Denver Law Students Win Prestigious Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Scholarships

Three Denver Law students have won scholarships from the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation. Elisabeth A. Hutchinson, Robert N. Miller II, and Jennifer A. Urban have been awarded the prestigious scholarships for the 2012-2013 period.  Twenty scholarships in total were awarded, and the three won by DU students represented the most won by any single university's students.

Don C. Smith, Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy program at Denver Law, said, "The Denver Law program has a long history of students winning these important scholarships.  The scholarships represent a tremendous achievement because they are highly sought after.  We are delighted with this outcome and we thank the Foundation for the critical role it has and continues to play in the education of young professionals who are interested in the natural resources sector."

Law students enrolled at one of the Foundation's 30 member law schools and who can demonstrate a commitment to the study of natural resources law are eligible to apply.

The Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation is one of the world's leading natural resources-focused organizations.  With members from across the world, the Foundation is a leader in continuing professional education.  Its incoming president is Denver Law graduate Catherine J. Boggs.

Rio+20 Earth Summit 2012

Thousands of people are meeting at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development this month in Rio de Janeiro. The first UN Conference on Sustainable Development took place 20 years ago in Rio de Janeiro, hence the name Rio+20. The objectives of the Summit are to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development, to assess progress towards internationally agreed goals on sustainable development, and to address new and emerging challenges.

The meetings this month are hoping to inspire a call for action from its attendees. It is hoped that there will be a shift away from long term pledges and toward creating friendly competition between the nations of the world to outperform each other. The two main areas of focus are poverty eradication and sustainable development in a green economy and creation of an institutional framework for sustainable development.

Leaders of the world are gathering to share their definitions and action plans for achieving sustainable economic development. US President Barack Obama, India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, Francois Hollande of France and Vladimir Putin of Russia are among the attendees. It is predicted that there will be disagreement between developed and developing countries as their priorities clash. The tension is caused by the 'common, but differentiated responsibilities' of the two.

Reaching agreement on sustainable development and poverty eradication are the ultimate goals of the Conference. Developed countries may need to provide technology and infrastructure support to enable developing nations to comply with the sustainability goals.

Angelica Oman

Graduate Program Assistant