About Us
The University of Denver Water Law Review is an internationally circulated, semi-annual publication that serves as a high-quality forum for the exchange of ideas, information, and legal and policy analyses concerning water law.
First published in 1997, the Water Law Review is a practical resource for lawyers, policy makers, and students. Our continued involvement in the water law community allows us to stay current on developing water issues. Every issue includes up to date articles on developing water law issues, as well as several other useful and interesting resources such as biographies of water practitioners, book notes, conference reports, and coverage of water cases from all U.S. federal and state courts.
The Water Law Review is a student run journal. Students are responsible for the production of the journal, from the solicitation of articles to the final content editing and publishing. Students gain valuable experience in legal research, writing, management, and water law from their involvement on the Water Law Review.
Mission Statement
The Water Law Review seeks to provide a unique, high quality forum for sharing ideas, information, legal analyses and policy analyses concerning water law issues. It is the intent of the editorial board and staff to make the Review a valuable resource for the practitioner, the scholar, and the policy maker.
The Review primarily emphasizes water law issues; however, we understand that nothing exists in isolation, neither in law nor in nature. Therefore, it is the express policy of the Review to solicit and to publish scholarly works that discuss water law as it affects and is affected by related areas, legal or otherwise. To that end, we remain pleased to present articles by nationally recognized experts, practitioners, officials, scholars, and others involved in the fields of water law and water planning.
We do not restrict the Review’s coverage to any one jurisdiction. We live in a highly complex global community where water remains one of the most critical components. The more ideas and information we share, the more successful we will be when managing today’s problems and tomorrow’s challenges. Therefore, we invite our readers to submit articles that address the full range of issues in water law and water management from any geographical location.
Editorial Board
Davis Wert
Editor-in-Chief
Davis is honored and excited to serve as the Volume 18 Editor-in-Chief. A Denver native and fourth-generation Coloradoan, Davis grew up spending his summers at camp in the foothills and his winters at Winter Park for ski lessons. He attended Denver East High School, graduating in 2007. Davis then went to Colgate University in snowy Hamilton, New York, where he majored in History. Since enrolling at the Sturm College of Law, Davis has focused primarily on water and natural resources law. His various internships at local private firms, as well as at the Colorado Supreme Court, have all exposed him to water and other related areas of law. This fall semester, Davis will spend part of his time with the Natural Resources and Environment Section of the Office of the Attorney General, and after graduation will clerk for the Honorable Brian D. Boatright of the Colorado Supreme Court. Davis enjoys running (particularly the Bolder Boulder), skiing, playing Ultimate Frisbee, hiking in the mountains (he’s tackled eighteen “14ers” to date), and homebrewing.
Gina Tincher
Managing Editor
While she was born in England, Gina has spent most of her life in Florida. She attended undergrad at the University of Florida and has a master’s degree from Florida State University. In 2012, Gina left a career in law enforcement to pursue her dream of attending law school. Since relocating to Denver, she has fallen in love with everything Colorado has to offer. She spends most of her weekends exploring the mountains with her two dogs, Emma and Abby, or checking out all Denver has to offer. Gina has accepted a post-graduation position with Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber and Schreck.
Aaron Brunskill
Managing Editor
Aaron has a passion for natural resource and environmental law in Colorado, and brings a fresh perspective to the DU Water Law Review for volume 18. Aaron has had a wide variety of internships while in law school, including working with the Colorado State University Office of General Counsel, a Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court Judge, and the EPA Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics, and Training. During his last year of law school, Aaron will be working with the general counsel for MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P. through the Semester in Practice experiential learning program at DU. Aaron is a Colorado native, and earned an undergraduate degree from Colorado State University. He spends his weekends exploring the local restaurant and brewery scene, teaching himself motorcycle repair, and hiking the beautiful Rocky Mountains with his dog, Barley. Aaron hopes to beat Davis’s “14er” record before graduation.
Jen Najjar
Production Editor
Jen Najjar is excited to serve as the Production Editor on the Volume 18 University of Denver Water Law Review. Jen, a Santa Fe, New Mexico native, graduated from Claremont McKenna College (CMC) with a B.A. in Government and a Sequence in Leadership. At CMC Jen lettered in varsity soccer and basketball. During the first half of her 1L summer at DU, Jen externed for the Honorable Mary H. Murguia of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. During the second half of her summer, Jen interned as a summer associate in the environmental department of a law firm in downtown Denver. In her free time Jen enjoys attending comedy shows and playing intermural sports.
