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John C. Dernbach’s research concentrates on environmental law, climate change, and sustainable development. He has served as director of the policy office at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The Policy Office is responsible for developing and coordinating policy and regulatory initiatives for DEP, including the integration of sustainable development concepts into DEP programs.

Immediately following graduation from Michigan Law School, Professor Dernbach taught legal writing at Wayne State University (1978-79), served as a staff attorney to the American Lung Association of Michigan (1979-80), and coauthored a widely-used and influential legal writing text, A Practical Guide to Legal Writing and Legal Method (Aspen Publishing, 3rd edition 2007). Over the next dozen years, Professor Dernbach worked on the development and implementation of nationally recognized programs for regulating coal and noncoal mining, municipal solid waste, and residual or industrial solid waste for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. During this time he served as assistant counsel (1981-87), special assistant (1987-92), and Director of the Department’s Advanced Science and Research Team (1992-93). He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.

Professor Dernbach has written widely on environmental law and sustainable development. He is the editor of Agenda for a Sustainable America (Environmental Law Institute Press, January 2009) and Stumbling Toward Sustainability (Environmental Law Institute Press 2002), comprehensive assessments of U.S. sustainable development activities that include recommendations for future efforts. The books each have more than 40 contributing authors from universities and law schools, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and state government. Professor Dernbach has written more than thirty articles for law reviews and peer-reviewed journals, and has authored, coauthored, or contributed chapters to eleven books. He has lectured to local, state, national, and international audiences on environmental law, climate change, and sustainable development.

He received the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Alumni Association in 2002. In 2008, he received the Douglas E. Ray Excellence in Faculty Scholarship Award, and was also named one of three distinguished law professors at Widener University. On April 22, 2010, he received an award for distinguished service to the profession from the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Environmental and Energy Law Section.

Professor Dernbach is a council member for the ABA Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources. He is former chair and a current vice-chair of the ABA Committee on Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Ecosystems, and Climate Change. He is also a member of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law. From 2005 to 2008, he served on the Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability of the National Academy of Sciences. He is former Senior Warden and co-chair of the environmental stewardship committee at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral in Harrisburg.