News

Faculty Members Attend Conference on International Constitutional Law

Emily Battaglia — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 17:23:24 +0000

Faculty Members Attend Conference on International Constitutional Law Emily Battaglia Thu, 07/23/2026 - 11:23

From July 6-10, 2026, Professors Deep Gulasekaram and Scott-Skinner Thompson attended the World Congress of Constitutional Law (WCCL), hosted by the Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogota.

This conference, organized by the International Association of Constitutional Law, is held once every four years and brings together scholars, judges and lawyers for a comparative conversation regarding constitutional law. Both Gulasekaram and Skinner-Thompson had their papers selected for presentation and were attending this year’s conference for the first time.

“The WCCL provides an opportunity to learn and dialogue about common constitutional challenges that are occurring across the globe and discover tools and solutions that may be applicable in the U.S. context,” Skinner-Thompson said.

During their time representing both Colorado Law and the Byron R. White Center, Gulasekaram—the Director of the Center--presented his article “The Borderline Constitution” during a workshop on “Constitutional Interpretation in Emergency” situations. Skinner-Thompson spoke during a workshop on “Democratic Backsliding and ‘Gender Wars,” presenting his article “Law's Gender Ideology

“Given that attacks on transgender lives are a global phenomenon, sharing my perspectives on how to better think and talk about gender identity so as to garner better legal protections has the potential to influence law reform in other nations,” Skinner-Thompson said.

The five-day conference offered attendees opportunities to attend workshops, plenary sessions and other academic activities. In addition to these offerings, Gulasekaram participated in a unique public deliberative process on “Democracy as a Human Right,” and Skinner-Thompson attended discussions regarding LGBTQ rights in Colombia.

“For me, one of the key takeaways, particularly from the sessions on Colombian constitutional law, was the degree to which democracy is never static and must constantly be defended, but also how it can be incredibly resilient and innovative.” Skinner-Thompson said. “Hearing from lawyers involved in constitutional reform in Colombia—a country that has experienced more than its fair share of upheaval and violence—was incredibly inspiring at this moment when constitutional norms in the U.S. are being tested.”

For faculty members, the value of attending events like WCCL extends far beyond the immediate sessions—it also serves as a chance for legal academics to stay up-to-date on the most recent developments in the field and share their own research and perspectives with international colleagues.

Skinner-Thompson and Gulasekaram’s engagement with scholars, judges and practitioners from around the world reflects the law school's ongoing commitment to comparative and global perspectives in legal education.

“Comparing legal systems is critically important for students and professors in that it helps us realize that the U.S. method is not necessarily the only method, and that there may be other legal innovations and tools at our disposal,” Skinner-Thompson said.

From July 6-10, 2026, Professors Deep Gulasekaram and Scott-Skinner Thompson attended the World Congress of Constitutional Law (WCCL), hosted by the Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogota.

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ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, Faculty & Staff Activities

Emily Battaglia — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:16:08 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, Faculty & Staff Activities Emily Battaglia Mon, 07/20/2026 - 10:16

Faculty Publications

Jerry Kang, Alan Butler, & Blake Reid, Communications Law & Policy (Edition 9.0)(2026).

Govind Persad, The Law of Health Equity, 2026 Utah L. Rev. 415.

Media Mentions

[Chris Winter, GWC], Bobby Magill, Trump's Monument Moves Set Up Twisted Route Through Courts, Bloomberg Law (July 15, 2026).

David Condos, Trump's Utah National Monument Cuts Wont Stop the Legal Tango Over Public Lands, KUER (July 17, 2026).

[Mark Squillace], Jimmy Tobias & Mark Olalde, The Rules for Grazing on 155 Million Acres of Public Lands are Getting Overhauled, High Country News & ProPublica (July 7, 2026).

T. Michelle Murphy, What is the Antiquities Act, and How Is the 120-Year-Old Law Being Tested by Trump?, Time (July 14, 2026).

Jonathan P. Thompson, Trump Slashes Nearly 3 Million Acres from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, The Land Desk (July 14, 2026).

[Scott Skinner-Thompson], Jamie O'Rourke, The Supreme Court Ruled Trans Kids Can Be Banned From Playing Sports. Here’s How That Affects Colorado, Colorado Times Recorder (July 3, 2026).

[Doug Kenney, GWC], Sarah Kaplan, A major Colorado River decision looms. Here’s how it will affect millions, Washington Post (July 15, 2026).

[Deep Gulasekaram], Safia Samee Ali, Milwaukee Latest City to Ban ICE Masks: Is it Legal?, NewsNation (July 15, 2026).

[Anne Castle, GWC], Ally Heath, What Happens When the Water Dries Up? Much of the American West is Close to Finding Out, Straight Arrow News (July 4, 2026).

Jonathon Booth, CU Law Professor Breaks Down Supreme Court's Birthright Citizenship Ruling, Denver 9 News (June 30, 2026).

Angeline McCall, Supreme Court Case May Limit Americans' Ability to Sue for Rights Violations, Denver 9 News (June 23, 2026).