Emily Dowd
Symposium Editor
Emily is a St. Louis native. She moved to Colorado to attend CU-Boulder in 2007 where she earned a B.A. in Humanities and a minor in Geology. While Emily came to Colorado to enjoy the mountains and live music, she stayed to study Natural Resources Law at DU Law. In the year between attending CU and DU Emily traveled to Cambodia to help her sister establish a permaculture demonstration farm and teach sustainable agriculture. At DU, Emily served as an Academic Achievement Program student leader, an Executive Board member of the Land Use Law Society, and as a Water Law Review staff member prior to her election to the Editorial Board. She is very excited about this year’s Symposium on April 10, 2015. In her third year at DU Emily will work on an article with Professor Susan Daggett about local land use regulations as environmental laws and contribute to Professor Jan Laitos’s hornbook on Natural Resources Law. She will graduate in May 2015 with a J.D. and an LL.M. in Environmental and Natural Resources Law.
Chris Butler
Business Editor
Chris Butler is pleased to serve as a Business Editor for Volume 18 of the Water Law Review. Chris received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to and during law school, Chris has worked as a Chemical Engineer for URS Corporation while attending DU's evening division. Chris has experience designing water treatment; oil and gas; chemical manufacturing; and nuclear facilities. Chris enjoys playing soccer, skiing, and hiking.
Dale Ratliff
Court Reports Editor
Dale Ratliff is excited to serve as a Court Reports Editor for Volume 18 of the University of Denver Water Law Review. Dale earned a B.A. in Comparative Sociology and Environmental Studies from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA . Prior to law school, Dale spent twelve years working as professional fly fishing guide in western Colorado, Chilean Patagonia, and southwestern Alaska. During his time as a fishing guide, he developed a strong interest in water and water law. After his first year of law school at DU, Dale worked as a judicial intern for the Honorable Gregory J. Hobbs, Jr. of the Colorado Supreme Court. When not working on school or the journal, Dale enjoys chasing trout and spending time with his beautiful wife.
Ashley Basta
Court Reports Editor
Ashley Basta is thrilled to serve alongside Dale Ratliff as Court Reports Editor on the 18th Volume of the University of Denver Water Law Review. She grew up in Denver, studied a little bit of everything while living at a co-op in Boulder, and found her niche in service-learning around social and environmental justice. She had a fantastic summer studying transitional justice in Guatemala and researching farm-to-school policies at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Ashley loves filling up journals, hanging out in her garden, and sleeping outside in beautiful places.
Meghan Leemon
Article Editor
Meghan Leemon is a 3L and excited to serve as an Articles Editor for Volume 18. Meghan is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and spent most of her life there until she moved to the small town of Peoria, Illinois to pursue her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Social Work. She moved to Colorado upon graduation with her then-fiancée to be closer to family. Meghan has worked for multiple professors at DU and has enjoyed the additional research and writing practice. This past summer, Meghan had the opportunity to study and work abroad in Rhodes, Greece for two months. Meghan first took three weeks of courses in maritime law and law of the sea, and then had the absolute pleasure of interning for the Aegean Institute of the Law of the Sea and Maritime Law. She is very passionate about furthering her knowledge about water on a local and international level, and plans to complete the International Law Certificate Program. In her spare time, Meghan loves to be outside in the sun and spend time with her husband.
Edgar Barraza
Article Editor
Edgar Barraza is delighted to serve as an Article Editor for Volume 18 of the University of Denver Water Law Review. Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico (whose etymology is arguably “dry place”), Edgar has lived in Denver since age 11. He obtained a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Denver in 2010. In his first summer as a law student, Edgar joined Reilly Pozner as a summer associate and held that position until December of the same year. In the second semester of his 2L year, Edgar interned for the Honorable Jerry Jones of the Colorado Court of Appeals, and clerked for Lewis Roca Rothgerber in Denver. Enthralled by his experience in the judicial system, Edgar took to the courts again and spent his 2L summer as a judicial intern for US Judge Robert Blackburn of the District of Colorado. Outside of law school, Edgar volunteers as the coordinator of Judge Christine Arguello’s Dream Catchers, a group of practitioners and law students that seek to improve access to higher education (particularly legal education) for disadvantaged youth throughout the State by developing and implementing various pilot programs. In his rare moments of leisure, Edgar enjoys movie-going, reading, or just searching for the etymology of any quirky word that comes to mind.
Garrett Davey
Article Editor
Garrett Davey comes to DU from Brooklyn by way of the University of Kansas, where he earned a MA in Modern European History. He holds a BA from Illinois Wesleyan University in English and History, and a MS from PACE University in Secondary Education. Garrett has held a variety of jobs, but specializes in education and community outreach and development. He hopes to practice environmental law, specifically in the energy and natural resources sector. Garrett is married and has two dogs, a Miniature Pinscher and Belgian Malinoix, who occupy most of his time and energy. He is an avid snowboarder, moving to Colorado for fresh pow and bluebell days. He is also and avid soccer fan and proud supporter of Arsenal FC.
