Launched in 2005 following the passage of Oregon's Measure 37, a property compensation initiative, the Sustainable Land Use Project addresses legal issues surrounding how we choose to develop, or not to develop, lands within our communities. Fellows evaluate land use laws, theories, and practices to ensure sustainable development.
Recent Publications
- Sarah J. Adams, Federal Flood Policy & Maladaptation: A Story of Collective Forgetting, 34 Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal 1 (2025).
- Sarah J. Adams, Land Law Localism and the Climate Resilience Paradox, 36 Stanford Law & Policy Review 47 (2025).
- Sarah J. Adams, The White Supremacist Structure of American Zoning Law, 88 Brooklyn Law Review 1225 (June 2023).
- Sarah J. Adams and Michelle Smith, Land Use Law and Climate Change, Sixth Oregon Climate Assessment, Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (Fleishman, E., ed., 2023)
- Sarah J. Adams and Edward J. Sullivan, Middle Housing by Right: Lessons from an Early Adopter, 37 Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law 189 (2022)
- Middle Housing Misconceptions (Spring 2022)
- Comments, City of Eugene Middle Housing Code Amendments (April 11, 2022)
- Sarah J. Adams and Edward J. Sullivan, Reforming Restrictive Residential Zoning: Lessons from an Early Adopter, 161 Journal of Affordable Housing (2021)
- Exploring Options for Wind Energy and Wildfire Hazard Mitigation (Spring 2021)
- Sarah J. Adams, Dismantling Segregationist Land Use Controls (November, 2020).
- Sarah J. Adams, Two Steps Forward: Promoting Inclusive Infill Development with Middle Housing by Right and Increased Protections for Tenants, 28 Journal of Affordable Housing 363 (2019).
- Sarah J. Adams, Beyond Localism: Harnessing State Adaptation Lawmaking to Facilitate Local Climate Resilience, 8 Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law 185 (2018).
- Prescribed Fire Policy Barriers and Opportunities: A Diversity of Challenges and Strategies Across the West
Faculty
SLUP Fellows 2025-2026
Stephen Cornwall, 1L
Born in Brooklyn but having lived his formative years across diverse regions, Stephen finds it easy to feel at home wherever there are healthy green spaces. Living in various environments across several states and countries abroad (mostly Jamaica), Stephen has been intrigued by the different approaches communities adopt to maintain healthy living environments. His interest in land use law and community development stems from a desire to better understand these dynamics.
Stephen spent several years living in San Diego and Japan while serving in the U.S. Navy. Through this work, he developed not only a love for public service and electronic technology but also a love for Mexican and Japanese cuisine. After his time in the military, Stephen attended Oregon State University, where he majored in Public Policy with a minor in Economics. Soon after, he worked at Oregon Housing and Community Services as a Research Analyst focusing on housing policy data and the state's homeownership programs. This experience fostered in him a deeper appreciation for how the law shapes the environment and led him to Oregon Law.
Stephen hopes that by practicing law he will be a more effective steward of the natural environment and our communities.
Claire Sebree, 2L
Claire is from the San Francisco Bay Area, where she grew up exploring the outdoors and reading avidly. Inspired by summers at Lake Tahoe and road trips to national parks, she studied at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a B.S. in Society and Environment with a concentration in U.S. Environmental Management and Policy and a minor in Conservation and Resource Studies.
At Berkeley, Claire discovered her passion for connecting and explaining scientific and legal concepts. In her spare time, she conducted agroecological research on dry farming and pursued improv comedy. After graduating, she moved to Eugene to study environmental law.
Since starting at Oregon Law, Claire has been active in Land Air Water, the National Lawyers Guild, the Student Bar Association, and the Women's Law Forum. In her 1L summer, she worked with the Center for Food Safety, and agricultural and environmental nonprofit. Now a 2L, Claire enjoys D&D, gardening, and making others laugh.