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A new endowment honoring Ruth Wright (’72) will help to bring some of the nation’s leading environmental law experts to the �Թ��� of Colorado Law School community for years to come. Thanks to a generous gift from the Wright Family Foundation to the (GWC), the newly renamed Ruth Wright Distinguished Lecture in Natural Resources will welcome a distinguished figure in the field of natural resource, energy, and environmental law and policy to Colorado Law each year.

Lisa Heinzerling, the Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Professor of Law at the Georgetown �Թ��� Law Center, will deliver the inaugural lecture Nov. 9, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. Heinzerling is a nationally renowned environmental lawyer who held a high-level position at the Environmental Protection Agency and has been a visiting professor at Harvard, Vermont, and Yale law schools. She will speak on "Cost-Nothing Analysis: Environmental Economics in the Age of Trump." The event is free and open to the public but is required. A reception will follow the lecture for registered guests.

"We are thrilled to be able to honor Ruth Wright’s inspiring legacy as a leader in Western natural resources, land conservation, and environmental policy and advocacy," said Alice Madden (’89), executive director of the GWC. "This endowment will allow us to continue to bring some of the best environmental minds to Colorado Law for free lectures addressing critical emerging issues."

As a legislator, environmentalist, and historian, Wright dedicated her career to environmental issues and activism. While a student at Colorado Law, she led efforts to preserve Boulder's open space and limit the height of buildings in Boulder to 55 feet to protect enjoyment of the unique landscape for the ages. In 1980, she was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives, where she represented Boulder until 1994. She was also the second woman ever to become the House minority leader, a role she held from 1986 until 1992. While serving in the House of Representatives, Wright continued to be a strategic champion for the environment, and has been recognized by such groups as the Colorado Wildlife Foundation, the ACLU, the Sierra Club, and Colorado Open Lands.

Since 2014, the GWC distinguished lecture series has brought experts to Colorado Law to speak on a range of issues from public lands to watershed sustainability to climate litigation. Previous speakers include Michael Connor (‘93), former deputy secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior; Bruce Babbitt, former secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior; and Bill Hedden, executive director, Grand Canyon Trust. The series was established in partnership with the Colorado Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Review and speakers will work with the journal’s editors to publish a related article following the lecture.

To learn more about giving to Colorado Law, please contact Assistant Dean for Advancement Jessica Helzer at jessica.helzer@colorado.edu.