the conference with a reception at the state-of-the-art John M. O'Quinn Law Building.
ABA International Law Section Chair David Schwartz said, “We are thrilled to be working with the University of Houston Law Center on this conference. The Center’s long history of training lawyers in the energy space made it a wonderful strategic partner, and its beautiful new building make it a fabulous host for our opening panels and reception!”
Karen Jones, the Executive Director of Global & Graduate Programs at the University of Houston Law Center, echoed this sentiment, underscoring the significance of having this international event at the university. Jones said, "As one of the co-chairs for the conference, it is exciting to host the ABA ILS conference on the UH campus, and the opening ceremony at the John M. O’Quinn Law Building. Not only is Houston, as the 'energy capitol of the world,' the perfect location for this incredible conference. The University of Houston Law Center is a great venue, with our top LL.M. program in Energy Law, and programs in International Law and the LL.M. in U.S. Law for foreign lawyers."
Gina Warren, Co-Director of the Environment, Energy, & Natural Resources Center (EENR) at the University of Houston Law Center, expressed her excitement about hosting the event, stating, "It is a great privilege for UH to host this event. I can think of no better venue for it than in Houston."
Warren will also be addressing the gender and climate justice responsibilities of energy businesses during a panel discussion on the interplay of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG), corporate due diligence, and human rights.
Another highlight of the conference will be a Fireside Chat featuring Rebecca Bresnik, acting Deputy Associate General Counsel for International and Space Law for NASA and adjunct Professor of Space Law at the University of Houston Law Center, and her husband, astronaut Randy Bresnik. The duo will provide an update on NASA's space exploration initiatives, with a particular focus on the legal framework governing these activities. This session will take place on Friday, March 1, as part of the conference's excursion to the Space Center Houston.
“As an employee of NASA and a professor of space law at the University of Houston Law Center, I am excited to share an overview of the legal framework governing space activities and highlight the great space exploration initiatives happening at NASA, particularly those aimed at returning humans to the Moon. Houston, a city renowned for its rich history in space exploration, is the perfect location to discuss these exciting space initiatives and the future of space exploration,” said Rebecca Bresnik.
Several University of Houston Law Center faculty, in addition to Warren and Bresnik, will participate in conference panels covering topics such as hydrogen demand, supply chain, green energy, human rights, and space law. UHLC speakers include:
- Rebecca Bresnik, Acting Deputy Associate General Counsel for International and Space Law for NASA and adjunct Professor of Space Law at the University of Houston Law Center
- Julian Cardenas Garcia, Research Assistant Professor Director, Center for U.S. and Mexican Law, University of Houston Law Center, Houston, TX
- Tracy Hester, Instructional Associate Professor of Law, University of Houston Law Center
- Gina S. Warren, Co-Director of the EENR Center, University of Houston Law Center, Houston, TX
For more information on the UHLC Master of Laws programs visit, www.law.uh.edu/llm.
Original source can be found here.