[GWC Water Law Fellow Daniel Anderson], Mark Sullivan, Satya Nadella Makes the Case for AI Independence, Fast Company (July 16, 2026).

91��ý Report Analyzes State Policies on Data Water Center Use, ColoradoBiz (July 16, 2026).

(Articles discuss Thirst for Data: State Responses to Data Center Water Use, GWC (July 9, 2026)(full publication authored with Colorado Law student Sydney Stellato)).

Faculty & Staff Activities

Doug Spencer, Scott Skinner-Thompson, Helen Norton, & Deep Gulasekaram (panelists), 2026 U.S. Supreme Court Review, Byron White Center for Constitutional Law with Faegre Drinker (upcoming July 30, 2026)(register here).

[Jake Moore & Emily Horowitz], Colorado Law Staff Lead National Student Affairs Conference, Colorado Law (July 7, 2026).

[Sarah Matsumoto], Sesquicentennial Faculty Scholars Event in Denver (upcoming, Aug. 27, 2026)(register here).

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog posts available here.

Proxy Season Crossover (July 8, 2026), Shareholder Primacy (with Mike Levin, Apple podcasts link).

Dean Inniss (speaker), Author Talk: The Princeton Fugitive Slave: The Trials of James Collins Johnson (New Jersey State Library, June 24, 2026).

Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money, blog posts available here.

Daniel Anderson [GWC Water Law Fellow], Thirst for Data: State Responses to Data Center Water Use, GWC (July 9, 2026).

Full publication available here (authored with Sydney Stellato, Colorado Law student.)

Widely recognized for its intellectual diversity and originality, the faculty at Colorado Law encompasses an array of prominent legal scholars who are widely cited, both in academia and throughout the national media landscape. We invite you to catch up on the latest faculty publications and media mentions with this weekly roundup.

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Colorado Law Staff Lead National Student Affairs Conference

Kellen Wilson — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 16:56:27 +0000

Colorado Law Staff Lead National Student Affairs Conference Kellen Wilson Tue, 07/07/2026 - 10:56

Emily Horowitz poses with an Olympic gold medal after the conference's keynote address.

When student affairs professionals from law schools across the country gathered this summer, Emily Horowitz and Jake Moore were at the helm.

The Colorado Law staff members led the annual National Association of Law Student Affairs Professionals conference on June 9-11, 2026, bringing together peers to share best practices, tackle emerging challenges and strengthen support for law students nationwide.

The 10th annual event drew a record 250 representatives from law schools across the United States and Canada for presentations and networking designed to celebrate and encourage the professionals who help law students achieve success.

“My involvement with NALSAP is what refuels my battery, because NALSAP members do the same work we do at different schools, and they understand how challenging it can be at times,” Horowitz said.

Horowitz, assistant dean of student services at Colorado Law, served as conference co-chair, developing content, soliciting proposals and selecting speakers. Moore, the assistant director of student services, served on the conference planning committee, helping to design signs and other marketing materials.

The conference’s location at S.J. Quinney College of Law in Salt Lake City, home of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, inspired the conference theme: Summon the Heroes.

The conference opened with a keynote from Olympic gold medalist Derek Parra, who spoke about the trials and triumphs he experienced across his speed skating career.

Sessions covered a range of topics including wellness, accommodations, working with student organizations, mentorship and the role of embedded mental health counselors.

Moore, who led a presentation about marketing with a colleague from Vanderbilt Law, said the conference is a great opportunity to both showcase Colorado Law’s successes and learn from others.

“Having that community and annual opportunity to connect reminds us that our challenges aren’t unique,” Moore said.

Participants also enjoyed social activities and networking events, including a torch-lighting celebration at the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Horowitz said NALSAP’s greatest benefit is helping members establish mentors and professional connections.

“No matter how long we’re in this industry … you think you’ve seen it all, and you haven’t,” she said. “The only thing that’s certain is that something new is going to come up.”

Colorado Law's Student Affairs team supports students throughout law school by planning orientation and commencement, overseeing student organizations, certifying students for the bar exam and helping students navigate challenges and milestones.

Jake Moore stands with co-presenter Michelle Kovash at the conference.

At Colorado Law, the Student Affairs team includes Horowitz and Moore, as well as Coordinator Lauren Viar and Law Registrar Shannon Foley. The team is fortunate to work closely with Danielle Anstead, an embedded counselor with 91��ý’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services.

Although the conference has concluded, Colorado Law’s leadership within the wider network of student affairs professionals will persist.

Horowitz is beginning a two-year term on NALSAP’s Board of Directors as the Western region representative, while Moore will continue to serve on NALSAP’s Conference Committee and its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Social Justice Committee.

Horowitz said she is proud of her team's work supporting colleagues nationwide and serving Colorado Law students.

“No one gets to and graduates from law school without the support of countless people along the way,” Horowitz said.

Emily Horowitz and Jake Moore led the annual National Association of Law Student Affairs Professionals conference on June 9-11, 2026, bringing together peers to share best practices, tackle emerging challenges and strengthen support for law students nationwide.

