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Meet the Fall 2025 GWC Research Assistants

Annie Carlozzi — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 16:11:51 +0000

Meet the Fall 2025 GWC Research Assistants Annie Carlozzi Thu, 10/02/2025 - 10:11

We are excited to welcome 5 Research Assistants to the GWC team this fall!

Corinne Griffin

Corinne grew up in Orlando, Florida, and found her passion for the environment after she assisted her community in flora rebuilding after hurricanes hit the state of Florida. She attended the University of Florida. She recieved a BA in Environmental Science, with a double minor in Agricultural and Natural Resource Law/Environmental Justice and Policy. She always knew she wanted to go to law school, but found a keen interest in environmental justice through her undergraduate honors thesis, where she wrote about how COVID-19 exacerbated environmental justice concerns across the United States. Through the GWC RA position, she hopes to learn more about public land law, mining law, tribal law, water law, and any environmental issues impacting the West.

Jake Lehrman

Jake first joined the GWC this past summer as a Research Assistant, where he focused on researching the public’s right to access waterways in Colorado and the broader Mountain West region. His work explored the legal, historical, and policy dimensions of public access, contributing to ongoing conversations about how to balance recreation and private property interests. Beyond his research, Jake volunteered at the 45th Annual Colorado Law Conference on Natural Resources, Turning Hindsight into Foresight: The Colorado River at a Crossroads, where he had the opportunity to learn about the complex issues surrounding the Colorado River's management. He also had the opportunity to offer a window into the Colorado Law student experience through writing blog posts on behalf of the GWC. Now continuing his work as a Research Assistant, Jake is excited to delve even deeper into the evolving landscape of public access rights to Colorado’s waters.

Tori Matson

Tori first connected with GWC after receiving the 2024 Harrison Fellowship for her 1L summer which allowed her to intern at the Legal Resources Centre, an environmental nonprofit organization in Durban, South Africa. In the Fall of 2024, she continued her involvement with the GWC through volunteering at GWC events including the Martz Symposium and Ruth Wright Lecture, where she wrote blog post summaries. She also helped plan and execute the "Effect of Executive Orders" event panel with GWC RA Catie Pursifull, which they also wrote a blog summary for. As a Spring 2025 Research Assistant, she contributed to GWC projects on pertinent public lands issues such as the nondelegation doctrine. She looks forward to continuing to support GWC's research and programming this upcoming year!

Lex Padilla

Lex is a second-year law student at the University of Colorado, originally from Phoenix, AZ, with a focus on toxic torts and environmental justice. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from the University of San Diego, where she also studied environmental science and conducted chemical research. Growing up amid drought and air pollution in Phoenix and studying near sites of environmental injustice such as Barrio Logan, CA and the Tijuana Sewage Crisis, shaped her commitment to advancing equity through environmental law.

Catie Pursifull

Catie is a Research Assistant in the Getches Wilkinson Center, researching under Director Chris Winter. She is currently looking into the expansion of renewable energy on federal public lands and the level of the government's compliance with their requirements of tribal consultation on tribal ancestral lands. This topic is especially interesting to her given her previous experience working with renewable energy developers, and she is excited to learn more about how/if developers can meaningfully and equitably engage in the consultation process with tribes.

In the past year, Catie planned an event with the GWC to debrief several environmental Executive Orders passed in the beginning of President Trump's second term and attended several of her acquaintances' events that the GWC has helped promote and sponsor. In this next year, Catie is excited to keep contributing to the events that the GWC puts on that bring the �鶹��Ѱ��Law environmental community together, discussing the most pertinent environmental topics of the day. Catie will continue working in renewable energy transactions after graduation.

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State Legislators Focused on Trends and Emerging Concerns in Western Water

Annie Carlozzi — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:23:02 +0000

State Legislators Focused on Trends and Emerging Concerns in Western Water Annie Carlozzi Wed, 10/01/2025 - 13:23

Doug Kenney

The Council of State Governments (Western chapter), comprised of state legislators and legislative staff, recently convened in Jackson Wyoming to review a variety of challenging issues facing the western states, including water. The Getches-Wilkinson Center was asked to participate in the lively review of trends and emerging concerns in western water, with a focus on those issues most likely to demand action from state legislatures.

