Foreword to Symposium Volume: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) v. Hill: The Greatest Little Story Never Told

6 Pages Posted: 7 Mar 2014 Last revised: 22 Apr 2014

See all articles by Becky L. Jacobs

Becky L. Jacobs

University of Tennessee College of Law

Date Written: June 15, 2013

Abstract

In 1978, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that Congress intended the Endangered Species Act to afford "the highest of priorities" to endangered species. (Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill; 437 U.S. 153). The Court's ruling prevented -- at least, for a period of time -- the completion of TVA's Tellico dam project. Since then, it has been endlessly evaluated, celebrated, excoriated, and commemorated. The "snail darter" case (as it has come to be known) has captivated an entire generation of environmental and natural resources law academics, practitioners, and students, and its influence persists some thirty-plus years later. Indeed, the case made the top ten list in a survey of lawyers' perceptions of the most important cases in environmental law (Salzman and Ruhl; 2010). Closer to home, the snail darter case is closely associated with students and faculty of the University of Tennessee and is the embodiment of UT's collaborative and paraxial educational environment. It is also highly representative of the Law School's rich history of engaging with members of the local community to advance the law in groundbreaking and important ways. In other words, it is a perfect example of the very type of interdisciplinary project that the Baker Center Energy and Environment Forum was designed to promote. This Foreword introduces the context, speakers, and sentiment of the Spring 2013 Symposium entitled, "TVA v Hill: The Greatest Little Story Never Told".

Keywords: environmental, ESA, TVA, snail darter, dam, Tellico, Endangered Species Act

Suggested Citation

Jacobs, Becky L., Foreword to Symposium Volume: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) v. Hill: The Greatest Little Story Never Told (June 15, 2013). Tennessee Law Review, Vol. 80, No. 3, pp. 495-498, 2013, University of Tennessee Legal Studies Research Paper No. 235, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2399591

Becky L. Jacobs (Contact Author)

University of Tennessee College of Law ( email )

1505 West Cumberland Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37996
United States

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