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ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, Faculty & Staff Activities

Emily Battaglia — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 17:49:51 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, Faculty & Staff Activities Emily Battaglia Mon, 07/06/2026 - 11:49

Media Mentions

[Chris Winter, GWC], Bobby Magill, Congressional Review Act Suit Begins Legal Chaos Over Land Plans, Bloomberg Law (June 25, 2026).

[Mark Squillace], Dac Collins, After Years of Fighting the Law, Colorado's Stream-Access Renegade Says it's Time for the Public to 'Just Go Fishing', Outdoor Life (July 1, 2026).

[Scott Skinner-Thompson], Ryan Curry,Reaction following Supreme Court's decision on transgender athletes, Spectrum News 1 (June 30, 2026).

Alex Dowd, US Supreme court rules on birthright citizenship, transgender athletes, Denver 7 ABC (June 30, 2026).

Grace Mayer, Fighting for Care, The Progressive Magazine (June 11, 2026).

Zach Dupont, 4 Big Colorado Rulings So Far in 2026, Law360 (July 1, 2026).

[Blake Reid], Kyle Jahner, High Court Lets Stand Order Restoring Register of Copyrights, Bloomberg Law (June 30, 2026).

[Jud Lohnes, Korey Wise Innocence Project], Alan Gionet & Jennifer McRae, Former Colorado DNA Analyst Pleads Guilty to Manipulating Data in Agreement with Prosecutors, CBS News (June 23, 2026).

[Ann Lipton], Martha Muir, An AI Venture Soared as it Touted Links to Donald Trump. Now it's Fighting for Survival, Financial Times (June 22, 2026).

[Deep Gulasekaram], Larry Mantle, Birthright Citizenship, World Cup Knockouts, Transgender Athletes, Student Loans, and More, AirTalk, LAist (June 30, 2026).

[Ann Castle, GWC], Elise Schmelzer, Colorado River System Continues Slide Toward Crash, Despite Emergency Actions Sending Water to Lake Powell, Denver Post (June 21, 2026).

Kennedy Maize, Colorado River Hydropower Faces Potential Shutdowns, Energy Central (June 26, 2026).

[Jonathon Booth], Alex Dowd, US Supreme Court Rules on Birthright Citizenship, Transgender Athletes, Denver 7 ABC (June 30, 2026).

[GWC Conference], Allen Best, Will El Nino Ride to the Colorado River's Rescue, Big Pivots (June 23, 2026)(reprints include KUNC); Should Feds Permanently Buy Down Colorado River Demands, Big Pivots (June 23, 2026)(reprints include Pagosa Daily Post).

Faculty and Staff Activities

[Elaine Tornés-Blanco, Zachary Schmook, Justin Murray, Ilan Friedmann-Grunstein], Four New Faculty Join Colorado Law, Colorado Law (July 1, 2026).

[Elaine Tornés-Blanco], Getting to Know Professor Elaine Tornés-Blanco, Colorado Law (June 30, 2026).

Doug Spencer's article Sanctuary Cities and the Power of the Purse: An Executive Dole Test, 106 Iowa L. Rev. 1209, 1218 (2021) was cited by Justice Jackson in her dissenting opinion in Landor v. Louisiana Dept of Corrections, No. 23-1197 (U.S. June 23, 2026)(see p.48 of the PDF for in-text citation.)

Scott Skinner-Thompson, (speaker) "Conversion Therapy at the Supreme Court," Beverly Hills Bar Association (June 30, 2026).

Michael Smith Earns Outstanding OUTLaw Student Award, Colorado Law (June 22, 2026).

[Zach Schmook], Getting to Know Professor Zach Schmook, Colorado Law (June 24, 2026).

Blake Reid, Slaughter, Cook, and Perlmutter, blakereid.org (July 1, 2026).

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog posts available here.

Private Ordering (June 24, 2026), Shareholder Primacy (with Mike Levin, Apple podcasts link).

[Vivek Krishnamurthy], TLPC Publishes Model State Policy to Regulate Geofence Warrants, TLPC (June 5, 2026).

Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money, blog posts available here.

Jack Schmidt, Anne Castle, Eric Kuhn, Kathyrn Sorensen, Katherine Tara, The Colorado River Water Supply Crisis in a Few Graphs: Part 1, GWC (June 18, 2026).

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Getting to Know Professor Elaine Tornes Blanco

Emily Battaglia — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:44:56 +0000

Getting to Know Professor Elaine Tornes Blanco Emily Battaglia Tue, 06/30/2026 - 13:44

This August, Elaine Tornes Blanco will join the William A. Wise Law Library as the Collection Services and Research Librarian. Most recently, she served as a Librarian Assistant Professor at the University of Miami School of Law, where she taught legal research and provided reference support. Her work there also included growing involvement in collection development and acquisitions.

Prior to her role at Miami, Professor Tornes Blanco was the Law Library Fellow (2022-2023) at the William A. Wise Law Library. Her professional experience also includes serving as a librarian at the University of Puerto Rico’s Business Administration Library.