Three interrelated issues dominated the discussion. First, the increasing impact of climate change in the West, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions, is rapidly intensifying water scarcity challenges. This is best shown by the unfolding interstate crisis on the Colorado River, which is quite likely to require the individual basin states to implement new (and often painful) coping strategies. Second, this increased competition for water, when combined with other trends (in subjects as diverse as foreign trade and immigration) continue to strain the viability of ranches and farms throughout the West. Agriculture, especially small-scale family farms, are in decline in many (if not most) pockets of the West. And third, the “federal apparatus” of agencies, expertise, programs, and other resources to deal with these challenges is being aggressively culled, shifting the burden of problem-solving increasingly to the states and state legislators. It is, unfortunately, a perfect storm of bad news.

State decision-makers are finding these challenges particularly burdensome as they offer few opportunities for win-win solutions, and are of a scale (and cost) that is beyond the resources of many states. Nonetheless, dispute the troubling nature of the trends and emerging concerns, most participants remain hopeful that discussing experiences with each other through the CSG-West network will help identify viable paths forward.

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Sydney Stellato (Colorado Law '26) Named 2025 Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow

Annie Carlozzi — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 17:29:15 +0000

Sydney Stellato (Colorado Law '26) Named 2025 Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow Annie Carlozzi Mon, 09/29/2025 - 11:29

University of Colorado Law School student Sydney Stellato ('26) is this year’s Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow. The Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellowship, initiated in 2023 by leaders of the Conscience Bay Company, is awarded each year to a Colorado Law student on the basis of academic performance, commitment to public service, and interest in the study of Western water law and policy. To the extent practicable, each Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow will focus on a specific project in advancing innovative solutions for sustainable management of water in the Western United States.

Sydney Stellato is a 2L student at the University of Colorado Law School, where she is exploring her interest in water law, public lands, and the intersection of conservation and community. She graduated from the University of Texas with degrees in Sustainability Studies and Geography. While at UT, her studies centered on the relationship between people and waterways, culminating in a senior project where she developed a citizen science project to monitor stream health. Before law school, she worked with the Texas Conservation Corps where she focused on conservation, trail work, and sustainability programs. At CU, she is involved with the Environmental Law Society, OUTLaw, and the Environmental Law Journal. She looks forward to applying her background in environmental work to the Fellowship while learning how Western water law can balance resource management, conservation, and community needs. In her free time she enjoys skiing, hiking, and indoor rock climbing.

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Intro to Practice: Environmental Law

Annie Carlozzi — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:55:45 +0000

Intro to Practice: Environmental Law Annie Carlozzi Thu, 09/18/2025 - 11:55

Intro to Practice Lunch Series

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 12pm to 12:50pm

Room 301

Explore various areas of legal practice in this series designed for 1L students (but open to all). Each week, a different panel of attorneys will discuss their particular area of practice (including what they do), provide insight into what skills and experiences helped them build their career path, and talk about what attracts employers in each of the practice areas. In addition to providing students with a glimpse into various practice areas, this lunch series also provides students with several contacts in these practice areas and an easy networking opportunity.

Students are encouraged to attend as many of the sessions that interest them. Lunch will be available at each of the sessions.

September 23 – Intellectual Property
September 30 – Judicial Clerkships
October 7 – Environmental
- Peter Jaacks (’21), Jewell Jimmerson Natural Resources Law LLC
- Robert Rigonan (’18), Earthjustice
- Senator Dylan Roberts, Colorado General Assembly
- Gabriella Stockmayer (’11), Dietze and Davis, P.C.
October 14 – Alternative Pathways in Law

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Analysis of Colorado River Basin Storage Suggests Need For Immediate Action

Annie Carlozzi — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:21:03 +0000

Analysis of Colorado River Basin Storage Suggests Need For Immediate Action Annie Carlozzi Thu, 09/11/2025 - 10:21

Jack Schmidt , Anne Castle , John Fleck , Eric Kuhn , Kathryn Sorensen , Katherine Tara

Water consumption in the Colorado River Basin continues to outstrip natural supply, causing steep declines in reservoir storage. This paper looks at the realistically accessible amount of storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead and what happens if next year is the same as this year in terms of inflow and uses. The resulting picture is grim. In order to avoid extremely low reservoir reserves at the outset of the next set of operating guidelines, and the corresponding constraints on water use going forward, the prudent course of action is to reduce use immediately.

