Earth Law is a new legal discipline that recognizes the rights of nature and works to reconcile the relationship between humans and nature so that all can live sustainably. It is rooted in the Indigenous concept that everything, including law, comes from the land. It incorporates the ideas of relationship and reciprocity, ideas that are gaining a foothold in the current Western system of law through such concepts as mediation and restorative justice. Earth Law is also referred to as Wild Law or Earth Jurisprudence.
I bring unique credentials and experience to my work as an Earth Law attorney, currently the only one in private practice in the United States. For more than 20 years, I have worked with the nonprofit corporation Tapestry Institute, which was founded by a Choctaw scientist and educator. Tapestry operates within Indigenous worldview and helps people reconnect to nature using different ways of knowing, learning about, and responding to the natural world. I have worked with Indigenous people around the world, exploring issues of relationship and reciprocity with nature and the land, and have been Tapestry’s president since 2007. The Land and the Law educational program at Tapestry explores Indigenous law, Indigenous land rights, Earth law, the doctrine of discovery, and the rights of nature, among other issues.
I help individuals and organizations recognize the rights of nature using different legal tools, such as conservation restrictions, which are known as conservation easements in other jurisdictions. I also help local municipalities draft resolutions to recognize the rights of nature in their area.
Contact me to if you have a matter concerning Earth law.