Professor Tornes Blanco holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (magna cum laude) from the University of Puerto Rico, a Juris Doctor (cum laude) from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law, where she published in Revista de Estudios Críticos del Derecho (CLAVE), and a Master of Information Science. Her scholarship and creative work include legal writing, poetry, and children’s literature.

Professor Tornes Blanco is active in the law librarianship profession, serving as Chair of the Latinx Law Librarians Caucus of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), and as a co-author of a chapter in Exploring Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Academic Law Librarianship. Her professional interests include collection strategy, access to legal information, American Indian law, copyright, law and literature, and Foreign, Comparative, and International Law (FCIL), with a focus on supporting faculty research, student learning, and clinical programs.

Learn more about Professor Tornes Blanco in the Q&A below:

What excites you most about life in Colorado?

ETB: I enjoy spending time with family, being outdoors, and working alongside colleagues at one of the country’s top public institutions. Colorado’s natural beauty and sense of community make it a wonderful place to live and work. I’m also especially excited about being part of the Wise Law Library. The William A. Wise Law Library is not only an important resource for the law school, but also for the broader legal community throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. Its role as a publicly accessible, full-service law library and federal government repository reflects a strong commitment to public access to legal information, which is something I value deeply.

Can you share a bit about any current projects you are working on?

ETB: I’m currently involved with the Latinx Caucus’s Interactive Map of Partnerships project. The goal of the project is to help law libraries reconnect with and develop relationships with organizations that serve Latino communities across the country, with a focus on outreach, collaboration, and access to information. The project builds on earlier work connected to the American Bar Foundation’s “Future of Latinos in the United States: Law, Mobility, and Opportunity” initiative. A large part of the work involves research and information gathering, which aligns closely with the skills librarians use every day. Volunteers help identify organizations through advanced research methods, organizational directories, nonprofit databases, government resources, and other materials that may not appear in a simple web search. We also work on organizing and updating information so it can eventually be incorporated into a larger interactive map. What I appreciate most about the project is its collaborative nature. I hope to involve colleagues from different institutions and regions so we can share strategies, divide the work, and build a stronger and more useful resource together.

What is your proudest career accomplishment so far?

ETB: One of the most meaningful parts of my career has been hearing from students who tell me they are using the legal research skills they learned in my classes during internships, externships, and other professional experiences. It is rewarding to know that the work we do in the classroom helps students feel more confident and prepared in practice. I’m also proud to have been elected chair of the Latinx Caucus. That opportunity has allowed me to work with colleagues across the profession on projects related to outreach, representation, and professional development.

What inspired you to pursue a legal career?

ETB: I have always enjoyed reading and writing, so pursuing a career connected to the law felt like a natural fit. Over time, I became especially interested in the role legal information plays in helping people understand their rights and make informed decisions. What drew me to law librarianship in particular was the opportunity to combine research, teaching, and public service. Legal information can have a real impact on people’s lives, and law librarians play an important role in helping students, attorneys, and communities access reliable information. I enjoy being part of a profession that focuses on problem-solving, education, and supporting the legal system in a practical way.

Can you share more about your literary work? How have you balanced this kind of writing with your career as a law librarian?

ETB: Writing has always been an important creative outlet for me. So far, I have completed around 52 short fiction stories covering a wide variety of topics, including politics, economics, and social issues, and I hope to publish them in the future. Balancing creative writing with my work as a law librarian mainly comes down to discipline and consistency. When I’m focused on a writing project, I set aside dedicated time to work on it regularly, even if it is just an hour each day. I also try to maintain a routine so I always know where I want to continue the next time I sit down to write. Fortunately, I find that my work as a law librarian and my writing complement each other well. Both involve research, observation, analysis, and storytelling in different ways. Many of the experiences and ideas I encounter professionally inspire my creative work, so the two pursuits often strengthen one another rather than compete for my attention.

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Four New Faculty Join Colorado Law

Emily Battaglia — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:06:35 +0000

Four New Faculty Join Colorado Law Emily Battaglia Tue, 06/30/2026 - 13:06

Lolita Buckner Inniss, Dean and Provost’s Professor of Law, announced the appointment of four professors to Colorado Law’s full-time faculty: Ilan Friedmann-Grunstein, Justin Murray, Zachary Schmook, and Elaine Tornés-Blanco.

“We are delighted to welcome these four distinguished scholars and educators to our faculty this fall," said Dean Inniss. "Each brings to Colorado Law a remarkable depth of expertise, compelling research agendas, and a steadfast commitment to developing the next generation of legal leaders."

Meet Colorado Law’s newest professors:

Ilan Friedmann-Grunstein - Associate Professor of Clinical Law (Criminal Defense Clinic)

Prior to joining Colorado Law, Ilan Friedmann-Grunstein served as a Deputy Public Defender with the Colorado Office of the State Public Defender in Colorado Springs. He has spent his entire career advocating for indigent clients facing criminal charges. Previously, Professor Friedmann-Grunstein served as an Assistant Public Defender with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender and with the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office where he began his career. He has represented clients facing a variety of charges ranging from traffic offenses to homicides and has tried over two dozen cases.

