View Full Symposium Program HERE.

Speaker Meet and Greet:

Thursday April 10th -Wine Cellar Atrium, Joy Burns Center, University of Denver  

5:30-7:30 pm- Speaker Meet and Greet 

One-Day Conference:

Friday, April 11th- University of Denver Law School 

8:00-9:00 am- Breakfast and Check in 

9:00-9:45 am- Keynote and Introductory Remarks 

10:00-11:00 am- Panel 1- The Shoshone Water Rights Deal: The Historic Effort to Preserve Colorado’s Oldest Water Rights 

11:15-12:15 pm- Panel 2- Water Agreements in Southeast Colorado: Efficiency and Conservation in the Arkansas River Valley 

12:30-1:45pm- Lunch 

2:00-4:00 pm (10 minute intermission)- Panel 3- Settlements, Compacts, Commissions, and More: Nonlitigation Alternatives to Resolving Federally Reserved Water Rights 

4:00-4:15 pm- Closing Remarks 

4:30- 6:30 pm- Networking Happy Hour

*All times are in Mountain Standard Time

Keynote Speaker: Lorelei Cloud

Panel 1: 

Moderator - Professor Tom Romero

Kirsten Kurath

David Taussig

Hollie Velasquez Horvath

Jason Turner

Panel 2:

Moderator - Professor Gregor MacGregor

Michael Gustafson

Scott Lorenz

Abigail Ortega

Bill Long

Panel 3: 

Moderator - Ramsey Kropf

Crystal Tulley-Cordova, PhD.

Jay Weiner

Dwight Witherspoon

Tom Murphy

Letisha Yazzie

Rio Grande River Sponsor

Wellborn Sullivan Meck and Tooley, P.C. 

Platte River Sponsors

Dietze ad Davis, P.C.

Somach Simmons and Dunn

Arkansas River Sponsors

Alyson Scott Law, LLC

Vranesh and Raisch, LLP

Balcomb and Green, P.C.

Hill and Robbins P.C. 

San Juan River Sponsors

Colorado Water Trust

Clark Hill

This year we have a variety of panel topics including sessions on inclusive approaches to determining water rights for Native American tribes, getting to the Shoshone Water Rights Deal, and water sharing agreements in the Arkansas River Valley. Our speakers will include lawyers and nonlawyers with expertise and a unique lens in the panel topics. We are excited to host this incredible line up and conversation at a time when water is a prevalent and critical topic across the United States.

Without the support of our sponsors, we would not be able to host this incredible event each year. We hope that you consider sponsorship this year and continue to support the University of Denver Water Law Review in the future. The University of Denver and Sturm College of Law is a 501(c)(3) organization and all gifts made in support of the Water Law Review Symposium are tax-deductible.

All the best,

Taner Tibljas

Co-Symposium Editor Volume 28, JD Candidate 2026

Nikki Hernandez

Co-Symposium Editor Volume 28, JD Candidate 2026

For more information about sponsorships, please contact Nikki Hernandez at katherine.hernandez@du.edu or DONATE ONLINE

Approved for 5 general CLE credits and 2 EDI credits. 

Register Here

Registration is free for students!