For the past 43 years, over 5,000 concerned people from across the globe have come together in Eugene for the oldest and largest public interest environmental law conference in the world. Land Air Water, a wholly volunteer student group at the University of Oregon School of Law, hosts the event. The Conference attracts activists, advocates, attorneys, scientists, government officials, and concerned citizens together to share information and strategies that will more effectively further the goals of environmental and social justice. It puts ideas into action, sparks renewed commitment to the protection of the environment across borders, and has inspired the creation of public interest environmental and human rights organizations.

This year’s theme is "Rising to the Challenge: Justice on the Horizon." Through this theme, we want to address the significant challenges and obstacles that we face as a collective to effectuate positive environmental change. We also hope to celebrate diverse leaders in the environmental movement and highlight important voices that continue to build a more inclusive, community-minded approach to addressing the environmental challenges currently present in our world. The organizers of PIELC are committed to continuing to host an inclusive event that celebrates diversity, opposes injustice of all forms, and acknowledges the connection between oppression and environmental destruction.