August 15, 2024: Legal Scholars and Medical Professionals File Amicus Briefs In Support of Youth Plaintiffs

A group of leading public trust experts from around the country and Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action—an association of over 450 medical professionals—filed friend-of-the-court briefs, in support of the 12 youth plaintiffs. 

The 21 public trust law professors wrote that the Supreme Court should grant the Petition for Appeal, and filed their brief “to clarify that [public trust] claims cannot be barred by sovereign immunity.” According to the law professors, the Court of Appeals’ decision renders Virginia’s public trust doctrine “meaningless.” Read the full brief here.

In their brief, the Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action detailed the ways in which the youth plaintiffs are disproportionately harmed by fossil fuel pollution and climate injuries in ways distinct from the general public. They wrote: “Scientific research consistently confirms the link between the causes of climate change and harms to human health...Virginia’s youth are in many ways uniquely exposed to physical and mental stress from extreme heat, extended pollen seasons, air pollution, and heightened environmental hazards in the places they live and play.” Read the full brief here.