Law at the End of the World

In this episode, Cristy and Liz share Part One of their LSAANZ Conference special on Relationality and Reciprocity.  The episode brings highlights from the December 2025 Conference of the Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand Conference, held in Ōtautahi Chirstchurch. The theme of the conference was Rights, Relationality, Resilience, Reciprocity, and this episode focuses on sharing insights and advances from day one of the conference - including the early career workshop, conference opening, reception, and book prizes. The core hilight of the episode is a recording from the first keynote panel presentation on Relationality and Reciprocity with Māori leader Gerrard Albert (Whanganui Iwi), First Nations leader, scholar, activist and artist Professor Anne Poelina (University of Notre Dame and Martuwarra River Council), beautifully curated by Dr Erin O'Donnell (University of Melbourne, Birrarung Council). The episode is the first of two episodes bringing Conference highlights, and focuses on the Conference themes of Relationality and Reciprocity, with particular focus on these concepts in the context of water governance, climate change, and Indigenous sovereignty.
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In this conversation, César Rodríguez-Garavito (NYU Law) reflects on his fascinating academic career, explaining his drive to produce 'action research' that enables a positive impact for communities and the environment. He reflects on the balance between academic commitments and advocacy work (especially for Indigenous communities), the critical importance of distributed teams of collaborators, and his innovative approach to using art and multimedia to attract attention to an important cause. The discussion also covers the origins and evolution of the More-than-Human Life programme he leads at NYU, his hacks for personal career management, and advice for early career researchers seeking to make meaningful contributions beyond academia. Cristy and Liz round off with their environmental law updates, including international and transnational developments around climate change, river rights and the rights of nature, changes to fast track and climate legislation in Aotearoa New Zealand and environmental legislation in Australia, and the latest environmental case law developments from around the globe.
César Rodríguez-Garavito
Moth - More Than Human Life
Amphibious research
The Earth Rights Research & Action (TERRA NYU Law) - Center for Human Rights and Global Justice
The Thesis Whisperer
Ecuador’s Voters Protect Rights of Nature, Reject Proposal to Rewrite Constitution
Preservación ecosistémica: Por primera vez MOP declara reservas de aguas en cuencas de ríos Futaleufú y Puelo
Lady Tureiti Moxon’s human rights complaint accepted by the United Nations
New Zealand awarded dubious 'Fossil of the Day' at COP30 climate talks
Key-concerns-with-the-Fast-track-Approvals-Amendment-Bill.pdf 
EXPLAINER: Changes announced to the Climate Change Response Act 2002 

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Visit our podcast website - where you can find more information, including the show notes.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank our producer, Claire Burgess.
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LinkedIn - Liz & Cristy
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In this episode of Law at the End of the World, we kick off our new ‘Research Skills Series’. In this first installment, Liz shares her extensive experience of obtaining and administering research funding in a practical, skills-focused discussion. She covers her grant history (successes and failures), key lessons about writing successful applications, common misconceptions, and the realities of managing and delivering grant-funded projects. Liz emphasises the importance of building relationships, writing for interdisciplinary audiences, and the significant administrative work involved in running grants. Cristy and Liz also discuss major environmental law developments including New Zealand's controversial marine and coastal legislation, Australia's upcoming EPBC amendments, climate litigation from Bonaire, and new research challenging the effectiveness of carbon offsets.
Marine law change angers Māori activist: 'We don't have any rights'
New marine protections in the Hauraki Gulf
Environmental Law Initiative v EPA
Government almost halves methane reduction target, farmers celebrate
Major changes to climate-related disclosures announced
Our Marine Environment 2025
Big shakeup for NZ's research funding
A/80/117: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation 
Webinar - Capacity Building on developing Amicus Curiae for the African Court's Advisory Opinion...
Would you like to leave us a comment about our show? send us a note here
Visit our podcast website - where you can find more information, including the show notes.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank our producer, Claire Burgess.
You can also find us on the following platforms:
LinkedIn - Liz & Cristy
Bluesky - Liz & Cristy
Our websites - Liz & Cristy

In this episode we are joined by critical environmental law scholar Emily Jones to explore the intersections of environmental law, feminism, and academia. Emily discusses her personal journey into academia, the role of feminist theory in environmental law, and the implications of post-human feminism. She makes the case for including more-than-human-rights in the concept of future generations, and discusses the eay in which feminist legal theory can help everyone. We also discuss the importance of collaboration in academia, the intersection of doctrinal and critical legal approaches, and the challenges faced by scholars in navigating their careers. As usual, Cristy and I round off with recent developments in environmental law, including a new General Comment on economic, social, and cultural rights, and the increasing trend of climate litigation. We pay tribute to influential environmental leaders and discuss the implications of a wide range of environmental laws, from international treaties to managing local environmental challenges such as nitrate pollution.
Who Benefits – a spotlight on lobbying, influence and power
Emily Jones
No future for future generations: who is international environmental law for?
The Rights of Nature as a Legal Response to the Global Environmental Crisis?
Feminist Theory and International Law: Posthuman Perspectives
Posthuman Convergences: Transdisciplinary Methods and Practices
International Law and Posthuman Theory
Supreme Court - Ellis
74 countries have now ratified a landmark treaty to protect the high seas. Why hasn’t NZ?
Protecting orange roughy 
New findings on nitrates in rural drinking water
Fighting nitrate pollution in Canterbury:
Would you like to leave us a comment about our show? send us a note here
Visit our podcast website - where you can find more information, including the show notes.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank our producer, Claire Burgess.
You can also find us on the following platforms:
LinkedIn - Liz & Cristy
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Our guest for this episode is Alessandro Pelizzon, legal academic and author of Ecological Jurisprudence: The Law of Nature and the Nature of Law. We discuss the evolution of ecological jurisprudence, the importance of humility, the intersection of theory and practice, and the impact of utopian imaginings on legal paradigms. Liz and Cristy also highlight the critical role of language in legal scholarship - particularly in comparative contexts - reflecting on the significance of empirical methods in legal research and the need to understand the place-based and historical context of legal language. As usual, the episode finishes with our updates of recent developments environmental law, including some recent water law jurisprudence in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia's climate targets, and legislative reforms for access to nature in the UK.
Ecological Jurisprudence: The Law of Nature and the Nature of Law | SpringerLink 
ELI v ECAN and MHV
High Court finds errors in nitrogen discharge consent — but law changes protect polluters
Taking action on nitrate | Environment Canterbury
ECan declares ‘nitrate emergency’ amid drinking water concerns
For Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, we look at the journey of te reo Māori in our courts
Albanese unveils ‘responsible’ new climate target to slash emissions over next decade | Australian politics | The Guardian
Australia’s biggest gas project greenlit to 2070 with ‘partial’ protection for Indigenous rock art | Environment
National Climate Risk Assessment
Climate litigation against Holcim: decision draws closer 
Outdoors For All Report 

Would you like to leave us a comment about our show? send us a note here
Visit our podcast website - where you can find more information, including the show notes.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank our producer, Claire Burgess.
You can also find us on the following platforms:
LinkedIn - Liz & Cristy
Bluesky - Liz & Cristy
Our websites - Liz & Cristy