Alan Gilbert, Senior Advisor to U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, to Speak March 1 at Sturm College of Law

Alan Gilbert, Senior Advisor to U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar will speak about "Working at the Department of Interior" on Tuesday, March 1. Mr. Gilbert will speak in room 259 of the Ricketson Law Building at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Mr. Gilbert focuses on the Southwest and Rocky Mountain Regions for Secretary Salazar.

Mr. Gilbert has a rich and varied career in both public and private environmental and energy practices. He was a partner at the law firm of Holme, Roberts & Owen before assuming his current position. He also was a partner at the law firm of Sherman & Howard, where he practiced environmental and natural resources law for more than two decades.

In 1999, Mr. Gilbert joined the Office of the Colorado Attorney General and was appointed Colorado Solicitor General by then-Attorney General Ken Salazar. He served as Solicitor General for five years, managing more than 1,000 criminal and civil appellate cases annually for the state. Mr. Gilbert worked on matters as diverse as making public the secret records from the 1999 Columbine High School shootings to the successful settlement of the litigation over the cleanup of the Summitville Mine. Mr. Gilbert also served as then-Senator Ken Salazar’s Deputy Chief of Staff.

Professor K.K. DuVivier, who teaches Mining Law and Energy Law at the College of Law, said this about her former colleague Alan Gilbert:

The Senior Advisors are the eyes and ears of the Secretary of Interior in each of the regions, so having Alan Gilbert here with us is giving us access to the top. I worked with both Ken Salazar and Alan Gilbert when we were all associates at Sherman & Howard in the early 1980’s, and you could see then how well the two worked together. Mr. Gilbert would be too humble to admit it, but Ken Salazar’s trust and respect are reflected in his reliance on Alan's advice in almost every phase of his career as Colorado Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and now the U.S. Secretary of Interior. Mr. Gilbert has generously shared his time over the years with the Sturm College of Law as a guest lecturer and adjunct professor, and it is an honor for us to host his visit on March 1.

Mr. Gilbert has taught at the College of Law, including in 2008 and 2009 when he served as the prestigious Natural Resources Practitioner in Residence.

Mr. Gilbert's presentation, which is being sponsored by the Environmental and Natural Resources Law program as part of its Speakers Series, is open to the public. Lunch will be provided.

Speakers Series Continues: Working for a Renewable Energy Developer and a Green Technology Firm

The focus of the second in the University of Denver Sturm College of Law Speakers Series sponsored by the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program will feature two Sturm College of Law graduates speaking about their experiences working in the clean energy and technology sectors. They will be speaking in room 170 on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010.

Danny Splettstosser, who graduated with a Masters in Resource Law Studies (MRLS) degree in 2008, will discuss his role as Associate Director for enXco and EDF EN Canada. These firms are involved in developing solar and wind energy projects. In this role he is involved in critical aspects of the company's solar business unit, emerging technologies, and mergers and acquisitions. He also has a B.A. in speech communication and political science from Colorado State University. Before coming to DU he was the deputy research director for Ken Salazar's 2004 Colorado U.S. Senate campaign.

Leslie Weise, who graduated with a Masters in Environmental and Natural Resources Law (LLM) in 2008, is vice president of business development for CoolEnergy, a Boulder-based clean technology firm. CoolEnergy has developed the SolarFlow System home energy system that enables home and building owners to reduce their energy bills by as much as 75 percent while providing U.S. homeowners annual returns of 20 percent. Ms. Weise also has degrees in engineering from Boston University, and a JD and a Masters of Intellectual Property from Pierce Law Center.

Food will be available at the event.

The Environmental and Natural Resources Law Speaker Series features presentations by leaders in these sectors. The next lecture in the Speakers Series will be Nov. 9, 2010, when Kate Iverson, Associate General Counsel for the Denver metropolitan Regional Transportation District (RTD) will talk about Fastracks, the new light rail system being developed in the metro area.