At its February Spring Technical Seminar, the Oregon Ground Water Association celebrated 70 years as an Association. Laura Schroeder and Tara Jackson helped the Association celebrate its many years of successful advocacy to promote sustainable ground water development and management.

The anniversary banquet featured stories from patriarchs of the industry, complimented by a slide show of photos to jog memories even further. Scrap books were also on hand memorializing past events and Association members had a great time thumbing through the books.

It is Schroeder Law Offices’ pleasure to be a member of the Oregon Ground Water Association. The Association represents generations of family businesses that have provided access to groundwater for homes, farms, and businesses. The Association is actively engaged in the State legislative and rule making process and through the Association its small business members have a big voice at the State Capital.

Thank you Oregon Ground Water Association for 70 years of advocating for your members by informing our legislature and State agencies about the real world consequences of laws and polices!

Visit OGWA’s website for more information about the Association

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One of the greatest luxuries we are afforded in the Pacific Northwest is the abundance of natural areas to explore. Oregon’s landscape provides us with easy access to mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, and, of course, the Oregon Coast. Unfortunately, as anyone who has spent time in these regions can attest, where people go, debris follows. Some of the litter is left intentionally, like cigarette butts ground into the sand or food wrappers thrown out of the window of a moving car. Some accidentally works its way out of pockets or backpacks and gets left behind on the trail. Either way, we can all agree that nothing breaks the tranquility of time spent in the great outdoors than seeing a soda bottle or old receipt laying on the ground.

Another great thing about the Northwest, though, is that we care enough to do something about it. Organizations across the state work to bring people together to clean up their communities and public lands to ensure that everyone is able to fully enjoy them. One of the major statewide organizations is SOLVE. Since 1969, SOLVE has organized volunteers from all over the state of Oregon to remove litter and invasive species from natural spaces through a variety of events hosted throughout the year.

Last Saturday, March 24, 2018, SOLVE held its annual beach cleanup and, according to its website, removed over 15,000 pounds of garbage up and down the Oregon coast. Schroeder Law Offices’ paralegal, Rachelq Harman participated in Manzanita, Oregon, where an impressive turnout of locals and out-of-towners alike gathered to clean up the beach.

 Participating in the beach cleanup and seeing how much trash lingers even when a concerted effort is being put in has inspired Rachelq to seek out more opportunities to help clean up and maintain our beautiful state. While you certainly don’t need a group or event to get out and do some good, SOLVE keeps a list of upcoming opportunities posted on its website that anyone can take part in, though some do require preregistration.

April is Earth Month, and one of SOLVE’s biggest events, SOLVE IT for Earth Day, is coming up on April 21, 2018. Events will be held throughout western Oregon and southwest Washington. For details about specific meetups, you can check out the list here.

Stay tuned to Schroeder Law Offices’ Water Law Blog for more news and events!

On Thursday March 15, 2018, Schroeder Law Offices’ Portland office hosted first year law students for an annual “1L” (first year law student) reception, to learn more about our office and our water law practice. The students met with each attorney, Sarah Liljefelt, Laura Schroeder, and Lindsay Thane to learn about each of their practices at SLO. Next, Schroeder Law held a social gathering that allowed the law students to meet with the entire office.

The 1L reception program allows first year law students to tour multiple law firms, learn more about what each firm does, and begin to think about their career goals after law school. It also provides a “foot in the door” with potential employers for summer law clerk positions and eventual associate positions.

If you or someone you know is looking for a summer law clerk position and is currently a 2L or 3L student, Schroeder Law Offices’ Portland office is currently hiring. Click here to learn more.

As the 2018 irrigation season approaches, and on this eve of March 1^st, please remember to review your water use right permit and certificate documents to remind yourself of any measurements you are required to take!

Many water use permits and certificates require you to track your water use each month and then report your monthly use annually to the Oregon Water Resources Department. For more information about recording and tracking your monthly water use, please visit the Department’s Water Use Reporting page.

Many groundwater use permits and certificates require that a qualified individual record and report the water level in each well under the permit or certificate. This measurement is often referred to as a “static” water measurement. Typically, the measurement must be taken in March and reported within 30 days after it is taken, however you should review your permit or certificate closely to determine if you are required to report and when. Your permit or certificate document will also tell you who is qualified to take this measurement.

Additionally, while not outlined in your permit or certificate, those of you located in a Critical Ground Water Area are required to record weekly flow meter or power meter readings. The Department just released a new map showing groundwater area information that is helpful in determining if these rules apply to you.

Remember, complying with permit and certificate and statutory measurement conditions keeps your water use rights in good standing, making them more valuable to your property!

