This foundational environmental law unit provides the core of UTAS's environmental law program. The unit caters both to students seeking a concise introduction to the subject-matter, as part of a well-rounded legal education for professional practice, as well as students seeking to specialise in this growing and substantial area of law, for which Environmental Law (LAW641) provides the starting point.

The unit introduces the principal components of Australian (federal) environmental regulation and policy, with some consideration of equivalent state regimes (mainly Tasmania). The unit is structured around several key themes: why does environmental law exist (ie, what problems does it respond to and what ideas shape that response); the actors (the "who") of environmental law, notably states, NGOs and Aboriginal peoples; the sources (the "where") of environmental law, spanning the common law, public legislation and international law; and the tools (the "how") of environmental law, such as command-and-control and economic instruments. The course concludes with two case studies, on climate change law and biodiversity conservation law, which offer more in-depth analysis of the main themes of the syllabus. Major issues in environmental law and policy are brought to life in the classroom via videos, role-plays, lively discussion, negotiation exercises and scenarios drawn from topical environmental controversies.