Spencer Fane attorney John Watson outlines a first-of-its-kind climate change trial in Montana where First Judicial District Court Judge Kathy Seeley declared two provisions of Montana’s statutes were unconstitutional and permanently enjoined them in a recent Law Week Colorado article.
In his article, Implications in Colorado of the Climate Change Decision in Held v. Montana: The Constitutional Right to a Clean and Healthful Environment, John describes the Montana case’s overall impact, specifically in Colorado.
“For Colorado, we need go no further than the recent Colorado Supreme Court’s decision in State v. Hill to identify the major hurdle a climate change plaintiff would face here. Although not a climate change case, per se, the court in Hill did not consider many of the briefs from the parties as well as from a host of amici that based their arguments on the Public Trust Doctrine.”
At Spencer Fane, John leverages his in-depth commercial trial and litigation knowledge to understand clients’ needs and goals and serves as a formidable advocate on their behalf. As both a defense trial attorney and counselor, John represents clients in a variety of complex commercial cases, including public land and natural resources law, mining, oil and gas, wildlife, toxic tort, Superfund, and air, water, and environmental waste cases.
Read the full article here, and John’s blog coverage of Held v. Montana here, here, and here. Please note, a subscription may be required for the Law Week Colorado article.
