Felicitaciones (Congratulations) to Denver Law LLM and JD students awarded prestigious Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (RMMLF) scholarships

The Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (RMMLF), the most prominent natural resources-focused organization of legal practitioners and academics in the Western Hemisphere, has awarded four of its prestigious scholarships to Denver Law students. Three of the students will begin their LLM studies at Denver Law in August. The fourth winner is a third year JD student. 

Don C. Smith, Director of the Environmental & Natural Resources Law program, said, "It is indeed a great day for the Denver Law students who have been awarded these impressive RMMLF scholarships. Students who have earned similar scholarships in the past have told me that this award was one of their proudest moments as a student. Moreover, the scholarships recognize the high quality of students who study at Denver Law."

Scholarship selections are based on the interest of students studying natural resources law and their potential to make significant contributions to the field.  To date, 380 scholarships totaling nearly $2 million have been awarded.

Three of the scholarships were awarded to LLM students who will begin their studies in August.  Notably, each of these students is from South America, a continent where Denver Law has a long history of recruiting the best and brightest students.  The South American students are:

• Renato De Vettori, a Peruvian lawyer, graduated with a law degree from the Universidad San Martin de Porres. 
• Nancy Garcia Yi, a Peruvian lawyer as well, graduated with a law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.
• Rodrigo Galleguillos, an attorney from Chile, obtained his law degree from the Universidad de Chile.

Lucy Daberkow, Assistant Director of the ENRL Graduate Program, said, "A continuing objective of our program is to be the most diverse environmental and natural resources law program in the Western Hemisphere.  Renato, Rodrigo, and Nancy's recognition by the RMMLF underscores the strength of these individuals and reflects positively on our on-going efforts to recruit the best students from South America.  The diversity of our program's students is a real point of differentiation in our recruiting efforts and we are thrilled they will join us."

The JD student is David Rueschhoff, who also earned a Joe Rudd Scholarship from the RMMLF.  Mr. Rudd was a prominent Alaska natural resources attorney.

In making the announcement of winners, Stevia Walther, Executive Director of the RMMLF said more than 100 scholarship applications were received.  Ultimately 34 students were chosen for scholarships.  "The selection process was not easy for the Committee, given the large number of well-qualified applicants," Ms. Walther said.

Ms. Daberkow, looking ahead to the beginning of the new academic year in August, said, "The incoming 2014-2015 will certainly be one of our most diverse and impressive classes. We look forward to meeting these students who will undoubtedly make outstanding contributions to our program and their professions in the natural resources and environmental industries."

In recognition of the diversity of the four award winners Ms. Daberkow said in Spanish, "Enhorabuena a nuestros estudiantes por este reconocimiento!" and in English, "Congratulations to our students for this honor!"

Denver Law is widely-regarded as having one of the premier natural resources, environmental, and energy programs in the United States.  In recent years, Denver Law has introduced new courses in many areas of study including Sustainable Development, Renewable Energy, and Oil & Gas. 

Kristy Disney, DU Law JD and LLM alumn, joins us as an adjunct professor

Kristy Disney, a 2011 JD and LLM in Environmental and Natural Resources graduate, will join our graduate program as an adjunct professor this fall. Prof. Disney will be teaching the class "Sustainable Development and International Trade," which provides an introduction to the interrelations among trade, environment, development issues, laws and policies. The class looks to explore how globalization can be compatible with sustainable development and focuses on environmental and social concerns as well as human rights, gender issues and governance.

Lucy Daberkow,  Associate Administrative Director, commented: "We have known Prof. Disney since she began our program as a graduate student and couldn't be more proud of her accomplishments as a Sustainable Development expert who is sharing her expertise with students  eager to learn about sustainability and globalization issues."

Prof. Disney is the current Interim Executive Director and Director of International Programs at the Sustainable Development Strategies Group (SDSG) and has been instrumental in negotiating and implementing natural resources legislation and policies in countries around the world.