THE ENDURING NATURE OF THE CHEVRON DOCTRINE

On Nov 10, 2015, the D.C. Bar's Administrative Law and Agency Practice Section held its annual Harold Leventhal Lecture. The address was given by John Cruden, U.S. Department of Justice's Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. Mr. Cruden's remarks follow. It is a great honor for me to give a speech named on behalf of one of the lions of the bar, Judge Harold Leventhal. Judge Leventhal was nominated to the D.C. Circuit by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 and served on the Court until 1979.1 In that 15-year span, Judge Leventhal had a profound impact on a range of legal issues, but he is best known for his influence on the development of administrative law. Today the author will discuss Chevron deference from an environmental perspective. And, he recognize that many of you are true experts in the field of administrative law, so he approach the issue with some trepidation.