Professor Jason J. Czarnezki Returns to Haub Law to Advance Natural Resources Law and Student Success

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is pleased to welcome Professor Jason J. Czarnezki back to its full-time faculty as Professor of Law and Faculty Director of Bar Strategy and Performance. A well-established environmental law scholar and academic leader, Professor Czarnezki returns to Haub Law after most recently serving as Dean of Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Tech. Professor Czarnezki will play an important role in building the Law School’s emerging natural resources law and conservation initiative, as well as advancing bar performance and student success.

Professor Czarnezki is well known to the Haub Law community, having previously served in several leadership roles, including as Associate Dean of Environmental Law Programs and Strategic Initiatives, Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, and Faculty Director of the Sustainable Business Law Hub. During his prior tenure, he helped guide Haub Law’s Environmental Law Program to its first-ever #1 national ranking in U.S. News & World Report, a distinction it maintained for five consecutive years under his leadership and continues to hold today.

“We are thrilled to welcome Professor Czarnezki back to Haub Law and to benefit once again from his experience as a scholar, educator, and academic leader,” said Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. “Jason has a deep commitment to our students and to the continued growth and innovation of our Law School. His expertise in natural resources law and conservation will be especially valuable as we build new opportunities for teaching, scholarship, and experiential learning in these areas, while his leadership in bar strategy and performance will further strengthen our commitment to student success and preparation for the profession.”

Natural resources law and environmental stewardship have been longstanding focuses of Professor Czarnezki’s scholarship and teaching, rooted in a family history of conservation and public service. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Professor Czarnezki comes from a family that includes park rangers, foresters, and public servants dedicated to conservation and environmental protection. His grandfather, Gerald Czarnezki, was an early conservation advocate in Wisconsin, while his father, Joe Czarnezki, drafted and sponsored significant environmental legislation while serving in the Wisconsin State Legislature. Professor Czarnezki has explored this history in his own scholarship, including his article, “A Brief Legal History of Wisconsin Conservation,” which examines the evolution of natural resources law and conservation values in his home state.

Professor Czarnezki’s approach to legal education also reflects his commitment to natural resources law and conservation. He has taught Natural Resources Law as well as an intensive Natural Resources Law and Policy Field Course in Grand Teton National Park. Co-taught with professors from the University of Wyoming’s College of Law and Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, the field course provides students with an immersive opportunity to study natural resources law and policy.

“Natural resources and conservation have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I am excited to return to Haub Law and help build upon the Law School’s extraordinary environmental legacy in these areas,” said Professor Czarnezki. “There is tremendous opportunity to connect legal study with field-based and experiential learning, as well as prepare students to address increasingly complex natural resources and conservation challenges. I am also grateful for the opportunity to return to a community that has meant so much to me and to contribute to our students’ success both during law school and as they prepare to enter the profession.”

Professor Czarnezki’s broader scholarship, teaching, and leadership span environmental law, natural resources law, sustainable business, food systems policy, global climate policy, and environmental governance. His work has been published in numerous law journals, and his books include Everyday Environmentalism: Law, Nature & Individual Behavior and Food, Agriculture, Environmental Law. His international academic experience includes appointments and fellowships at institutions in Sweden, United Kingdom, China, and elsewhere. He holds a PhD in Environmental Law from Uppsala University, a JD with honors from the University of Chicago Law School, and a BA from the University of Chicago.

As Faculty Director of Bar Strategy and Performance, Professor Czarnezki will work closely with Haub Law’s Office of Academic Support to help drive bar support strategy and programming, with a focus on strengthening student support, improving outcomes, and helping graduates prepare for admission to the profession. His experience as a scholar, administrator, and academic leader will support the Law School’s continued efforts to advance academic excellence and student success. He will teach Property, Multistate Bar Examination Strategies, Natural Resources Law, and Current Challenges in Environmental Law.