Read the full paper here.

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Acequia Assistance Project (AAP) Interest Meeting

Annie Carlozzi — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:36:47 +0000

Acequia Assistance Project (AAP) Interest Meeting Annie Carlozzi Tue, 09/09/2025 - 11:36

The Acequia Assistance Project (AAP) Interest Meeting is an opportunity for students to learn about the AAP, a student run environmental justice project of the Getches-Wilkinson Center. AAP participants (including 1Ls!) have the opportunity to perform subsbtantive, pro-bono legal work under the supervision of attorneys on a variety of cases and projects.

Monday, September 15 12-12:50pm in Room 207

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Zane Reynolds Surveys Regulatory Frameworks for Carbon Capture and Utilization Storage

Annie Carlozzi — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 17:16:33 +0000

Zane Reynolds Surveys Regulatory Frameworks for Carbon Capture and Utilization Storage Annie Carlozzi Tue, 08/19/2025 - 11:16

Zane was born and raised in Eagle, Colorado. During his undergraduate studies at the �鶹��Ѱ��, he developed an interest in environmental and natural resources issues, which led him to return for law school. At Colorado Law, he has taken several environmental courses, including Water Resources, Foundations of Natural Resources, and Environmental Decisionmaking. He also serves as President of the Transaction & Negotiation Team, as an associate editor on the Colorado Law Review, and as a member of the Acequia Assistance Project. As a 3L, Zane hopes to continue exploring legal issues related to public lands, energy, mining, and water, both in and outside the classroom.

This past summer, Zane worked as a law clerk in the Transactions Department at Davis Graham in Denver. He assisted clients across the energy, mining, and renewable energy sectors. One of his primary projects involved a survey of regulatory frameworks for Carbon Capture and Utilization Storage (CCUS) in Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, Louisiana, and Texas. While the core technologies behind CCUS have existed for decades, policymakers, scholars, and industry leaders are now intensifying efforts to deploy carbon capture as part of broader climate change strategies. The goal of Zane’s project was to recommend how states might balance creating investment-friendly legal environments with protecting public lands, water, and property rights.

In addition to his work on CCUS, Zane contributed to transactional projects involving energy development. He analyzed provisions of purchase and sale agreements and membership interest purchase agreements in preparation for Davis Graham’s annual Energy M&A Summit. Though often viewed through a business lens, these transactions also determine how companies handle environmental liabilities, regulatory compliance, and obligations to landowners and communities.

Zane also gained experience with a multinational mining transaction spanning three countries. While details remain confidential, the matter provided insight into how cross-border resource development implicates diverse legal systems, indigenous and community rights, and sustainability challenges. Even in transactional practice, these issues underscore the role of lawyers in shaping how resource development proceeds and ensuring it is balanced against environmental and societal concerns.

Overall, Zane’s summer experience deepened his interest in the intersection of environmental, energy, and natural resources law. He came away with a stronger appreciation for how transactional lawyers can influence industry engagement with climate goals, resource stewardship, and community impacts. As he enters his final year of law school, he looks forward to continuing to explore these intersections and the role of law in building a more sustainable future.

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GWC Planned Giving Opportunities

Annie Carlozzi — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 17:13:48 +0000

GWC Planned Giving Opportunities Annie Carlozzi Tue, 08/19/2025 - 11:13

Through a planned gift to the Getches-Wilkinson Center (GWC), you can create a legacy that shapes the future of natural resources, and environmental law while supporting the students and faculty who will carry this vital work forward. Whether through a bequest, retirement assets, real estate, or another giving option, your generosity has the power to endow scholarships,/fellowships, support a conference or lecture series, and sustain a cause at GWC that inspires you most. Legacy donors to GWC have already transformed lives, expanded opportunities, and helped ensure that the center remains at the forefront of legal innovation and public service. As a member of the Colorado Law Heritage Society, you will be recognized for your vision and commitment—while always having the option to remain anonymous. By including GWC in your estate plans, you are not only giving back, but you are also helping to protect the future. To explore how your gift can make a lasting impact, please contact Robert Garelick (Assistant Dean for Advancement) at robert.garelick@colorado.edu / 303-735-5845.

