Denver Law Well Represented at IBA's Energy & Environment Meeting in Berlin

Denver Law was well represented at the recent International Bar Association (IBA) Section on Energy, Environment, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure Law conference in Berlin, Germany.  The Denver Law group included faculty members and graduates of the LLM program.

"It was delightful to see a great contingent of Denver Law-affiliated individuals in Berlin, a gathering that reaffirmed our program's prominence and reach around the world.  When anyone speaks about energy and natural resources development, Colorado and the US Rocky Mountain West are often mentioned," Don C. Smith, Environmental & Natural Resources Law (ENRL) Director, said.

"Similarly, when the most prominent energy and natural resources lawyers from around the world gather, you can almost be assured that someone with a Denver Law affiliation will be there," he said.

The Denver Law-affiliated attendees included:

• Scott Anderson, partner at Hogan Lovells in Denver; he has taught "US Mining Law" at DU.  Mr. Anderson spoke on a panel focusing on fracking in oil and gas projects.
• Robert Bassett, partner at Holland & Hart in Denver; he teaches "International Mining Law" at DU.
• Florencia Heredia, partner at HOLT Abogados in Buenos Aires; she has taught "Latin American Mining Law" at DU.  Ms. Heredia co-chaired a panel entitled, "Mining Near Cities."
• Diego Parravicini, mining law attorney at Beccar Varela in Buenos Aires, and 2010 LLM graduate from DU.
• Miguel Rivero, partner specializing in oil and gas at Hoet Pelaez Castillo & Duque in Caracas, Venezuela and 2005 LLM graduate.
• Luis Carlos Rodrigo, managing partner at Estudio Rodrigo, Elias & Medrano in Lima, Peru; he has taught "Latin American Mining Law" at DU.
• Mark Safty, partner at Holland & Hart in Denver; he teaches "Renewable Energy Project Finance" and is a member of the organizing committee for the Denver Law Annual Renewable Energy Summit.

"When students come to the Denver Law ENRL program, whether to pursue a JD, LLM or Master's degree, they learn from the world's leaders in the fields of environmental, energy, and natural resources law," Mr. Smith said.  "As this list suggests, we are committed to continuing our long tradition of recruiting the world's best students and best practitioners and academics to teach in our program."

"Comparative Environmental Law" students learn from experts from around the globe

 
The just finished "Comparative Environmental Law" course, taught in the January-April 2014 semester, was a "big success" in terms of diversity of coverage and speakers according to Professor Don Smith.

"The aim of the course is to acquaint students with a range of issues that drive environmental law and policy in a wide variety of countries," he said.  The countries covered included Argentina, Chile, China, India, Nigeria, the US, and the European Union.

"While I take the lead in most course sessions, it is also important for students to learn from others who are experts in their fields," Professor Smith said.  "This provides students a more robust and enriching experience than any one person could ever deliver."

The speakers this semester were:

• Camila Astorga, Maria Paz Cerda, and Blanca Oddo, all of the Santiago, Chile-based firm Bofill Mir & Alvarez Jana, who spoke on the intersection of Chilean environmental and natural resources law.
• Alan Harrison, Vice President Drilling for WPX Energy, who spoke about the engineering and environmental aspects of horizontal drilling and gas and oil well fracking. 
• Tonye Oki, a Denver energy executive and Denver Law LLM graduate; he spoke about Nigeria. 
• Diego Parravicini, a Denver Law LLM graduate who practices with the firm of Beccar Varela in Buenos Aires, Argentina; he spoke about the relationship between natural resources development and environmental protection in Argentina.
• James Tarpey, former member of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, who talked about the extent to which utility regulators take into account environmental issues when making rate decisions. 

"The students and I benefited a great deal from each of these speakers," Professor Smith said.  "We all owe a great debt of gratitude to these experts who ably and thoroughly spoke about their various areas of expertise."

Denver Law's Comparative Environmental Law course, taught every year for more than 10 years, has established a well-regarded teaching model where students learn from experts from all around the world.

Environmental and Natural Resources Graduate Program Names 2013-2014 Outstanding Students

Andrea "Andy" Liniger                            Amanda "Penny" Nichols


The Environmental and Natural Resources Graduate Program has selected the 2013-2014 Outstanding Students. This recognition is given to the students who have achieved the highest GPA's during their studies. The following are the recipients of this honor:

Andrea "Andy" Liniger is the LLM Outstanding Student. Andy, who is originally from Switzerland, received her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Lucerne and a Master of Laws from the University of Bern.  Andy has worked as a legal librarian for Vischer Attorneys at Law and has interned for the Federal Office for the Environment in Switzerland.  Andy also worked as a research assistant at the law faculty of  the University of Zurich.

Andy commented that "coming to Denver for my LLM has been a great and rewarding experience, but it was also hard work, so the award means a lot to me! The effort was certainly worthwhile, and I feel very honored and grateful to receive this award. I owe many thanks to Prof. Don Smith and Assistant Director Lucy Daberkow for their great work on the Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy program-without their continuous support, this would certainly not have been possible. Thank you!"

Amanda "Penny" Nichols is the MRLS Outstanding Student. Penny received her B.A. in Environmental Policy from Colorado College.  She has worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Rwanda and as a researcher for the Sustainable Development Studies Group with a focus on sustainable practices in mining. Her plans for the future include finding employment as a mining consultant specializing in sustainability. She had this to say about her experience in the program:

"The MRLS program has been an invaluable experience for me and what I have learned from most was the diverse and experienced adjunct professionals that matched my interest in natural resource use & extraction, human rights, environmental conservation and sustainable development. As a Masters student, I have been able to build a foundation in natural resource law, learn from my fellow law students and follow my passion by specializing in mining law." 

