David F. Jankowski
Retired Partner
David Jankowski had a long and enjoyable career in the practice of water rights, water quality and regulatory permitting law in Colorado and other western states since his graduation from Cornell Law School in 1974. Now retired, during his nearly 45-year career, Dave represented a wide range of public and private clients including state, regional and municipal governments, private corporations, not-for-profit entities, agricultural interests and citizens groups. A memorable highlight of his practice is his participation as one of Wyoming’s lawyers in the United States Supreme Court appeal in Wyoming v. United States.
Dave is a past member and chair of the board of directors of the Legal Aid Foundation of Colorado, Inc., a private not-for-profit corporation which develops funding for legal services programs in Colorado and is of the board of directors of the Colorado Water Trust, a private not-for-profit organization that works to improve and protect flows in Colorado’s rivers. Dave has been included in The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of water law, and has been recognized in Colorado Super Lawyers®. He also earned AV Preeminent® ratings from Martindale-Hubbell®.
Bar Admissions (inactive):
- Colorado, 1974
- United States District Court, District of Colorado, 1974
- United States Supreme Court, 1989
Education:
- Cornell Law School, Ithaca, New York, 1974
– J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence - Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, 1970
– B.A., Bachelor of Arts
Published Works:
- The 1969 Act’s Contributions to Local Government Water Suppliers, 3 U. Denv. Water L. Rev. 20 (1999)
- City of Thornton v. Bijou Irrigation Co.: The Thornton Northern Project, 26 Colo. Law. 67 (1997)
- Annual Survey of Colorado Law, Water Law Chapter at 277, CLE in Colorado, Inc. (1981)
- Annual Survey of Colorado Law, Water Law Chapter at 299, CLE in Colorado, Inc. (1980)
- Annual Survey of Colorado Law, Water Law Chapter at 281, CLE in Colorado, Inc. (1979)
- Review and Analysis of Grand County, Colorado, Land Use Laws Related to Water Quality Protection, USEPA (Jan. 1977)
Representative Cases:
- Well Augmentation Subdistrict of Central Colorado Water Conservancy District v. City of Aurora, 221 P3d 399 (Colo. 2009)
- City of Sterling v. Sterling Irrigation Co., 42 P.3d 72 (Colo. App. 2002)
- Chatfield E. Well Co., Ltd v. Chatfield East Prop. Owners Ass’n, 956 P.2d 1260 (Colo. 1998)
- City of Thornton v. Bijou Irrigation Co., 926 P.2d 1 (Colo. 1996)
- Wyoming v. United States, 492 U.S. 406 (1989)
- In re Gen. Adjudication of Big Horn River Sys., 753 P.2d 76 (Wyo. 1988)
- Telluride Co. v. Div. Eng’r, 575 P.2d 1297 (Colo. 1978)
Representative Clients:
- CAM – Colorado LLC
- City of Sterling, Colorado
- City of Thornton, Colorado
- Pass Creek Ranch
- Trail’s End Ranch, L.L.C.
- Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.
Classes & Seminars Taught:
- Water Right Evaluations, CLE Int’l, Denver, Colo. (Aug. 11, 1998)
- Summary of Colorado Water Law and Practice, a chapter in CLE in Colorado, Inc., Water Law for the Real Estate Practitioner, Paper delivered (Oct. 30, 1986)
- Survey of Colorado Water Law, a chapter in CLE in Colorado, Inc., Paper delivered (Nov. 18, 1978 & Dec. 8, 1978)
- Practice in the Water Court, a chapter in CLE in Colorado, Inc., Paper delivered (Nov. 18, 1978 & Dec. 8, 1978)
- Practice Before the Ground Water Commission, a chapter in CLE in Colorado, Inc., Paper delivered (Nov. 18, 1978 & Dec. 8, 1978)
- Federal and Indian Reserved Water Rights, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Billings, Mont., Davis, Cal. (Feb. 1978)
- Local Flood Control Regulation, Colorado Municipal League (Dec. 26, 1977)
Professional Associations, Memberships & Honors:
- American Bar Association, Natural Resources Section
- Best Lawyers®, Water Law, 2006–19
- Colorado Bar Association, Water Law Section, Environmental Law Section
- Colorado Water Congress
- Colorado Water Trust, Director
- Denver Bar Association
- Legal Aid Foundation of Colorado
– Member, Board of Trustees, 1997–2003 - Martindale-Hubbell®, AV Preeminent® Ratings
- Super Lawyers®, 2006–11