Two Denver Law Environmental Experts, Professor Jan G. Laitos and Dr. Anita Halvorssen, to Speak at "Rule of Law for Nature" Conference in Norway

Two Denver Law environmental and natural resources law professors will be featured in the Rule of Law for Nature program, which is being organized by the Natural Resources Law Group at the Faculty of Law, University of Oslo from May 9-11, 2012.

Professor Jan G. Laitos, John A. Carver Jr. Professor of Law, and Dr. Anita Halvorssen, Adjunct Professor of Law, will take part in the conference that marks the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Stockholm Declaration, the 30th anniversary of the UN World Charter for Nature and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 25th anniversary of the Brundtland Report, and the 20th anniversary of both the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, and the UNCED Conventions: the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Professor Laitos' lecture is entitled, "A Right of 'Non-use' for Nature." Dr. Halvorssen and her co-presenter Ottavio Quirico of the European University Institute, will address "The Impact of Environmental Corporate Responsiblity Policies on Climate Related Border Tax Adjustments."

According to the University of Oslo Faculty of Law, "This is an appropriate point in time for reflection on the legal status of nature, how environmental goods and services are valued and taken into account in decision-making, and the implications of the rule of law in this respect."

The deadline for registration is April 1, 2012. More information about the conference can be accessed by clicking here.

Editor's note: The Faculty of Law building at the University of Oslo is shown above.

Jan Laitos, John A. Carver Jr. Professor of Law at Denver Law, to be Featured Speaker at Buenos Aires Mining Seminar in August

Jan Laitos, John A. Carver Jr. Professor of Law at Denver Law, will be the featured speaker next month at a prestigious seminar in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The event, "Current Trends in the Regulation on Cyanide and Open Pit Mining," is being sponsored by one of the leading Latin American law firms Marval O'Farrell & Mairal.

Professor Laitos will speak about the U.S. and international experience associated with regulations on the use of cyanide as well as regulations on open pit mining. Also speaking at the seminar will be Luis E. Lucero, Francisco A. Macias, and Leonardo G. Rodriguez, all members of the firm.

Mr. Rodriguez is a 2008 LLM graduate of Denver Law's renown Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Graduate Program. He was recognized as the top student in his 2008 graduating class, an honor given to the student with the highest grade point average.

Steve Bain and Bob Bassett, Two Leading International Natural Resources Attorneys, Compare International Mining and Oil and Gas Work With DU Students

Two of America's leading natural resources lawyers, Steve Bain and Bob Bassett, spoke recently about the differences and similarities in the fields of international mining law and international oil and gas law to a large group of University of Denver Sturm College of Law students in the Environmental and Natural Resources Law program.

The event, which was sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (RMMLF) and organized by law student Carrie Golden, attracted a group of DU law students from the U.S. as well as Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Nigeria, and Peru, thus reflecting the widely diverse nature of the ENRL student body.

Mr. Bain, a shareholder at Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley, teaches International and Comparative Petroleum Law & Policy. He noted that mining law is in many respects "more regulated" than oil and gas law largely because mining has been going on for hundreds of years while the exploration for and extraction of oil and gas is a much more recent development. On the other hand he noted that oil and gas development takes place worldwide while mining development generally happens in more confined regions of the world.

Mr. Bassett, manager of the Minerals Practice Group at Holland & Hart, teaches International Mining Law & Policy. Before beginning his presentation, Mr. Bassett encouraged students to become familiar with the RMMLF. "The Foundation is widely recognized as the source for lawyers to learn from scholarly works written by practicing lawyers. The Foundation is an invaluable resource." He also noted that individuals involved with the Foundation "build relationships with others. Knowing other practitioners is very important."

Mr. Bassett said that mining dates back to the Roman Empire and Greece. "Many of the concepts first established by the Greeks are still used today," he said. He also noted the capital intensive nature of building mines and the relatively small profit margin that exists in many mining projects.

