Legal rules might be the last things to change in a society. Yet right now they are what needs updating most urgently.

A body cell which stops renewing itself is deemed to die. An organism that does not adapt to its changing ecosystem is deemed to perish. A legal framework that resists adjustment to new realities becomes a barrier to the very life it was meant to protect.

Currently, we see how law is being undermined and instrumentalised by populist forces. This happens right when the legal framework desperately calls for updates as we are gradually facing the consequences of human-induced changes on the planetary ecosystem. Justice worth the name needs to include the well-being of the generations to come.

Climate activists have done their part. Their actions have been sometimes noble, sometimes controversially drastic. True change, however, needs to be decided in courts. This is foundational to our civilization. Our guest for Salon No. 19 is Michaela Krömer who dedicated her work to exactly this mission. She holds her home state Austria accountable for sustaining quality of life in the long run and thereby urges the legal system to adjust.

We invite you for an evening to discuss what changes a good life on planet earth requires. We will explore the rigor and intelligence needed to catalyze transformation in complex systems and shed light on the heart chamber of transformation itself: the legal arena.

Before founding CLAW – initiative for climate justice, Michaela built her legal practice around existential challenges of our time: environmental protection, the climate crisis, migration, and human rights. Her approach centers on the conviction that our legal systems must serve not only procedural justice but the fundamental right to a good life and equitable co-existence. Through CLAW, she advances strategic climate litigation and advocacy for an equitable and just future. Her current casework can be followed through CLAW's website.

Michaela's expertise in environmental and regulatory law extends beyond the courtroom. She serves on the University Council of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna (BOKU). She also sits on the regulatory commission of E-Control, Austria's regulatory authority for electricity and natural gas industries. In this role, she contributes to shaping energy policy at the intersection of environmental protection and public interest.

As an attorney-at-law, Michaela brings a human rights lens to climate justice. She views legal frameworks as essential tools for addressing the interconnected crises of our era and building solutions that honor both planetary and social equity.