Additionally, Professor Friedmann-Grunstein spent two years at The George Washington University Law School as a Friedman Fellow. During his fellowship, Professor Friedmann-Grunstein helped launch and co-taught the Criminal Defense and Justice Clinic where he supervised students representing indigent clients facing misdemeanor charges in D.C. Superior Court.

Professor Friedmann-Grunstein earned his Bachelor’s degree at Washington University in St. Louis and his Juris Doctor at Berkeley Law.

Justin Murray - Associate Professor

Justin Murray joined New York Law School in 2019. He teaches or has taught criminal law, criminal procedure, constitutional law, and race, bias, and advocacy. He also co-directed NYLS's Criminal Justice Institute.

Professor Murray's scholarship focuses on prosecutorial institutions and decision making, and on strategies for preventing and penalizing illegal conduct on the part of prosecutors and other criminal justice actors. His academic work has been published in a number of law journals, including the Harvard Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, the Virginia Law Review, and the Washington University Law Review. His scholarship has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court and by judges on other courts, and he received the Otto Walter Award for best article by a full-time faculty member from the NYLS faculty for his 2021 article, "Policing Procedural Error in the Lower Criminal Courts."

Professor Murray has served as Chair of the Association of American Law Schools Criminal Procedure Section and remains a member of the Section's executive committee. He is a Special Editor for the Journal of Legal Education, a contributing editor for Crimprofs Blog, a member of the Advisory Board for Criminal Law an-d Criminal Justice Books, and a member of the planning committee for the Decarceration Law Professors group, among other institutional and service roles.

Professor Murray began his career as a clerk on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. After that, he spent four years as an appellate lawyer at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, followed by a year at the Consumer Fraud Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. He then left legal practice to serve as a Climenko Fellow and Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, where he taught legal research and writing, before joining NYLS’s faculty.

Zachary Schmook - Associate Teaching Professor, Legal Writing

Zachary Schmook joins Colorado Law from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he served on the legal writing faculty since 2017.

Prior to joining the University of Oklahoma, Professor Schmook worked for a nonprofit in St. Louis, Missouri, dedicated to ending housing discrimination. He represented both the nonprofit and individual clients before state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as in administrative actions before the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and state administrative agencies.

Professor Schmook has also previously worked with Washington University School of Law as a Clinical Supervisor for the Civil Rights and Community Justice Clinic and as an Adjunct Professor teaching mediation and legal writing courses.

Professor Schmook received his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland. In addition to his academic and legal practice experience, he serves as a Civil Affairs Officer in the United States Army Reserve, where his work focuses on supporting coordination between military and civilian institutions in complex environments.

Elaine Tornés-Blanco - Assistant Teaching Professor, Collection Services and Research Librarian

Elaine Tornés-Blanco will join the William A. Wise Law Library at the University of Colorado Law School as the Collection Services and Research Librarian. Most recently, she served as a Librarian Assistant Professor at the University of Miami School of Law, where she taught legal research and provided reference support. Her work there also included growing involvement in collection development and acquisitions.

Prior to her role at Miami, she was the Law Library Fellow (2022-2023) at the William A. Wise Law Library. Her professional experience also includes serving as a librarian at the University of Puerto Rico’s Business Administration Library.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (magna cum laude) from the University of Puerto Rico, a Juris Doctor (cum laude) from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law, where she published in Revista de Estudios Críticos del Derecho (CLAVE), and a Master of Information Science.

Her scholarship and creative work include legal writing, poetry, and children’s literature. She is the author of Adventures of Human and Non-Human Beings: Children’s Stories of Childhood in Defense of Animals (also available in Spanish and Braille), and her work has appeared in literary anthologies.

She is active in the law librarianship profession, serving as Chair of the Latinx Law Librarians Caucus of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), and as a co-author of a chapter in Exploring Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Academic Law Librarianship. Her professional interests include collection strategy, access to legal information, American Indian law, copyright, law and literature, and Foreign, Comparative, and International Law (FCIL), with a focus on supporting faculty research, student learning, and clinical programs.

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Getting to Know Professor Zack Schmook

Emily Battaglia — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 21:50:13 +0000

Getting to Know Professor Zack Schmook Emily Battaglia Wed, 06/24/2026 - 15:50

This August, Professor Zachary Schmook will join Colorado Law as an Associate Teaching Professor. Schmook has been with the University of Oklahoma College of Law faculty since Fall 2017 as an Assistant Professor in the Legal Research & Writing Program.

Prior to joining the College of Law, Professor Schmook worked for a nonprofit dedicated to ending housing discrimination in St. Louis, Missouri. His work included representation of the organization and individual clients before state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as in administrative actions with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and state administrative agencies.

Professor Schmook has previously worked with the Washington University College of Law as an Adjunct Professor—teaching courses in Legal Writing and Mediation—and a Clinical Supervisor for the Civil Rights and Community Justice Clinic.

Professor Schmook received his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and is admitted to practice law in Oklahoma, Missouri (inactive), Illinois (inactive). In addition to his work at OU, Professor Schmook serves in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Civil Affairs Officer. Learn more about Professor Schmook in the Q&A below!

