ESA 2026: Understanding the Current Legal Landscape for Scientific Research and Scientific Advocacy
Monday, June 27, 2026 | 3:30 – 5pm MDT | Room 250A
The scientific community has endured unprecedented attacks over the last 18 months — government scientists fired en masse, research programs halted and defunded, and a deluge of scientific misinformation platformed at the highest levels of government. As the midterm elections near, a flurry of legal challenges are still navigating through the federal and state court systems.
The Climate Science Legal Defense Fund will discuss the research compiled from the Silencing Science Tracker, a joint initiative with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, which tracks government attempts to restrict or prohibit scientific research, education, or discussion, or the publication or use of scientific information. CSLDF will discuss legal trends to explain the current legal landscape for ecologists and provide notes on where future legal and political actions may be heading. Last but not least, we will lay out the best practices on participating in scientific advocacy and activism, both professionally and personally, including a discussion of First Amendment rights.