The Hubbell Gift

The Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative (HELI) is generating opportunities for the College of Law to deepen and broaden its engagement with environmental issues in Iowa and beyond. 

HELI was created by the vision and generosity of Law Alumni Charlotte Beyer Hubbell (76JD) and Fred Hubbell (76JD) who committed the gift to establish this program. The gift, which is the largest in Iowa Law history, is intended to create an active forum for interdisciplinary engagement on important environmental issues, support law students and curriculum, and ultimately strengthen the environmental law bar in Iowa.

HELI's Strategic Focus Areas

The HELI team focuses on efforts and programs that build upon successes in the following areas: 

Supporting and Expanding Student Experiences

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HELI expands experiential opportunities for future environmental leaders

Friday, May 16, 2025
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Iowa Law Awards 2025 Hubbell Award for Excellence in Environmental Law

Saturday, May 10, 2025
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Iowa Law Environmental Moot Court Team Advances to Quarterfinals at National Competition

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Continuing the legacy of environmental law

Iowa Law is a proud Constituent Law School of the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law. 

Learn more about this designation.

Follow HELI on social media:

Upcoming Events and Programming

The Private Sector and the Planet: Zoe Beck, VP of Sustainability at HCA Healthcare promotional image

The Private Sector and the Planet: Zoe Beck, VP of Sustainability at HCA Healthcare

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:10pm to 1:10pm
Boyd Law Building

Join the Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative, Vanderbilt Law School’s Private Climate Governance Lab, and the Tippie Social Impact Community for The Private Sector and the Planet speaker series.

We are excited to welcome Zoe Beck, VP of Sustainability at HCA Healthcare, for the third installment of the Private Sector and the Planet speaker series on Tuesday, March 24, at 12:10 p.m. Her talk is called "Leading Sustainability in Practice: Corporate Responses to Climate Risk."

As health care systems...

The Current State of Climate Regulation: Revisiting the Endangerment Finding promotional image

The Current State of Climate Regulation: Revisiting the Endangerment Finding

Friday, March 27, 2026 12:45pm to 2:00pm
Boyd Law Building

The EPA’s proposal to reconsider its long-standing Endangerment Finding raises major questions about the future of climate and public health protections in the United States. In this discussion, panelists will begin by explaining what the Endangerment Finding is, why it matters, and how administrative law shapes EPA’s authority to revisit it. The discussion will then turn to the scientific response to EPA’s proposal, including how a coalition of more than 100 climate and health experts came...

Beyond ESG: How Environmental Governance Actually Works Inside Companies promotional image

Beyond ESG: How Environmental Governance Actually Works Inside Companies

Monday, March 30, 2026 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Boyd Law Building

Join the Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative, Vanderbilt Law School’s Private Climate Governance Lab, and the Tippie Social Impact Community for the fourth and final program in the Private Sector and the Planet series. We are pleased to welcome Jessica Hinman, Director of Sustainability & CSR at Krause Group.

In her talk, “Beyond ESG: How Environmental Governance Actually Works Inside Companies,” Jessica will move beyond the public-facing conversation about Environmental, Social, and Governance...

The Private Sector and the Planet: Jessica Hinman, Director of Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility at Krause Group promotional image

The Private Sector and the Planet: Jessica Hinman, Director of Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility at Krause Group

Monday, March 30, 2026 12:45pm to 2:00pm
Boyd Law Building

Join the Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative, Vanderbilt Law School’s Private Climate Governance Lab, and the Tippie Social Impact Community for The Private Sector and the Planet speaker series.

For our last speaker of the 2025-2026 speaker series, we are excited to welcome Jessica Hinman, Director of Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility at Krause Group.

In her talk, “Beyond ESG: How Environmental Governance Actually Works Inside Companies,” Jessica will move beyond the public-facing...

The Social Impact of AI Roundtable Discussion promotional image

The Social Impact of AI Roundtable Discussion

Friday, April 3, 2026 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Pappajohn Business Building
The Tippie College of Business Social Impact Community and Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative are hosting a workshop connecting researchers and professionals interested in exploring one of today’s most urgent questions: What is the social impact of artificial intelligence—and how can we shape it for good?
Protecting Water, Protecting Community: Short Films & Dialogue on Indigenous Land and Water Defense promotional image

Protecting Water, Protecting Community: Short Films & Dialogue on Indigenous Land and Water Defense

Thursday, April 9, 2026 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)

Join us for an evening of short films and community conversation exploring movements to protect water, land, and community.

The program will feature a curated selection of short films highlighting water protection movements in the Midwest, and beyond. Following the screenings, Dakota elder and historian Tim Mentz Sr. and Sikowis Nobiss, Cree-Saulteaux of the George Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan and the founder and executive director of the Great Plains Action Society, will participate in a...

HELI Faculty and Staff

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Jennifer Terry, JD

Title/Position
Director, Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative
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Blake Rupe

Title/Position
Program Director, Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative
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Shannon Roesler

Title/Position
Faculty Director, Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative, Moderator