Dr. Dan Arvizu, Director of National Renewable Energy Lab and a Keynote Speaker at Denver Law Renewable Energy Summit, Featured on E&E TV Interview

Dr. Dan Arvizu, director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and one of the keynote speakers for the Renewable Energy Law & Policy Summit, to be held at Denver Law November 7, was recently interviewed on E&E TV about the status of renewable energy research in the United States as well as what is going on globally.

He noted that considerable investments are being made in renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in Germany and China. At the same time, he expressed enthusiasm for work that is taking place at NREL and said that the lab had won three Research and Development 100 Awards in 2011.

To see the full interview, please click here.

To learn more about the Renewable Energy Law & Policy Summit, please click here.

Joshua Epel, Chair of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, to Speak at Denver Law on September 22

Joshua Epel, Chair of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, will speak at Denver Law on September 22 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. in room 170. Chairman Epel's remarks are part of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law (ENRL) Program Speaker Series.

Before joining the PUC, Mr. Epel was the Assistant General Counsel at DCP Midstream, the second largest natural gas gatherer and processor in the U.S. as well as a major producer of natural gas liquids and marketer of natural gas across the nation. He was also responsible for multiple areas of operation and helped to develop the company’s climate change strategy.

Mr. Epel’s environmental work led him to be appointed to the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission, where he served as Chair.

In appointing Mr. Epel to the PUC, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said, “Joshua Epel brings a broad range of experience in energy and environmental policy. His strong business, engineering and legal background give him a strong foundation for leading the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Joshua is also someone with a deep social conscience and a proven record of civic engagement. He’ll be independent-minded, objective and collaborative, all qualities important for the PUC.”

Don Smith, Director of the ENRL Program, said, "It will be a great pleasure for Denver Law to welcome Chairman Epel. The Colorado PUC is centrally involved in the regulation of key state utilities. This is a particularly appropriate time for the Chairman to visit Denver Law since the PUC's work is so closely tied to services that all Coloradans depend on to sustain a vibrant and growth oriented but environmentally friendly economy. Our students will learn a great deal about the challenges of balancing the various interests that are a part of what the PUC must take into consideration."

Food will be provided at the noontime session.

John Herrick, Senior Counsel With Denver's Brownstein Firm, Named "Best Renewable Energy Lawyer" in Law Week Colorado's Barrister's Best Issue

Denver Law Adjunct Professor John Herrick has been named Colorado's "Best Renewable Energy Lawyer" in Law Week Colorado's Barrister's Best issue.

Mr. Herrick, who teaches Renewable Energy Project Finance, is Senior Counsel in the Denver office of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and a member of the Natural Resources Group. He is working to further develop the sustainability and clean technology practice area for the firm.

As reported by Law Week Colorado, "John Herrick has extensive experience on both sides of the renewable energy spectrum. He worked as Chief Counsel for the Department of Energy's Golden office for 15 years before joining Brownstein where he's helped clients with clean energy, solar, wind and geothermal projects."

Recently Mr. Herrick was part of a Brownstein team that negotiated a $25 million deal involving the U.S. Department of Energy and a biorefinery in California.

Don Smith, Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy Program at Denver Law, said, "John Herrick is internationally recognized for a broad spectrum of activities in renewable energy. Moreover, he is one of America's leading practitioners in assisting companies in entering into public and private partnerships in energy financing. All of us at Denver Law are thrilled with this news, and we are delighted he continues to be a big part of our renewable energy law program."

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.

Denver Law's Environmental and Natural Resources Law Graduate Program Autumn 2011 Party; Students From More Than 10 Different Countries in Attendance

The Autumn 2011 Welcome Party for students entering Denver Law's Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Program was held recently. The party, organized by Associate Administrative Director Lucy Daberkow, was held at Professor Don Smith's home in Denver.

The event has become part of the yearly schedule for the graduate program. It gives students an opportunity to meet each other as well as interact with various members of the faculty.

This year's party brought together a wide range of students, with at least 10 different countries represented.

The pictures on this blog posting reflect the fun and community building that took place during the event. Associate Administrative Director Lucy Daberkow said "it is wonderful to see the strong sense of camaraderie among the students in our program. International and US students form life-long friendships in our program and are extremely happy to be part of Denver Law's outstanding community."

The women in the picture above represent eight different countries associated with the program. From left to right, Lucy Daberkow (Mexico), Lise-Anne McLaughlin (Canada), Ming Xiao (China), Jessica Allen (U.S.), Sasha Chinenova (Russia), Yewande Adeyemo (U.S.), Veronica Morelli (Peru), Dela Obeng-Sakyi (Ghana), and Tamiko Watanabe (Japan).

The people in the photo on the left are Professor Justin Pidot and students Yewande Adeyemo and Tom Bayly.










This picture shows Director Don Smith, Tamiko Watanabe and Min Xiao.










Here we see (from left to right) Raul Herrera (Peru), Lucy Daberkow, Felipe Abreu (Brazil), Eduardo Paseta (Peru), and Sergio Saenz (Mexico).







This next photo shows Veronica Morelli, Dela Obeng-Sakyi, and Adjunct Professor Bob Bassett.










Our final photo shows Yewande Adeyemo and Lucy Daberkow.