Professor Margot J. Pollans Appointed Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University

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The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is proud to announce the appointment of Professor Margot J. Pollans as the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law.

“Professor Pollans exemplifies the excellence, innovation, and leadership that define the Pace | Haub Environmental Law Program,” said Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. “Her scholarship has not only deepened our understanding of environmental governance and sustainable food systems, but also strengthened Pace Haub Law’s national and international reputation as a leader in environmental law education and policy. Equally important, she has demonstrated exceptional service to the Law School by mentoring students, leading initiatives, and contributing to key faculty committees. This appointment is a well-deserved recognition of her remarkable impact on our community.”

Professor Pollans exemplifies the excellence, innovation, and leadership that define the Pace | Haub Environmental Law Program.

–Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University

Since joining the Pace Haub Law faculty in 2015, Professor Pollans has been an integral part of the community as an innovative scholar, inspiring teacher, and collaborative colleague. She currently serves as Faculty Director of the Pace Food Law Center and Joseph P. D’Alessandro Faculty Scholar. Previously, she held the designations of James D. Hopkins Professor of Law from 2023–2025 and Shamik and Adrienne Trivedi Faculty Scholar from 2020–2022.

Professor Pollans is an accomplished scholar whose primary research interests lie in the areas of food and agriculture law, administrative law and social justice. Her work has been published in leading journals, including the California Law Review, Michigan Law Review, Ohio State Law Journal, Columbia Journal of Gender and Law, and the Harvard Environmental Law Review. She is also the co-author of the casebook Food Law: Cases & Materials. In 2022, she received the Law School’s prestigious Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship for her article “Eaters, Powerless by Design” (120 Mich. L. Rev. 643 (2022)). Recently, she and co-author Noa Ben-Asher, Professor of Law at St. John’s University School of Law, were selected as 2025 Dukeminier Awards Winners for their article, “Gender Regrets: Banning Abortion and Gender-Affirming Care” (Utah L. Rev. 763 (2024)).

Beyond her scholarship, Professor Pollans has been a driving force in shaping Pace Haub Law’s national presence in the field of food and agriculture law. Under her leadership, the Pace Food Law Center has become a hub for interdisciplinary research and advocacy at the intersection of food, climate, and justice. She is part of the Farm Bill Law Enterprise, a national collaboration of law school programs working toward a more equitable, sustainable, and health-focused farm bill.

Prior to joining Pace Haub Law, Professor Pollans was the inaugural academic fellow at UCLA School of Law’s Resnick Program for Food Law and Policy and served as a Staff Attorney and Clinical Teaching Fellow at Georgetown University Law Center’s Institute for Public Representation, where she worked on environmental litigation and supervised student clinicians. She clerked for the Honorable David Tatel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and, in 2017, was recognized as one of the “40 Under 40 Rising Stars in Food Policy” by the NYC Food Policy Center.

The Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professorship in Environmental Law was established to honor faculty who exemplify the highest standards of environmental legal scholarship and leadership. Created in honor of Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin, the endowment supports the Kerlin Professorship and the annual Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law, helping expand Pace Haub Law’s programs in environmental research, education, and scholarly activity. Professor Nicholas A. Robinson was named the first Kerlin Distinguished Professor in 1999, followed by Professor Jason J. Czarnezki in 2013. Professor Pollans now continues this legacy of excellence and impact.