Author and Historian Tom Turner tells the story of the court case that started out as a last-ditch effort to protect a mountain valley—and wound up laying the foundation for modern environmental law.

Sierra Club v. Morton was the first Earthjustice case, and exemplified the kind of far-reaching, big-impact litigation that has become the organization’s hallmark. It ushered in the modern era of environmental law and preserved Mineral King’s majesty for future generations.