Thomas L. Sansonetti, Former U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources, Named 2012 Practitioner in Residence

The Denver Law 2012 Distinguished Natural Resources Practitioner in Residence will be Thomas L. Sansonetti, a partner with Holland & Hart. Mr. Sansonetti leads the firm's Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Practice group, which is ranked as the best natural resources practice in the country by Best Lawyers in America.

Don C. Smith, Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Program, said, "The Distinguished Natural Resources Practitioner in Residence Seminar is a 'capstone seminar' taught each year in the Spring Semester by a prominent natural resources or environmental law lawyer who has extensive experience in energy, resources, or environmental law work. We are delighted to welcome Mr. Sansonetti, one of America's most experienced natural resources attorneys, as next year's practitioner in residence."

According to John A. Carver Jr. Professor of Law Jan G. Laitos, who established the seminar, the focus of the Seminar is on skills training, where the skills taught are those that all lawyers need in order to have a successful career in the practice of law. Among the "how-to" skills typically addressed are: (1) how to obtain a job, either as a lawyer or as a law-trained worker; (2) how to obtain and retain clients; (3) how to work in the private sector, government sector, business sector, and in-house sector; (4) how to deal with technical or scientific matters in a legal context; (5) how to work in the litigation arena, before trial and appellate courts; and (6) how to practice or appear before administrative agencies.

From 1990 to 1993, Mr. Sansonetti was Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the number three ranking position in the department. During his tenure, he signed the $1.1 billion Exxon Valdez oil spill settlement, having served as one of the six federal negotiators, and was Counsel to the Endangered Species Committee for the Spotted Owl hearings in Oregon.

Mr. Sansonetti served as the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) of the U.s. Department of Justice from December 2001-April 2005. As one of the top leaders in the Justice Department, he was deeply involved in responding to post-9/11 events, including working with the new Department of Homeland Security. He managed a budget of $115 million and supervised 650 employees including a legal staff of 425 attorneys.

Mr. Sansonetti, who originally joined Holland & Hart in 1993, rejoined the firm's Cheyenne, Wyoming, office in 2005.

Denver Law LLM Graduates in Environmental and Natural Resources Law Talk About Their Experiences at DU, Share Advice For Prospective Students

Recent graduates of the Denver Law Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy Graduate Program are featured in a new series of video interviews. In the interviews, the graduates talk about their experience at DU. In addition, they offer advice to prospective students who are considering applying to study at DU.

The first graduate to be featured is Brent Burgie, a Colorado native, who earned his JD degree at the University of Indiana at Indianapolis. His video can be viewed by clicking here. While studying at Denver Law, Mr. Burgie presented a report about renewable energy incentives to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. To read more about this, please click here.

Don C. Smith, Director of the Graduate Program, said, "In many respects, those who know the program the best -- that is our graduates -- are most well positioned to talk about their entire experience, what they found to be the most valuable and enduring in terms of their studies. We constantly find that our graduates tell the most compelling stories about the wisdom of studying at DU."

Lucy Daberkow, Assistant Administrative Director of the Graduate Program, said, "These interviews will be particularly helpful for those who are thinking about applying to graduate program. The interviews are full of advice from past graduates, who provide insight into what it is like to study at Denver Law as well as guidance to prospective students."

Each month a different graduate will be featured.

To see a selection of interviews of LLM and Masters of Resource Law Studies Graduates, please click here.

Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program at Denver Law to Convene Major Renewable Energy "Summit" on November 7 in Denver

The Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program at Denver Law will convene a major conference, the Renewable Energy Law & Policy Summit, on November 7 at the Ricketson Law Building on the DU campus.

Holland & Hart, one of the country's leading renewable energy development law firms, is the presenting sponsor. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the only federal laboratory dedicated to the research, development, commercialization and deployment of renewable energy is a supporting sponsor.

The one-day conference, which is being held in conjunction with NREL's 24th Industry Growth Forum, will consider the current and emerging legal, policy, and regulatory issues in relation to renewable energy.

Don Smith, Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Program at DU, said, "Renewable energy is becoming an ever more important subject in the context of U.S. energy security as well as reducing the environmental impact of energy generation. Denver Law is committed to being the nation's leading law school when it comes to studying about renewables. We think this conference, in which we will bring together key industry representatives, legal practitioners, academics, and others is another step in delivering on that commitment."

The conference will include three keynote speakers. In the morning, David Eves, President and CEO of Public Service Company of Colorado, and Susan Reilly, President and CEO of RES Americas, will speak. The lunchtime speech will be delivered by Dan Arvizu, Director and Chief Executive of NREL. After more than three decades of professional engagement in the clean energy field, Dr. Arvizu is widely recognize as one of the world's leading experts on renewable energy and sustainable energy.

The event is open to anyone interested in issues related to renewable energy. Following the program, there will be a networking event where attendees can meet the speakers.

Please click here for more information about the conference, including registration details.