What excites you most about life in Colorado?

ZS: I'm most excited about the chance to spend time outdoors. My family and I love hiking, skiing, biking, and climbing, and Colorado offers so many opportunities to incorporate those activities into everyday life. My oldest child is a nationally ranked competitive boulderer and speed climber, so we have already spent a lot of time in the Boulder area over the last few years for competitions and training events. It is exciting to move to a place where the activities we love are such a natural part of the community.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the legal field?

ZS: I started college at the University of Maryland as a chemical engineering major, but even before finishing my freshman year, I realized that wasn’t the right fit. I changed majors, eventually graduating with a degree in agricultural and resource economics. From there, I went straight to law school at Washington University in St. Louis, thinking I might pursue environmental or land use law. After my first year of law school, though, I interned with a land use clinic in South Africa, and I discovered that I really valued helping people navigate difficult problems in their lives. That led me to a civil rights organization in St. Louis, where I represented people facing housing discrimination and landlord-tenant issues. Over time, that same interest in helping people understand and use the law led me to teaching legal writing.

What is your proudest career accomplishment so far?

ZS: One of my proudest accomplishments is preserving the right to jury trials in eviction proceedings in a case I argued before the Missouri Supreme Court. The case began when I was practicing in St. Louis, and I lost at the trial level after the court denied my client's request for a jury trial. After I started teaching in Oklahoma, I continued to participate in the appeals process. I returned to present oral argument before the Missouri Supreme Court, where a unanimous court remanded with instructions to allow trial by jury.

It was an important win because eviction proceedings can have life-changing consequences. The right to a jury trial gives people a meaningful opportunity to be heard before losing their home.

Can you share more about your work as an Army Reserve officer?

ZS: I serve in the Army Reserve as a Civil Affairs officer, which means working at the intersection of military operations and civilian communities. In practical terms, Civil Affairs helps military leaders understand the civilian environment around them: local governments, public institutions, infrastructure, community needs, and the relationships that shape whether a mission succeeds. Some of that work is about connecting military operations with civilian communities and institutions. My work has often drawn on my civilian professional experience to analyze how legal systems affect stability and civilian life.

That experience has influenced how I think about legal education. Civil Affairs work often requires making sense of unfamiliar systems by listening carefully to people with very different perspectives. It also requires translating complicated information into something useful for decision-makers. Those habits carry over directly into legal writing. Lawyers also have to understand systems and work across institutional and cultural boundaries to communicate clearly about complicated situations.

How has the widespread uptake of AI in the legal profession impacted your work teaching legal writing?

ZS: Generative AI has made legal writing more important, not less. It can generate text quickly, summarize information, and help with certain parts of the drafting process. But it can't replace a lawyer's professional responsibility. Students still need to read carefully and verify that the work is legally grounded and useful to the client.

Storytelling may become even more important in the AI age. As more technical tasks become easier to automate, human skills like communication and empathy become more valuable. Storytelling matters because it is how we make information meaningful to other people.

That connects directly to legal writing. Lawyers don't just produce documents. They explain what happened, why it matters, and what should happen next. Whether students are writing a memo or a motion, they still have to make careful choices based on the reader’s needs. So I teach AI as a tool. The goal is to communicate with purpose rather than simply to produce more words faster.

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ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, Faculty & Staff Activities

Emily Battaglia — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:27:39 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, Faculty & Staff Activities Emily Battaglia Tue, 06/23/2026 - 13:27

Faculty Publications

Sarah Matsumoto (with Laurie Jamile Beyranevand, et al.), Blue Sky Thinking in a Red Sky World, 56 Env't L. Rep. 10251 (May 2026)(Matsumoto authored section VIII. "MAHA and Ingroups of the New Right").

Prof. Emeritus Richard Collins, Advocacy Matters, 14 Am. Indian L. J. 306 (2026).

Media Mentions

[Chris Winter, GWC], Caroline Llanes, The Colorado River is at a Tipping Point, as States, Feds, Look for a Way Forward, Aspen Public Radio (June 9, 2026).

Bobby Magill, Trump's Fishing Proclamation Tests His Antiquities Acts Powers, Bloomberg Law (June 12, 2026).

[Mark Squillace], Christine Peterson, Do Chain Saws Belong in Designated Wilderness?, High Country News (June 15, 2026).

Bobby Magill, Alaska Arctic Oil Leases Challenged by Litigation, Low Interest, Bloomberg Law (June 9, 2026).

[Doug Spencer], John Aguilar, In Colorado Attorney General's Race, Jena Griswold's Experience and Prominence Have Made Her a Target, Denver Post (June 4, 2026).

John Sharp, Inconsistent: Supreme Court Ignores its Own 20-Year-Old Rule in Alabama Redistricting Case, AL.com (June 7, 2026)(featured in Election Law Blog).

John Aguilar, Who's Running for Colorado Attorney General? A Look at the Democratic and Republican Primary Candidates, Denver Post (June 12, 2026).