Andy and Penny exemplify the stellar students we strive to have in our program. We are extremely proud of their dedication, hard work, and academic excellence.  Congratulations to both! 

Lucy Daberkow, Assistant Director, leads sustainability presentations during Earth Day Celebrations

Amelie Daberkow with an upcycled art creation

From left to right: Emma, Lucy, and Amelie Daberkow at Peabody Elementary

Lucy Daberkow, Assistant Director of Graduate Programs in Environmental and Natural Resources, led sustainability presentations during Peabody Elementary Earth Day celebrations.

The school, located in the Littleton Public District in Centennial, Colorado, sponsored a day-long celebration that encouraged the participants to celebrate Earth Day and green practices. Activities included planting new trees, removing trash from the school grounds (using biodegradable bags for the first time), getting the garden ready for planting season, and sustainability presentations. These presentations highlighted green practices and the school's partnership with TerraCycle. This company, founded in 2001, recycles hard to recycle products and turns them into new products; their motto is "Eliminating the Idea of Waste."

Students, teachers, and staff attended Mrs. Daberkow's presentations and learned practical and original ways to green up their school and reduce the amount of trash they produce. In addition, they learned the value of recycling with TerraCycle since the school receives money for every item they recycle through this company.

Leading up to the event, students participated in an Upcycle Art contest where they were challenged to create art pieces using found or recycled objects. The school has also been participating in a month's long contest encouraging students to recycle. Mrs. Daberkow commented: "Encouraging students to live sustainably and to do their part to take care of the planet is one of my passions. It is crucial that we start educating students about green practices at a young age; the students at Peabody Elementary are definitely leading by example."

David Gorlin, Denver Law LLM student, represents program at Institute for Energy Law's conference

 

 

LLM student David Gorlin represented our program at the Center for American and International Law's Institute for Energy Law’s recent conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  The conference—“Career Paths for Young Attorneys in the Energy Sector”—gave law students the opportunity to tour Entergy Gulf States, Inc.’s River Bend nuclear power plant in St. Francisville, Louisiana.  The conference also included a full day of lectures and panel discussions on career opportunities and trends in the energy sector.  Dave said the following of his experience:

 My experience at the River Bend plant was illuminating.  We were provided with a lecture on the basics of nuclear power, which successfully addressed a lot of public misinformation and misperceptions about the industry.  We were also given a comprehensive tour of the plant, which included a visit to portions of the containment facility.  I admit this caused some initial apprehension, particularly given the requirement that we wear radiation contamination monitors.  However, after touring River Bend and observing the professionalism and expertise of its employees and the extensive safety precautions that are taken, there was no basis for any anxiety.  The visit to the plant was enlightening for all involved, and I commend Entergy Gulf States, Inc. for its transparency and public outreach efforts.

 The conference also featured a full day of discussions by law firm and in-house professionals from a variety of backgrounds and geographic locations, including Louisiana, Texas, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and New Mexico.  The lecturers and panelists displayed an impressive breadth of experience and offered valuable perspectives on a variety of subjects pertaining to the oil and gas industry, including land administration, international transactions, and regulatory compliance. 

David would like to thank the IEL for funding his attendance at this year’s conference and also employees at River Bend for the opportunity to better understand the important work they are doing in the American energy industry.  He is also thankful to the Sturm College of Law for sponsoring his attendance.

 

The Denver Law Environmental and Natural Resources program strives to fund learning and advancement opportunities for our students. Keeping current on energy trends certainly helps students in their academic and employment pursuits.

 

RJ Colwell, DU Law student, participates in panel discussing energy efficiency in the military

RJ Colwell, a J.D. candidate pursuing his Environmental and Natural Resources Law certificate, presented as a panelist at the University of Colorado Denver's April Sustainability Series discussion "Greening the Military."  RJ and his fellow panelists discussed the push towards energy efficiency and renewable energy by the world's largest energy consumer, the U.S. military. Under the National Defense Authorization Act, the military is required to meet at least 25% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2025.  RJ presented his findings in the context of the approaches adopted by various States' Army National Guard organizations in terms of renewable energy project development.  RJ's presentation stemmed from research conducted in support of the 'Renewable Energy: Project Development and Regulation' course offered through the Sturm College of Law's Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy Program.  

RJ enjoyed learning about the role energy efficiency plays as a necessary precursor for effective renewable energy from his fellow panelist, Brett Jackson, and the tremendous work on energy efficiency undertaken by the Colorado Army National Guard at its installations.

 

The Environmental and Natural Resources program applauds RJ's efforts towards bringing attention to the importance of renewables in the military and sharing his research with a wider audience.

 

 

 

 

Andrea Loguidice, LLM alumna, joins New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Originally from Island Park, New York, Ms. Andrea Loguidice received her bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University in 2001 and her Juris Doctor from the Maurice A. Dean School of Law, Hofstra University in 2005.  In 2007, Andrea started her own law firm where she practiced corporate law, environmental compliance and transportation law.  She received an Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy LLM from DU Law in 2010.  Following graduation she secured a contract attorney position at a prominent natural resources law firm in Denver.  In 2011, Andrea returned to her law firm in Island Park, New York where she would continue a general practice until obtaining the job of her dreams.     

Last November, she joined the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Office of General Counsel in Albany as a Senior Attorney.  She is currently responsible for assisting in the development, pursuit, and negotiation of Natural Resource Damage (NRD) matters, cost recovery matters, and other enforcement matters for the Bureau of Remediation and Revitalization.  Andrea is the DEC attorney on several large NRD matters in New York State, including assessments at Newtown Creek, New Cassel Industrial Area, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Gowanus Canal.  

We are proud to see Andrea putting her LLM to great use. Congratulations on this fantastic job opportunity, Andrea!