Earlier this month, the American Bar Association鈥檚 Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources recognized the Acequia Assistance Project with the 2022 Distinguished Achievement Award in Environmental Law and Policy during an online awards presentation.
The award recognizes individuals or organizations who have distinguished themselves in environmental law and policy, contributing significant leadership in improving the substance, process or understanding of environmental protection and sustainable development.
(Pictured: Director Gregor MacGregor with Student Deputy Directors Ellen Beckert, Cameron Abatti, Mary Slosson, Jackson Dunivan, and Oliver Skelly. Not Pictured: Student Deputy Director Grace Jimenez.)
鈥淚t is an incredible honor to accept the award on behalf of the hundreds of students, dozens of supervising attorneys, and many community partners who have advanced environmental justice for 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 acequias over the past decade,鈥� remarked Gregor MacGregor, faculty fellow at the University of 欧美口爆视频 Law School and director of the Acequia Assistance Project. 鈥淢y special thanks to Professor Sarah Krakoff, Peter Nichols 鈥�01, and Sarah Parmar for launching the Project. A further thank-you to alumnus Don Brown 鈥�89 and the University鈥檚 Outreach Office, whose generous funding allows us to support 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 acequias and the professional growth of our students. And finally, my sincerest gratitude goes out to the acequia members who continue to invite us to work and learn in their beautiful community. The Deputy Directors and I are honored to continue the Project鈥檚 work on behalf of our community partners and students. Thank you.鈥�
The is an environmental justice program at the University of 欧美口爆视频 Law School that provides pro bono legal services to southern 欧美口爆视频's Hispanic agricultural community. For the last ten years, law students, faculty, and pro bono attorneys have helped these irrigation ditches, acequias, to realize their water rights after the Acequia Recognition Act remedied 120 years of exclusion from 欧美口爆视频's water law regime.聽
Acequia is an Arabic word that means 鈥渨ater bearer.鈥� An acequia is a physical irrigation system but the term 鈥渁cequia鈥� in northern New Mexico and southern 欧美口爆视频 also describes a philosophy about water and community鈥� that water is so essential to life that it is a communal resource, one which must be shared. Acequias are found along the southernmost part of 欧美口爆视频 鈥� including four of the state鈥檚 poorest counties: Costilla, Conejos, Huerfano, and Las Animas. While water is wealth throughout the arid West, to the small-scale farmer in these traditional communities the acequia culture represents even more: Acequias are how you support your family and how you participate in your community.
Founded as a passion project by Professor Sarah Krakoff, 欧美口爆视频 Law alumnus water attorney Peter Nichols 鈥�01, and 欧美口爆视频 Open Lands' Sarah Parmar, the Project provides Hispanic farmers with a full suite of legal services related to their water rights, including: representation in 欧美口爆视频's Water Courts; researching legal issues pertinent to the community as a whole; title research; bylaws drafting and amending; mediation; incorporation; water rights historic use collection; and drafting water rights purchase and sale agreements.聽
For the 2021-2022 school year, the Project included 42 students, 5 pro bono attorneys, and 15 cases. In 2019, the last full year pre-COVID, the Project provided nearly $300,000 of legal services with an operating budget of only $8,000 from the University's Outreach funding. Funding covers the costs of student travel, filing fees, and other incidental costs. All attorney and student participation is entirely voluntary.
鈥淚 could not be more proud to see the Acequia Project's many years of dedicated efforts recognized in such a profound way,鈥� commented dean of the law school Lolita Buckner Inniss. 鈥淭he students, alumni, faculty, and community partners鈥� dedication to promoting these communities' access to the courts and effective management of resources is inspiring. Its role in instilling a commitment to environmental justice in hundreds of 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 best and brightest future attorneys is truly invaluable.鈥�
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