[Wadie Said], Sarah Matusek, Terrorism Related Charges are a New Tool to Pursue Illegal Arms Flow to Mexico, Christian Science Monitor (June 9, 2026).

[Blake Reid], Louise Newstead, Fast-Tracked Separation of Powers Bill Meets Mixed Response, World Trademark Review (June 11, 2026).

[Ann Lipton], Jarek Rutz, WWE Merger Trial to Test McMahon's Grip on Sale Process, Law360 (June 5, 2026).

Drew Hutchinson, Shareholders Oppose Anthropic, OpenAI Following SpaceX to Texas, Bloomberg Law (June 10, 2026).

SpaceX IPO Limits Investors' Rights: Legal Expert, Bloomberg (June 11, 2026)(video interview)

John Kilhefner, SpaceX IPO: The Grok Failure That Made Anthropic's $15 Billion Deal Possible, MarketWise (June 12, 2026).

Max Chafkin, SpaceX IPO Shows Wall Street Still Can't Get Enough of Elon Musk, Bloomberg Law (June 13, 2026).

Mike Littwin, One Question Newly Minted Trillionaire Elon Musk Can't Answer: How Much is Too Much?, Colorado Sun (June 14, 2026).

Martina Barash, Supreme Court Ruling Leaves Closed-End Funds in Calmer Waters, Bloomberg Law (June 15, 2026).

Michael Hiltzik, Small Investors Have Powered SpaceX Higher, But They'll Shoulder Much of the Risk When Reality Bites, Los Angeles Times (June 16, 2026).

Michael Steinberger, Elon Musk's Feud With Delaware May Transform Corporate America, NY Times (June 17, 2026).

Tom Carter, Better Off Together? Investors Weigh a Potential SpaceX-Tesla Merger, Business Insider (June 18, 2026).

[Dean Inniss], Christine Charnosky, Law Deans Stand Up For Protecting the Rule of Law in the Legal Profession, Law.com (June 8, 2026).

Julianne Hill, 88 Law School Deans Unite to Support Professional Independence, ABA Law Journal (June 4, 2026).

[Getches-Wilkinson Center Conference & Reports], The Colorado River is in Crisis- These Experts Met to Discuss What's Next, KGNU Morning Magazine (June 11, 2026).

Heather Sackett, Feds Say New Colorado River Plan Will Be Short-Term, Aspen Journalism (June 5, 2026).

Scott Franz, It's Not All Doom and Gloom, and 4 Other Things We Learned at 91��ý's Colorado River Gathering, KUNC (June 5, 2026).

Ben Winslow, The Feds Make an Offer to States on the Colorado River, Fox13 (June 5, 2026).

Brandon Loomis, Colorado River States Suggest Mediation as Water Supplies Crisis Looms, Arizona Republic (June 6, 2026).

Ishan Thakore, Colorado and Nevada Negotiators Throw Cold Water on Parts of Federal Plan to Manage Colorado River, CPR (June 5, 2026).

Ben Winslow, Colorado River Basin Sliding Toward System-Wide Crash, New Study Warns, KSTU (June 4, 2026).

Marianne Goodland, The Hidden Story Behind Lake Powell's Low Water Levels Reveals a Canyon Coming Back to Life, Denver Gazette (June 4, 2026).

Faculty & Staff Activities

Paige Wilson & Matt Schmit, Startup Variety Show, Silicon Flatirons Center (June 16, 2026).

Mark Squillace, "National Monuments, Public Lands, & Presidential Power," Lawyer2Lawyer podcast (June 5, 2026).

[Nadav Orian Peer & Rabea Benhalim], Tenure List: June 2026, CU Connections (June 11, 2026).

[Amanda Parsons], Conor Clarke, Junior Tax 2026 Concludes at Seattle University, TaxProf Blog (June 16, 2026)(presenting "Taxing the Oligarchs").

[Doug Kenney, GWC], Allen Best, Behind the Curtain Politics of a Colorado River Conference, Big Pivots (June 7, 2026).

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog posts available here.

Closed-End Funds at the US Supreme Court (June 18, 2026), Shareholder Primacy (with Mike Levin, Apple podcasts link).

[Dean Inniss], University of Colorado Law Dean Inniss Says What Courts Leave Unsaid Has Meaning Consequences, University of Houston Law Center (June 15, 2026)(coverage of colloquium presentation on “Race, Silence, and Selective Law: Madison Jeffers and the Architecture of United States Legal Silence").

Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money, blog posts available here.

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Michael Smith Earns Outstanding OUTLaw Student Award

Kellen Wilson — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 16:38:15 +0000

Michael Smith Earns Outstanding OUTLaw Student Award Kellen Wilson Mon, 06/22/2026 - 10:38

OUTLaw President Caleb Kirk, left, presents the award to Michael Smith.

Now he’s making his own contributions in Colorado as a 2026 law school graduate and recipient of the Outstanding OUTLaw Student Award.

OUTLaw provides professional, social and academic support for LGBTQ+ law students and allies while uplifting, celebrating and protecting diverse identities in the legal field.

Smith said winning the award, presented by club President Caleb Kirk in April 2026, was an emotional moment.

