In the sixth episode of "Groundtruth," Beveridge & Diamond Principal John Cruden (Washington, DC), who formerly served as Assistant Attorney General of U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment & Natural Resources Division (2015-2017), speaks with renowned environmental justice (EJ) leader and advocate Benjamin F. Wilson on the history of EJ, the unprecedented EJ developments under the Biden Administration, and what advice he has for corporate in-house counsel on EJ.

"What is happening now with the Biden Administration is unprecedented. This is not your father's EJ. We have not only EPA and the Department of Justice looking at EJ, but the Department of Energy, HHS... There's really no executive agency that is not affirmatively and aggressively looking at EJ… And I would also hasten to add there’s a lot of great action happening at the state level. It’s not just Washington."

— Ben Wilson

Ben, who recently retired after serving years as Chairman of Beveridge & Diamond, has deep experience with EJ representations and is a recognized leader on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in the legal profession. In December, The American Lawyer presented Ben with its Lifetime Achievement Award, and Lawyers of Color listed Ben among the “Most Influential Black Lawyer of the Decade.” Ben manages the Diverse Lawyers Network, teaches at the Howard University School of Law, and is an active member on many boards, including serving as Chair for the Environmental Law Institute.

“Groundtruth” is a podcast series, produced in partnership with the Environmental Law Institute’s People Places Planet Podcast, that explores EJ trends and developments. Listen to other “Groundtruth” episodes:

• Episode 1: “New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law”
• Episode 2: “State Stories – Passing Environmental Justice Legislation”
• Episode 3: “All of Industry – Corporate Approaches to Advancing Environmental Justice”
• Episode 4: “Operationalizing Environmental Justice”
• Episode 5: "Environmental Justice in 2022 - Perspectives From EPA"

Beveridge & Diamond Associate Hilary Jacobs (Washington, DC) led the content development for this episode.

Follow The Environmental Law Podcast on Spotify or your preferred podcast app. To receive B&D’s updates on EJ developments and trends, subscribe to our email list here or follow us on LinkedIn at #bdlawEJ.