Sarah Adams

Sarah Adams is an Assistant Professor at the University of Oregon School of Law and a faculty member of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center. Her work bridges climate change law, land use, and state and local government law, with a focus on coastal resilience and floodplain management.

• Ph.D. and M.Jur. advising in environmental law
• Principal Investigator on New York Sea Grant
• Editorial board member: Urban Lawyer

Her research explores climate resilience through state-level legislation, zoning reforms, and legal frameworks for floodplain and wildland urban interface planning. Recent publications highlight intersections between racial equity and land use law.

Adams' University of Oregon work includes grants for annotated zoning codes and wind energy development. She has testified before national bar committees and presented at major symposia including the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law Climate Change Symposium.

• 2025: Land Law Localism and Climate Resilience Paradox
• 2023: White Supremacist Structure of Zoning Law

Awards include the Hans Linde Fellowship. She previously chaired OGALLA: The LGBT Bar Association of Oregon and serves on the Urban Lawyer editorial board, contributing to legal education reforms and empirical studies in law.

Adams earned her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School and M.A. in Economics from the London School of Economics, combining economic analysis with environmental law in her scholarship.