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2024 Harrison Fellow Dives into Litigation

Annie Carlozzi — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:17:55 +0000

2024 Harrison Fellow Dives into Litigation Annie Carlozzi Thu, 08/14/2025 - 14:17

Victoria Matson

This summer, I had the opportunity to serve as a legal intern at Gersowitz Libo & Korek (GLK), a leading plaintiffs’ law firm in New York City known for its work in personal injury and tort litigation. My time at GLK provided invaluable exposure to the practical side of litigation and significantly deepened my understanding of tort law within the broader context of trial advocacy.

One of the initial focuses of my internship was researching toxic torts under New York common law. Through this work, I assessed which categories of toxic exposure—such as lead poisoning, mold contamination, industrial chemical exposure, and asbestos—had not only solid legal grounding but also potential for meaningful impact and success in litigation. My findings helped refine my understanding of litigation approaches and explore new areas of practice that align with both client needs and the evolving environmental landscape of New York City.

Beyond toxic torts, my work largely centered on directly contributing to trial preparation in a high-stakes civil case. Working alongside lead trial partners, I conducted civil procedure and evidence research for both direct and cross-examinations, helping shape the firm’s courtroom strategy. This experience gave me a close-up view of how attorneys use the facts of a case—combined with careful legal analysis—to craft persuasive narratives in front of a judge and jury. I also participated in client trial preparation sessions, which highlighted the human element of litigation and the importance of building trust and clarity between lawyer and client. I supported the jury selection process, underscoring the nuances of voir dire and the critical role of attorney intuition and psychology in building a favorable jury pool. Observing and assisting with jury selection was a particularly eye-opening aspect of the internship, illustrating the intersection between legal doctrine and human dynamics.

My summer at GLK not only sharpened my research and writing skills but also exposed me to the unique challenges of litigating complex tort cases in a densely populated urban setting. It was a formative experience that reinforced my interest in pursuing a career at the intersection of environmental justice and litigation.

I am grateful to the Getches-Wilkinson Center for supporting students who are passionate about environmental law and its practical applications. The skills and insights I gained this summer will serve as a foundation for my continued legal studies and future advocacy in the fields of litigation and environmental justice.

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Acequia Assistance Project Enters 14th Year Providing Pro Bono Legal Services

Annie Carlozzi — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 16:39:23 +0000

Acequia Assistance Project Enters 14th Year Providing Pro Bono Legal Services Annie Carlozzi Thu, 08/14/2025 - 10:39

Nathan Boyer-Rechlin , Gabrielle Cooper and Andrew Nosler

The Acequia Assistance Project is entering its 14^th year of providing pro bono legal services to the acequia community in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. Each year the project accepts new cases – ranging from helping acequia members write or amend their ditches bylaws, file articles of incorporation, or prove their water rights – and first year law students take on the challenge, and opportunity, of engaging in meaningful legal work, under supervision of a supervising attorney. For 2025-2026, the project is once again a Tier 3 grant recipient from the office of Public and Community Engaged Scholarship (PACES). These funds will support student trips to engage with their clients and the community, student events that offer professional development and community building, and legal fees associated with the project. Student apply to the project in September, and most teams begin project work with their clients in early January. The keystone of the project’s engagement with the acequia community is the annual Congreso de Acequias, hosted by the Sangre de Cristo Acequia Association and Colorado Open Lands. Each year the project brings between 15 and 30 students down to this event to represent the project, connect in person with clients, and do outreach for new cases. For most students, this is the most meaningful element of their time in the in the acequia project.