“The LGBTQ+ legal community in Colorado and at CU Law is something truly special,” he said. “OUTLaw is one of the biggest clubs on campus, and the sense of pride I felt at CU was unlike anything I experienced at any other school. I just hope I can do all my fellow OUTLaws proud in my legal career.”

As we recognize Pride Month in June, learn more about Michael, his path to law school and his advice for students:

Can you tell us more about your experience prior to law school?

My journey to law school was unique and difficult. I graduated with a degree in political science in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and, with few professional opportunities available, spent two years working in the service industry, flipping hamburgers and scrubbing fryers, while studying for the LSAT and searching for political jobs.

That experience left me deeply committed to two things in my future career: (1) advocating for and improving our democratic electoral systems at the local, state, and federal levels, and (2) mentorship, particularly for individuals who have to take a gap year before law school. (Shoutout to the Colorado LGBTQ+ Bar Association's mentorship program!)

Why did you decide to get involved with OUTLaw as a student, and what did you enjoy most?

I have always been somewhat closeted about my bisexuality and queerness prior to law school. The ability to unashamedly show up every day was something new. I'm never going back. OUTLaw made that possible.

What will you miss most about Colorado Law?

The people. Full stop. Law school is hard — there is really no way around it — but the people are what make it so enjoyable and meaningful. The professors and peers I've met here are lifelong connections that will stay with me throughout my career and beyond.

Now that you’ve graduated, what’s next?

First things first: taking and passing the bar (fingers crossed)! After that, I will be clerking at the Denver District Court and Colorado Court of Appeals.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your time at Colorado Law?

Take every class you possibly can with Professor Scott Skinner-Thompson. His scholarship and courses center largely on LGBTQ+ topics, and he brings a rare combination of thoughtfulness and humor to everything he does. He always made me feel comfortable being fully "me" at CU Law.

Michael Smith (’26) grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but he says generations of family ties to Colorado drew him back for “an elite legal education while continuing my family’s contribution to this great state.” Now he’s making his own contributions in Colorado as a 2026 law school graduate and recipient of the Outstanding OUTLaw Student Award.

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Prof. Sarah Matsumoto Presents Research at Pan-Pacific Sustainability Scholars Workshop

Emily Battaglia — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:45:44 +0000

Prof. Sarah Matsumoto Presents Research at Pan-Pacific Sustainability Scholars Workshop Emily Battaglia Tue, 06/02/2026 - 10:45

From, May 4-5, Professor Sarah Matsumoto, Director of the Getches-Green Natural 91��ý, Energy, and Environmental Law Clinic attended the second annual Pan-Pacific sustainability Scholars workshop held at The University of Sydney Law School in Sydney, Australia. While there, Matsumoto had the opportunity to present an early draft of her paper examining the concept of "just transition" and state efforts to facilitate that transition.

“In the context of climate change policy and shifting to more renewable and sustainable forms of energy, a "just transition" is one that is fair, inclusive, and seeks to ensure that workers and communities who will be most affected by the shift are not left behind,” Matsumoto explained. “For example, towns whose economies heavily depended on coal mining or coal-fired power generation will be significantly impacted by closing mines and decommissioning those plants, so having a long-term transition plan in place that includes new economic opportunities for workers will be critical.”

Matsumoto shared that a handful of states already have dedicated offices or agencies aimed at supporting a just transition—Colorado being one of the first in the country. Her paper compares the current state offices/agencies and examines their various functions. In addition, it explores how these offices might be impacted by the federal government's stated goal of "energy dominance" and recent orders to keep coal plants operational even when they've been slated to retire.

Some of the fews Professor Matsumoto enjoyed during her time in Australia.

“I am very grateful for the feedback and suggestions I received [for my paper],” Matsumoto said. “Other attendees offered ideas of articles and literature I might read and include in the paper, or ways to organize or frame my arguments that could make the paper more compelling.”

Not only did they provide vital feedback to fellow scholars, workshop attendees shared research about projects in Australia, Japan, Pakistan, China, New Zealand, and the Philippines, among other countries, offering innovative, practical, and inspiring ideas for those at the event. One major takeaway Matsumoto shared was that while the scope of a problem like climate change is large, it creates opportunities for interdisciplinary work and creative thinking across many fields.

Beyond the conference itself, Matsumoto’s time in Australia was rich with culture and nature. Highlights included an Indigenous-led tour of a local island exploring Gadigal traditions, runs through the Royal Botanical Garden, and a play and film at the Sydney Opera House. She was even able to partake in an introductory dive at the Great Barrier Reef, an experience that served as a firsthand reminder of exactly what is at stake in the work she and her fellow scholars are dedicated to protecting.

Professor Sarah Matsumoto, Director of the Getches-Green Natural 91��ý, Energy, and Environmental Law Clinic attended the second annual Pan-Pacific sustainability Scholars workshop held at The University of Sydney Law School in Sydney, Australia. While there, Matsumoto had the opportunity to present an early draft of her paper examining the concept of "just transition" and state efforts to facilitate that transition.

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