Climate Science in Legal Contexts: A Glossary of Key Terms for Lawyers

The UCS Science Hub for Climate Litigation, in collaboration with the NYU Climate Law Accelerator (CLX) and LSE Grantham Research Institute, has published a new resource to help lawyers navigate the use of climate science in law. Climate Science in Legal Contexts: A Glossary of Key Terms for Lawyers provides explanations for scientific terminology commonly used in climate litigation, highlighting how lawyers can understand these concepts in legal contexts.

This resource was developed by a working group convened by the UCS Science Hub, consisting of experts across wide disciplines, and informed by commonly asked scientific questions by legal teams. This document is intended to help lawyers build familiarity with scientific terminology, better assess expert evidence, and avoid misinterpretations of science in the courtroom. During a time when scientific expertise is increasingly under attack, this resource can help provide foundational information on climate science, as one would on other subject matter expertise.