P. Andrew Jones | Attorney

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Skills and Services

Legal Advocacy

Mr. Jones is an experienced legal advocate.  His litigation practice concentrates on water rights issues, with particular emphasis on groundwater matters and legal issues arising out of the interaction between surface and ground water systems. A graduate of Vermont Law School, one of the nation's leading environmental law schools, he has extensive experience representing water districts, individuals, and corporate clients in litigation at trial and appellate levels in cases ranging in size from individual water rights matters to complex, basin-wide, multi-party litigation.  In the water court context, he has 12 years experience adjudicating augmentation plan applications, change of water rights applications, applications for absolute and conditional water rights, and applications for findings of diligence.  His experience extends to legislative, administrative, and policy forums, where he represents clients' interests in the development of water law and policy. 

Mediation, Facilitation and Problem Solving
 
A trained mediator, Mr. Jones’ offers mediation, facilitation and problem solving services to individuals and organizations seeking a collaborative approach to conflict resolution.  His experience in complex, technical, multi-party litigation and negotiation enhances his ability to facilitate creative, value added solutions in natural resources, environmental and land use settings.

Training Services

Mr. Jones teaches classes on water rights issues in public and private forums, and is a frequently requested guest speaker.  His first book, Colorado Water Law for Non-Lawyers, written in cooperation with Thomas V. Cech, was published in 2009 by the University Press of Colorado.  Mr. Jones is available as a speaker for events.  In addition, he offers in-house ½ day to 3 day “Colorado Water Law for Non-Lawyers” seminars to institutional clients. 

Substantive Areas of Practice:

Water Rights
Real Estate
Appellate Practice
Special Districts and Mutual Water Organizations
Mediation and Facilitation

Qualifications

Bar Admissions:

Colorado, 1997
U.S. District Court District of Colorado, 1997

Education:

Colorado CLE 40 Hour Mediation Training
Instructor: Judy Mares-Dixon

Public Policy Dispute Resolution
CDR, Boulder

Vermont Law School, South Royalton, Vermont, May, 1997
Juris Doctor
Honors: National Dean's List: 1994-95, 1995-96
Honors: American Jurisprudence Award: Criminal Law
Honors: Class Rank: Top 1/3. Focus of Specialized Course Work: Environmental Law
Law Review: Vermont Law Review, Notes Editor

University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Denver, Colorado
Visiting Student Spring 1996 - Focus Water Law, Oil & Gas Law

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, May, 1994
B.A.  Major:  History

Appointments and Awards

Nominated for District Court Judge vacancy, 19th Judicial District. June, 2009. 
 
Water Court Committee, Colorado Supreme Court, December 2007- .   Appointed by Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary J. Mullarkey to serve on a Committee charged with reviewing Colorado's Water Court process, identifying possible ways through rule and/or statutory change to achieve efficiencies in water court cases, and ensuring the highest level of competence in water court case participants.

Andrew Borg Pro-Bono Award, Weld County Legal Services, 2002.

Weld County Deputy Public Administrator, 2000-2003.

Publications:

Colorado Water Law for Non-Lawyers, University Press of Colorado, 2009.

Statutory and Rule Changes to Water Court Practice, co-authored with James Witwer, Colorado Lawyer, June 2009.

Water Court Case Management, co-authored with James Witwer, in Colorado Water Law Benchbook, Continuing Legal Education in Colorado, Inc., 2009. 

Interstate Testimony by Child Protective Agency Workers in the Child Custody Context, 21 VT.L.Rev. 633, 1996

Representative Appellate Cases:
 
Eagle Peak Farms, Ltd. v. Lost Creek Ground Water Management District, 7 P.3d 1006 (Colo. App. 1999).

Upper Black Squirrel Creek Ground Water Management District v. Goss, 993 P.2d 1177 (Colo. 2000).

In re Water Rights of Central Colorado Water Conservancy District, 147 P.3d 9 (Colo. 2006)

Cherokee Metropolitan District v. Simpson, 148 P.3d 142 (Colo. 2006).

Gallegos v. Colorado Ground Water Commission, 147 P.3d 30 (Colo. 2006).

Well Augmentation Subdistrict of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District v. City of Aurora, 2009 WL 4023056 (Colo. 2009).

Representative Clients:
 
Central Colorado Water Conservancy District
Lost Creek Designated Ground Water Management District
Legal Consultant, Practical Alternative Agricultural Water Transfers (Colorado Water Conservation Board Funded Study)
PVIC Augmentation Group, LLC
Camfield Water Users Association
Farmers Independent Ditch Company
Western Mutual Ditch Company
 
Professional Associations, Boards and Memberships:

Colorado Bar Association
Weld County Bar Association
Windsor Charter Academy, Windsor, Colorado: Former President, Board of Directors
Southgate Church, Board of Directors
Weld County Legal Services, Board of Directors

Classes, Seminars and Presentations:

"Law Hydrology, and Reality" AIMS Community College, Greely, Colorado; 2005 to 2008

"Well Augmentation Subdistrict Augmentation Plan Trial" Colorado Bar Association CLE; 2008

Guest Lecturer: Colorado State University; University of Northern Colorado, Colorado Ground Water Association

“The Nuts and Bolts of Complex Augmentation Plans,”  2009 Steamboat CLE Conference, June 2009 (co-presenter). 

“Colorado Water Law for Non-Lawyers,”  Weld County Bar Association Nuts and Bolts Seminar, December 2009 (co-presenter). 

“Birds, Farms and Cities: Strategies for Success: A Dynamic Partnership in Alternative Agricultural Transfer Methods. Practical Guidance for Alternative Water Transfers- Report from the Field,”  Colorado Water Congress Convention, January 2010 (co-presenter).