Autumn Aspen
Article Editor
Autumn Aspen is excited to serve as an Articles Editor on the Volume 18 University of Denver Water Law Review. Although born and raised in Michigan, Autumn moved to St. Augustine, FL to attend Flagler College, where she received her B.A. in history and Spanish. In undergrad, Autumn also worked on a 76 foot schooner sail boat as a crew member. During her second summer at the University of Denver, Autumn worked for Oceana, an international non-profit organization, and she is currently working as an intern for the U.S. Department of Energy in Golden, CO. Autumn loves living in Denver and enjoys spending her free time in the mountains. She especially enjoys snowboarding, hiking, and mountain biking and hopes to start whitewater kayaking soon.
Emily Miller
Article Editor
Emily Miller is pleased to serve as an Articles Editor for Volume 18 of the University of Denver Water Law Review. Emily spent much of her youth south of Denver, in Castle Rock, Colorado. She earned her B.A in political science at Northwestern University and her M.A. in classics at the University of Colorado at Boulder. After her first year of law school, Emily worked as a judicial intern for Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix of the District of Colorado, and as a research assistant for DU Law Professor Debra Austin. When not in the journal office, Emily can be found advocating for prisoners’ rights in DU Law’s Civil Rights Clinic. In her free time, Emily enjoys yoga, skiing, and listening to comedy podcasts.
Allison Robinette
Online Content Editor
Allie is a 2L raised on the Rocky Mountain Front Range. After a short stint in Kirksville, MO, where she got her undergraduate degree, she is back in Colorado and could not be more thrilled to serve on the Water Law Review Editorial Board. This should be the best year yet for the Water Law Review Blog.
Lauren Hammond
Sources Editor
Lauren Hammond is a 3L who hails from New York. After spending some time with the Sierra Club, Lauren came to law school to focus on environmental and natural resource law. She is currently a research assistant to Professor Chao and Professor Lynch. Lauren is also President of the Natural Resource and Environmental Law Society. She enjoys hiking large mountains with her two year old dog named Lilly
Tom I. Romero, II
Faculty Advisor
Professor Romero teaches and researches in the areas of the legal history of the American West, Latinos and the law, school desegregation in multiracial contexts, property, land use, water law, and urban development and local government in the United States and Latin America. His work on such topics have appeared in the Colorado Law Review, the Utah Law Review, the New Mexico Law Review, the Albany Law Review, the Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice, the Temple Political and Civil Rights Law Review, the Seattle Journal for Social Justice, the Oregon Review of International Law, and the Chicano-Latino Law Review, among others. His most recent scholarship can be found here. Professor Romero recently published an article on the relationship between Water law and Critical Race Theory in the Denver University Water Law Review which is being re-published in the University of Miami Race and Social Justice Law Review. Currently, Dr. Romero is revising a book manuscript on multiracial formation and the law in post-World War II Denver, Colorado; where among other aspect of the analysis, he extensively explores the role of metropolitan water development in Keyes v. School Board No. One, 413 US 189 (1973) (the first non-Southern school desegregation case to reach the United States Supreme Court). In addition, Dr. Romero is collaborating with the Sturm College of Law’s Community Economic Development Clinic to modernize the corporate documents of acequia associations working in the San Luis Valley of Colorado.
Staff
Senior Staff Editors
Peter Almaas
Devon Bell
Lauren Bushong
Sarah Cassinis
James Hanseen
Joshua Murphy
Joseph Risch
Staff Editors
Christopher Ainscough
Blaine Bengtson
Timothy Berrier
Aubrey Bertram
Cody Cassady
Ronald Colwell
Neillie Fields
Parker Fulton
Victoria Hambley
Daphne Hamilton
Matthew Kilby
Molly Kokesh
Dewitt Mayfield
Robert Montgomery
Gregory Palsbo
William Tilton
Bruce Walters
Kobi Webb
Kylie Wyse
Advisory Board
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Amy Beatie
Executive Director
Colorado Water Trust
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William H. Caile, Esq.
Holland & Hart
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James Corbridge
Professor
University of Colorado, School of Law
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John J. Cyran
Water Referee
Colorado Water Division 1
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John M. Dingess, Esq.
Duncan, Ostrander & Dingess, PC
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Harrison C. Dunning
Professor
University of California at Davis School of Law
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Barbara J.B. Green, Esq.
Sullivan Green Seavy, LLC
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David Hallford, Esq.
Balcomb & Green, PC
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Stephen Leonhardt, Esq.
Burns, Figa & Will, P.C.
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Jim Lochhead
CEO/Manager
Denver Water
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David Robbins, Esq.
Hill & Robbins, PC
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Susan Ryan, Esq.
Ryley, Carlock & Applewhite
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Janice Sheftel, Esq.
Bradford, Shipps & Sheftel, LLP
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A. Dan Tarlock
Professor
Chicago–Kent School of Law Illinois Institute of Technology
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Jason Turner, Esq.
Associate Counsel
Colorado River Water Conservation District
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Dick Wolfe, P.E.
State Engineer
Colorado Division of Water Resources
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Dr. Patricia Wouters
IWRA Board of Directors
Director, Water Law and Policy Programme, University of Dundee, Scotland