Me Michel Bélanger is a lawyer, specialized in environmental law and class action. He combines the dual training of lawyer and notary, holds a master’s degree in public law from the University of Montreal and a diploma of specialized graduate studies in environmental law and land use planning from Robert Schuman University, (Strasbourg, France).
He has been a lecturer in environmental law since 1990 at various universities. He has served as an additional Commissioner to the Office of Public Hearings on the Environment (BAPE) and senior research associate at the Chair in Ethics and the Environment at Hydro-Québec / McGill (1993-1996).
He is very involved in the environmental movement, particularly as co-founder of the Quebec Environmental Law Center (CQDE), President of Nature Quebec, and having served as a director of the Rivière Foundation, the Montérégie Land Trust Pinnacle and the STOP group.
He has acted pro bono in various cases, notably in the case of drilling in Cacouna against TransCanada and before the Supreme Court of Canada in the case of Ciment du St-Laurent on behalf of Friends of the Earth and C.Q.D.E.
In 2011, he won the Pro Bono-Rajpattie-Persaud Award from the Canadian Bar Association, recognizing the outstanding contribution of an ABC-Quebec member to the well-being of his community.
In 2015, he was awarded the Lawyer Emeritus distinction by the Law Society of Quebec for his involvement in environmental law.