About CJP

Johannes Plenio

CJP is building and enabling a network of judges and scientists advancing climate science education for the judiciary.

Established
2018
Curriculum Modules
13
Contributing Experts
21
Participating Judges
1700+
Events Hosted
42
Updated 11/29/2023

As the body of climate litigation grows, judges must consider complex scientific and legal questions, many of which are developing rapidly. To address these issues, the Climate Judiciary Project of the Environmental Law Institute is collaborating with leading national judicial education institutions to meet judges’ need for basic familiarity with climate science methods and concepts.

We are developing and disseminating a climate science and law curriculum and are conducting seminars and educational programs, in collaboration with leading climate scientists and legal experts. The goal of our project is to provide neutral, objective information to the judiciary about the science of climate change as it is understood by the expert scientific community and relevant to current and future litigation. 

ELI has a track record of delivering highly-respected U.S. and international judicial education programs spanning more than three decades. This program holds true to ELI’s course of nonpartisanship and nonadvocacy, drawing deeply on ELI’s commitment to high quality, bias-free content. Our collaborators — among them faculty of leading universities, government and private research institutions, and members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine — are likewise known for their impartiality and are at the top of their fields in science and judicial education.

Our shared vision is to make available to federal, state, and local judges the basic science they need to adjudicate the climate litigation over which they preside.