Abstract
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate legal tactics employed by lawyers in Massachusetts working on environmental justice cases, and to explore lawyers' perceptions and uses of scientific expertise and data. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews with eight lawyers in Massachusetts focused on each lawyer's most recent environmental justice case, opinions on future legislation, and interactions with scientific data. Currently, there is no environmental justice law in Massachusetts. Lawyers practicing environmental justice often employ a “whatever works” approach to achieve the desired results of their client groups. While there was consensus among the lawyers regarding the need for science in their work, they were apprehensive about scientists' communication styles, costs of data and expertise, and definitions of causation. However, the interviewees admitted that scientific data can inform community organizing, media messaging, lobbying efforts, negotiations, and other tactics often employed to achieve environmental justice. Findings suggest a framework for how lawyers perceive their environmental justice cases. The results highlight tensions between law and science in the field of environmental justice, whose resolution would have implications for environmental equity and public health more broadly. Increased collaboration and understanding of both legal and scientific underpinnings may lead to more productive lawyer-scientist partnerships.
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