Denver Law Graduate Sheila Slocum Hollis Recognized with Prestigious Platts "Lifetime Achievement Award" for Contributions to the Energy Sector

Sheila Slocum Hollis, a Denver Law graduate, was recognized last week with the prestigious "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the 13th Annual Platts Global Energy Awards ceremony in New York.

According to Platts, one of the world's premier energy information providers, the Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes members of "our industry who [have] made an outstanding contribution to the development and future of the energy industry in the course of his or her career. The winner's achievements are the product of a long and varied career of service, creativity, and insight and this individual will have won widespread recognition and respect on the global stage."

Ms. Hollis, who is the chair of the Washington, D.C., office of Duane Morris, practices energy transactional and regulatory law both domestically and internationally. In 2010, she received the Paul Nordstorm Service Award for her contributions to the legal profession and the community from the Energy Bar Association and the Charitable Foundation of the Energy Bar Association. Recently she was named one of the 50 Key Women in Energy worldwide.

She began her energy law career as a trial lawyer at the Federal Power Commission from 1974 to 1975. She was the first director of the Office of Enforcement of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, establishing the office and its policies and procedures from 1977 to 1980. Those policies and procedures remain in place today. Over the course of her career, she has played a key role in the formation and implementation of energy law and policy.

When asked several years ago about her fondest DU memory, she said it was the first day of law school. "It was so exciting and thrilling to be at a school I admired," she said.

And speaking of being thrilled, we at Denver Law generally and the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program more specifically are thrilled for her and appreciative of her many contributions to us as well as the energy sector nationally and internationally. Leaders such as Sheila Slocum Hollis inspire all of us to be the best professionals we possibly can be.

Don C. Smith
Director
Environmental and Natural Resources Law

Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute to Hold 21st Annual Land Use Conference at Denver Law March 1-2, 2012

The Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute (RMLUI) will hold its 21st annual land use conference March 1 & 2, 2012, at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Next year's conference will focus on "The Wilderness City: Nature Culture and Economy in the Next West."

In announcing the next conference, the RMLUI said, "Wilderness cities attempt to blend the wild and the urban seamlessly, to bring nature back into our communities. RMLUI's 2012 conference presents an opportunity to explore approaches to development that not only make Western communities vibrant economic centers, but also strengthen their connections to the land."

For more information about the conference, please click here. To register, please click here.

Japan's 2011 National Day Reception Hosted in Denver by Consulate General Ikuhiko Ono

The important relationship between Japan and the Rocky Mountain Region was recognized recently when the Consulate General of Japan in Denver hosted the 2011 National Day Reception, which commemorates the Emperor of Japan's birthday.

The National Day Reception was hosted by Consul General and Mrs. Ikuhiko Ono. Consul General Ono's office, which was established in 1999, is responsible for the states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. There are approximately 10,000 Japanese citizens who live in the four state area as well as upwards of 100 Japanese companies.

Japan is the world's third largest economy and a major economic power in both Asia and globally.

Denver Law's Environmental and Natural Resources Law Graduate Program has welcomed a number of Japanese students. Our hope at Denver Law is to recruit more students from Japan, and thus it was a great honor to be invited to the National Day Reception and meet various individuals who are involved with maintaining the strong relationship between Japan and the United States.

Don C. Smith & Lucy Daberkow
Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program