Annie Brett, Ph.D., JD
Professor of Law
Levin College of Law
Many of today’s most pressing environmental challenges — from coastal erosion to water pollution —are shaped as much by legal frameworks as by science. Annie Brett’s research examines how those systems succeed or fail, bringing together legal analysis and environmental science to rethink how natural resources are managed.
Brett’s work focuses on how laws organize information, responsibility and incentives, particularly in complex systems such as oceans and waterways. Her research has shown that widely used regulatory approaches, such as requiring companies or agencies to disclose information, are often less effective than assumed. At the same time, she has highlighted how the sheer volume of environmental data can overwhelm decision-makers rather than clarify choices. Her scholarship explores how environmental law structures information and how that ultimately shapes real-world outcomes.
Her research on water and ocean governance uses empirical analysis to evaluate how legal systems perform.The work has shown that certain federal programs intended to reduce water pollution have produced limited measurable improvement, raising questions about how environmental laws are designed and implemented. At the same time, she has revisited older legal traditions, arguing that principles from maritime law can offer new tools for addressing modern environmental challenges.
One of Brett’s current projects explores an overlooked issue in environmental regulation: the lack of a coherent system for managing sand, one of the most heavily used natural resources in the world. By analyzing how fragmented laws govern its extraction and use, she highlights broader gaps in natural resource policy. Another project builds on her work in maritime law by proposing an “environmental salvage” framework, in which private parties would be incentivized to address environmental hazards — much like responders to emergencies at sea.
Her interdisciplinary approach, as Dean Merritt McAlister noted, allows her to “move freely between theory and practice,” producing work that speaks to scholars, legal professionals and policymakers alike. Drawing on both legal training and scientific expertise,Brett connects technical understanding with broader policy design.
Brett also contributes to teaching and service while developing new areas of inquiry. Her forward-looking work includes examining how environmental law applies to emerging domains such as the space industry, where existing legal frameworks are incomplete.
Through her scholarship, Brett is helping reshape how environmental law addresses complex, interconnected challenges, providing new ways of thinking about governance in a changing world.