Last March, in conjunction with their trip to Congreso, Andrew Nosler and Gabrielle Cooper had the opportunity to attend the annual shareholder meeting of the ditch they are representing. Read more about their experience in the project, and connecting with the community below:

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As part of the �鶹��Ѱ��Law Acequia Assistance Project, our team is working to develop and update the Bylaws for Canon Ditch No. 22, located near Antonito, Colorado. Acequias are community operated irrigation ditches. The practice was brought to Spain by the Moors and to Colorado by Spanish and Mexican farmers who settled here before Colorado became a state. The Acequia Assistance Project aims to provide no-cost legal assistance to Acequia users in the San Luis Valley.

We recently paid a wonderful visit to Colorado’s San Luis Valley for the annual Congreso meeting. There, Acequia users from across the valley gathered to discuss and showcase the state of water management in the valley. Farmers and ranchers brought exhibits and presentations to share their unique strategies for land and water use. We watched people make fungus-based fertilizer in real time, explored a model electric fencing construction, and even learned about harvesting wild plants. These presentations showcased a future of abundance and sustainability. Locals in the valley are working hard for the future of their land and water. They are creative, industrious, and deeply connected to the community.

Colorado water rights are “first in time, first in right.” This means that the first person to appropriate water and use it has a priority water right over later users. The Acequias in the San Luis Valley are some of the oldest water rights in the state. On a tour of San Luis People’s Ditch, water right No. 1 in Colorado, we learned a slice of the vibrant history that defines the valley. Jerry Gallegos, a People’s Ditch irrigator brought us to different points along the ditch and his ranching property, so we could see for ourselves how the ditch works and the products of irrigation. We visited the stream that provides People’s Ditch with water, Culebra Creek. Alongside a group of cows (and adorable newborn calves) cold, clean water flowed fresh off the southern end of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range. At a diversion point, called a headgate, the ditch starts and pulls a modest flow of water from the stream. It has spread water to community members for any imaginable number of uses since 1852. Walking along the ditch, it was easy to get lost imagining the generations of community members who have loved and cared for this water.

Because many of the Acequias in the San Luis Valley were established before, or early on, in Colorado’s statehood, they hold some of the highest priority water rights in the state under the first in time, first in right rule. The Colorado Acequia Recognition Law allows acequias to continue operating under their traditional communal water sharing systems and strengthens their ability to protect their water rights under Colorado law. The Acequia Assistance Project aims to assist farmers in the Valley to take full advantage of these protections, so that their water rights are protected into the future, especially as the likelihood of water scarcity rises. Students participating in the project work on a variety of projects for clients: title searches, assisting with articles of incorporation, community outreach and engagement, and drafting bylaws for ditch operations. Participating in the project has been a valuable opportunity to connect not only with people in the Valley, but also with other law students passionate about water law and equitable access to legal services.

Our team had the opportunity to attend the annual shareholders meeting for our ditch, Canon Ditch No. 22. Canon Ditch No. 22 flows near Antonito, which is southwest from San Luis. The shareholders were excited for the upcoming spring, summer, and fall. With winter slowly fading, everyone was ready to get the ditch up and running. Shareholders got down to business as soon as they formed a quorum. They voted to appoint a ditch rider, who would monitor and report on the condition of the ditch as water started flowing. They discussed transferred shares, and protocols for delinquent water users. Every discussion was open, and solution oriented. Canon Ditch draws from the Conejos River, which comes out of the San Juan Mountains. With below average snowpack, the members focused on late season conditions and how to plan around unpredictable flow rates this season.

Both at Congreso and the Canon Ditch shareholders meeting, we saw inspiring people tackling important water issues hands-on. Everybody we met had a deep connection with the land and the community. Ranchers talked about repurposing old bed frames to install electric fences and using old wheels to wind rope. Student speakers from the Acequia Assistance Project presented updates to our project and the legal services we provide. In every corner of the valley, people are working hard to secure and improve the future of agriculture. Canon Ditch No. 22 members were excited to have us down there. They explained how we can be useful and welcomed us into their conversations. It is such an amazing opportunity to serve such brilliant and hardworking people, and we look forward to helping the cause of farmers and ranchers in the San Luis Valley.

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