WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2017 —Steven Chu, professor of Physics and Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University, will be the keynote speaker during the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law Midwinter Meeting, Feb. 1-3 in Palm Desert, Calif. In his first U.S. address following the inauguration of President Trump, Chu will speak about issues related to climate change.
January 26, 2017
Former U.S. Secretary of Energy to speak on climate change at ABA Construction Law conference in Palm Desert, Calif.
What:
Forum on Construction Law 2017 Midwinter Meeting
Earth, Wind, Fire and Water: Sustainable Construction in a Changing Environment
When:
Wednesday-Friday, Feb. 1-3
Where:
JW Marriott Desert Springs
74855 Country Club Drive
Palm Desert, Calif., 92260
Chu, who received a Nobel Prize in Physics, is the keynote speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 2 luncheon from 12:30-2 p.m. in Springs Ballroom F. During his service as U.S. Secretary of Energy from 2009-13, he established Energy Innovation Hubs, which focus on the development of energy-efficient buildings. He was also tasked by President Obama to help stop the Deepwater Horizon oil leak.
Other program highlights include:
Thursday
“The Sustainability Forecast: Examining Current Conditions and Things to Come” — A panel that includes government, legal and consumer experts will discuss developments in modern construction projects and its environmental impact and sustainability challenges. Speakers include Carla Christofferson, AECOM; Karen Douglas, commissioner, California Energy Commission; the Honorable Gregory J. Hobbs, former justice, Colorado Supreme Court in Denver; and C. Allen Gibson, Jr., of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP in Charleston, S.C.
8:30-9:45 a.m., Desert Ballroom 7-8
Friday
“The Winds of Change are Blowing: Staying Ahead of the Sustainability Trends in Building Codes and Regulations” — The panel, including Professor Michael B. Gerrard of the Sabin Center for Climate Change at Columbia Law School in New York, will discuss changes that are being made to make development more sustainable in an ever-changing regulatory environment. 8:40-9:55 a.m., Desert Ballroom 7-8
The complete agenda can be found online.
This event is open to members of the press. For media credentialing, please contact Betsy Adeboyejo at Betsy.Adeboyejo@americanbar.org.
Forum on Construction Law was founded in 1976 and, with approximately, 6,000 members, is the largest organization of construction lawyers in the United States.
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