Summary by Jane Thompson: In this speech, David Getches notes that when he travels the land on behalf of CU Law, Nort Steuben is often the first faculty member inquired of by alums. He recounts Nort's work for the OECD in the Ukraine when it became a republic. Also, there is a great story David tells about David coming to Boulder on a "reconnaissance trip" 35 years ago, looking for a place to set up an office for the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), and Nort encouraging an association with CU Law. Nort invited David to his home, they sipped lemonade, and Nort "gave time, and showed interest in an idea, and a person, he had no reason to embrace, except that it seemed right to him."
Article reprinted in the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Journal, Vol. 42, No. 2 (2005). Originally published in the Winter, 2004 issue of Environmental Law.
In this article, Dean Getches examines the nature of international law as it relates to indigenous water rights and evaluates the kinds of claims that native peoples might assert when they are deprived of access to water. Around the world, indigenous peoples have experienced depletion or pollution of their traditional water sources caused by the uses made by dominant, non-native societies. As a result, native peoples' ability to perform water-dependent vocations like farming and fishing, and to perpetuate cultures and spiritual practices requiring water is limited. While a few countries recognize water rights of indigenous peoples in their domestic laws, the author focuses on the potential for asserting claims under international law, the primary source of protection where domestic law is lacking or non-existent. In a thorough assessment of the sources of law and types of water rights claims that can be made under international law, the author identifies six types of rights that exemplify ways in which claims can be framed and the various international law instruments and norms that can serve as the basis for those claims. However, because these claims are large and complex in nature, the assistance of lawyers and experts in international law is vital to efforts to advance the development of international law as an instrument for protecting indigenous water rights.
Year
2005
Type
Publications
Publisher
University Press of Colorado for The Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law
Summary by Jane Thompson: This is the text of David Getches' remarks at the dedication of the new Wolf Law Building on September 8, 2006, when American Bar Association (ABA) President Karen Mathis, University of Colorado President Hank Brown, and United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer were honored guests and speakers. He talks about the "damn hard work" it took to get to this day: faith, commitment, perseverance, risk-taking, generosity, and civic engagement. There are many historical facts recounted and names dropped in this speech, and he also announces the launch of the DeMuth Chair. Part of the text of his remarks was reproduced in the program that was distributed at the event, and the portion as it appears in the printed program is titled: The journey of the CU Law School: a study in civic engagement.
Article published in the September, 2006 issue of The Colorado Lawyer to coincide with the completion and dedication of the new Wolf Law Building at CU.
Co-authored by Deans David H. Getches (CU Law) and José Roberto (Beto) Juárez, Jr. (DU Law). Article published in the July, 2007 issue of The Colorado Lawyer.
Summary by Jane Thompson: In this introduction, David Getches discusses the intersection of Indians and natural resources law and the relationship of Indians to the natural world.
Summary by Jane Thompson: David Getches introduces Erwin Chemerinsky as the 50th Annual Coen Lecturer in 2007. This speech exudes so much admiration for Chemerinsky's ethics and professional accomplishments; it's quite a tribute. Especially memorable is the part where David recounts that Chemerinsky's wife, Prof. Catherine Fisk, says of her husband's career that "he would give it all up to play shortstop for the Cubs."
Summary by Jane Thompson: David Getches starts his remarks by sharing interesting facts about the entering class, but he concludes by talking about the legal profession and its ideals.
Remarks made by David Getches as he thanks and introduces John and Nancy Wittemyer during the dedication ceremony for the Wittemyer courtroom in the University of Colorado's new Wolf Law Building, held on Friday April 13, 2007.
Summary by Jane Thompson: David Getches starts his remarks by sharing interesting facts about the entering class, but he concludes by talking about the legal profession and its ideals.
Getches announces Colorado Law's new Schaden Chair in Experiential Learning and explores how the law school is "refining its approach to teaching practical and professional skills" and encouraging integration of experiential techniques in doctrinal courses.
Summary by Jane Thompson: This is one of the longest speeches of David Getches available in the archives. It is a richer version of his student welcomes in 2010 and 2011. He starts by sharing interesting facts about the entering class, but he concludes by talking about the legal profession and its ideals. The "timeless values" he extols are: integrity, service, equal access to justice, and the rule of law. Regarding the latter, he reminds the listener that the struggle for the rule of law is not limited to developing countries, and he goes on to talk about torture, preventive detention, Guantanamo, and threats to the independence of the judiciary in the US. He concludes by commenting, "I say with confidence that this is a room full of trusted representatives, judges, political and community leaders, solvers of a generation of problems not yet imagined." It is a more formal and deliberate speech than others available in the archives, and could be termed a "legacy" speech. At the end of the text, it lists some of the sources for his remarks.
Summary by Jane Thompson: This is David Getches' introduction to the December 2010 Silicon Flatirons Center conference on Privacy and the Press: Snoops, Secrets, and Ethics in the New Media Landscape, which was organized by Paul Ohm. The "coup" of this conference was that it just happened to occur directly on the heels of the major Wikileaks disclosure of State Department communications, and David references that event, along with the law school's experience with "flatly erroneous employment statistics posted on a blog which did its harm when it was in turn picked up by traditional media, and corrections were ineffectual." He also poses a lot of questions about whether publicizing personal information crosses lines of legality, ethics, or just plain decency. This is one of his longer conference introductions, and it has a great ending: "And remember: all you say here is being streamed and recorded. Of course."