The two men also made other key observations on various related topics:

• Sustainable Development: Mr. Bassett said the first time he heard about the concept of "sustainable development" was in the context of mining. Now he said an important issue for mining companies is "how can a mining project be designed to be 'sustainable' from an economic perspective. In other words, how can a local community's economy be made to continue on after a mining project is closed." Mr. Bassett noted that mining projects can, and have in many instances (e.g., in Australia, Canada, and the U.S.) provided revenues for government that can then be invested in other sectors, such as education.
• The "Impact" of Development: Mr. Bain noted that mining projects are much more visible to people, and thus often attract more opposition than oil and gas projects. He also pointed out that the "return on investment" for oil and gas projects tends to be considerably higher than for mining projects as a result of the considerable capital investments that must be made in the development stage of mining.

Don C. Smith, director of the ENRL program, said, "Adjunct Professors Bain and Bassett provided a fascinating look at the issues that are uppermost in the minds of oil and gas and mining developers. Everyone attending the event as well as all the students who have studied under these gentlemen has benefited enormously from their insight and experience. The College of Law is privileged to have a strong relationship with both Mr. Bain and Mr. Bassett."

Mr. Smith also noted the longtime relationship between the College of Law and the RMMLF. "The College of Law was one of the founding members of the RMMLF and remains active in the Foundation today. Professor Jan Laitos is the College of Law's trustee to the Foundation and Professor and Academic Dean Fred Cheever is a trustee at large," he said.

Editor's Note: Steve Bain is shown alongside student Alphonsus Ihuoma in the top photo; Bob Bassett is shown in the second photo.

Three DU Law Professors Attend the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Meeting in Canada

The Sturm College of Law will be well represented at this week's 56th annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute, organized by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, meeting in Banff, Alberta, Canada, beginning tomorrow. Attending from the law school will be Fred Cheever, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Environmental Law, K.K. DuVivier, Energy and Mining Law Professor, and Jan Laitos, Natural Resources Law Professor.

The Sturm College of Law has a long and storied relationship with the Foundation, which is one of the world's preeminent organizations for considering issues related to minerals extraction, development, and management. In the late 1950s the law school was a founding member of the Foundation. Since then the law school has played a significant role in the Foundation including in recent years when Professors Cheever and Laitos have served as Trustees of the Foundation. Moreover, Professor Cheever currently chairs the Natural Resources Law Teachers Committee.

DU's strong relationship with the Foundation has been a key to the rich selection of courses and professors that students find at DU. For example, four speakers at this year's meeting in Banff have taught at the College of Law: Bob Bassett of Holland & Hart in Denver; James Cress of Holme Roberts & Owen in Denver; Florencia Heredia of HOLT Abogados in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and James Otto, an independent natural resources consultant in Boulder.

These relationships provide DU students a unique level of expertise and experience second to none among U.S. law schools. And to be sure, understanding and appreciating the complex relationships between environmental protection, on the one hand, and natural resources development, on the other hand, are more important today than ever before. A well-rounded environmental or natural resources professional must understand and take account of all of the key issues, and that is exactly what students find each and every day at DU.

To see a program summary for the 56th annual institute, please click here

Conflicts in Argentine Mining Exploration: DU LLM Graduate and Professor Take Part in Presentation at Austral University

Leonardo Rodriguez, May 2008 LLM graduate and winner of the Outstanding Student of the Year Award in 2009, gave a presentation on "Conflict Issues in Argentine Mining Exploration," recently in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Leonardo's presentation was part of a larger program, "Use of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection: Legal and Economic Criteria to Solve Conflict Issues," that was organized at the Austral University School of Law in Buenos Aires.

DU Prof. Jan Laitos, an internationally respected expert on natural resources law and author of numerous books on natural resources, helped organize the event and presented as well. Prof. Laitos also serves as a trustee for the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation.

Following his graduation from DU, Leonardo returned to Buenos Aires and the law firm of Marval O'Farrell & Mairal.