Law and Governance of the Great Lakes

Along with my friend and colleague Ben Houston, I’ve published a new article entitled simply “Law and Governance of the Great Lakes.” The article appears in the DePaul Law Review’s special symposium issue on the Great Lakes, 63 DePaul Law Review 723 (2014). It aims to explain the law and governance of the Great Lakes within the United States (apologies to Canada, that’s a subject for another time). While discussing the key laws and policies, we do not provide an encyclopedic accounting of all relevant Great Lakes laws and governance institutions. Instead, the article aims to explain the fundamental structure that establishes and limits federal, state, and tribal governmental powers. The structure is relatively permanent; laws and agencies may come and go. By understanding the structure, with all of its strengths and shortcomings, we can best use the available legal tools to address new and emerging issues that face the Great Lakes.