School of Law Professor Cliff Villa Publishes Fourth Edition of Environmental Justice: Law, Policy, and Regulation
February 6, 2026
UNM School of Law Professor Cliff Villa is lead author of the recently published fourth edition of Environmental Justice: Law, Policy, and Regulation, a national textbook that examines current theory and practice regarding environmental justice. The book was recently released by Carolina Academic Press.
Professor Villa served as the lead author of the third edition and carried that work forward into the newest edition, reflecting significant developments in environmental justice, the aftermath of the pandemic, and the challenges and opportunities that have emerged during the current presidential term. The book is co-authored by a group of scholars and practitioners, including Nadia Ahmad from Barry University, Rebecca Bratspies from Tulane Law School, Patrice Simms from Harvard Law School, and Carlton Waterhouse from Howard University.
Environmental Justice: Law, Policy, and Regulation is designed as a comprehensive teaching tool that can be widely used by educators and practitioners across the country. In addition to updated legal analysis and federal, state, and tribal perspectives in the book, the companion website includes a teacher’s manual, sample syllabi, and a collection of Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to help students and practitioners identify environmental justice concerns in individual communities. Together, these resources help instructors, students, and practitioners understand how environmental threats disproportionately affect communities and how law and policy can be used to address those inequities.
The book takes a broad view of environmental justice, exploring not only pollution and public health impacts, but also climate justice, disaster justice, and food justice. Professor Villa emphasizes, “We need environmental justice because we still have environmental injustice.”
Professor Villa teaches, writes, and practices in the areas of constitutional rights and environmental law, with particular expertise in environmental justice and disaster response. He served in the Biden administration within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the political head of Office of Land and Emergency Management. Prior to that, he worked more than 20 years as an EPA attorney, and had teaching appointments at Columbia Law School and Seattle University.
With local roots tracing back to the Atrisco Land Grant of 1692, Professor Villa’s lifelong connection to New Mexico informs both his scholarship and his commitment to environmental justice. Living and working in communities directly affected by pollution and environmental degradation has shaped his perspective on the urgent need for equitable environmental protections.
In addition to Environmental Justice: Law, Policy, and Regulation, Professor Villa is the author of numerous publications, including Law and Lawyers in the Incident Command System (2013), Remaking Environmental Justice (2020), Don’t Blame the Flint River (2022), and Environmental Justice Beyond 2° C (2024).
Professor Villa’s leadership on this book also elevates the School of Law’s national profile, as law schools and colleges across the country are using the book as a teaching resource. The project also strengthens and advances the UNM’s Natural Resources and Environmental Law program, which received an A+ in Law Top Law Schools for Environmental Law according to preLaw Magazine in 2025.
The book can be purchased here. Professors teaching in the field may request a complimentary copy.