Stay tuned to Schroeder Law Offices’ blog for more timely reminders this irrigation season!

Schroeder Law Offices is excited to announce that Jakob Wiley will be joining the firm as a J.D. Paralegal this fall. He plans to later continue with the firm as an Associate Attorney at the Portland location after passage of the July, 2018 Oregon bar examination. He will receive a J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law in May, 2018 and will also complete a concurrent M.S. in Water Resources Policy and Management at Oregon State University. His studies focus on aquifer governance, voluntary management agreements, and transboundary aquifer policy.

Jakob grew up in Fallon, Nevada on his family’s alfalfa farm and cattle ranch. Jakob enjoys hiking and ocean fishing near his parents’ new home near Toledo, Oregon. Jakob also enjoys traveling to Germany and Switzerland in his free time. He is excited to join the Schroeder team working to solve your water issues!

In November 2017, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) published the Willamette Basin Review Feasibility Study, Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment (Study). The purpose of the Study (which can be viewed in its entirety here) is to evaluate the reallocation of 1,590,000 acre-feet of Willamette Valley Project stored water. The Study analyzes current and future water demand in the Willamette basin to determine how the water should be reallocated. The analyzed demand uses include agricultural irrigation, municipal and industrial water supply, and conservation storage for Endangered Species Act listed fish. 

The Corps constructed a series of thirteen federal reservoirs in the middle and upper Willamette Basin beginning in the 1930s. Currently, the water is stored under Bureau of Reclamation water use rights that authorize storage for irrigation. The Corps’ proposal would reallocate 962,800 acre-feet of water to fish and wildlife. This discrete category has been allocated the most water in the draft Study, followed by agricultural irrigation at 253,950 acre-feet, and municipal and industrial with the least at 73,300 acre-feet.

For those keeping score at home, those figures do not add up to the allocated 1,590,000 acre-feet. The Corps chose to earmark 299,950 acre-feet to what the agency is classifying as “joint-use.” Joint use allocation is water that can be assigned to any of the other three discrete categories. Thus, the Corps would simply hold that amount in reserve to accommodate “unforeseeable changes to demand trends.” Simply put, this provides the Corps flexibility in the future to disperse water according to demand while simultaneously allowing the agency to avoid allocating all of the water at the current time.

While everyone can agree more water available for appropriation is a good thing, some are unhappy about the way the Corps has proposed to allocate stored water. The Capital Press reported the Oregon Farm Bureau’s position is that water allocated to agricultural irrigation is “not nearly enough.” 

There is still much uncertainty about what will happen next and how long the process will take before water stored in the Willamette Valley Project is available for appropriation. The Study is currently a draft environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Therefore, the Corps is still in the stage where it is developing and evaluating the alternatives. The comment period on the draft Study closed on January 5, 2018.

If the Corps finds no significant impact from the chosen alternative action in the NEPA process, water will then need to be reallocated to the proposed uses. Because the Bureau of Reclamation currently holds the water right certificates that authorize storage for irrigation, the federal agencies must go through the Oregon Water Resources Department’s transfer review process to change the purposes of use for the Project storage rights.

Only after the water use rights authorizing storage in the Project are transferred to the reallocated uses will the water be available for new appropriations in addition to the current authorized use, irrigation. The reallocation could stimulate a rush to the Oregon Water Resources Department’s office for application submission. As the old adage goes, “the early-bird gets the worm.” More aptly, those ready to file for a water right upon the successful completion of the impending process are more likely to get to obtain a much-coveted water use right from the reallocated storage.

Stay tuned to Schroeder Law Offices’ Water Law Blog as this process unfolds!

This article was drafted with the assistance of Law Clerk Derek Gauthier, a student at Lewis & Clark Law School.

A jury recently decided in Malheur County Circuit Court Case #16CV32005 that local farmers, Delos & Barbara Lee, were entitled to the lost profits they incurred when Owyhee Irrigation District (“OID”) failed in 2014 to deliver the Lees their entire allocation of water and delivered their 2015 allocation in late July. The jury decided OID was negligent based on a computer error that caused the Lees to receive the improper allocations of water.

The Lees grow alfalfa and have farmed in the Oregon Slope area their entire lives. The Lees discovered OID’s computer error in late 2015 after complaining to OID beginning in 2014 that even though they had timely paid their yearly assessments for water delivery, they were not receiving their full water allocation. While there was a drought in 2014 and 2015 that reduced water allocations throughout OID, the failure to deliver even the reduced allocation to the Lees’ 39 acre field caused their hay stand and hay production to suffer more than would otherwise have occurred if the Lees had received the reduced allocation of water.

In late July 2015, OID admitted that it failed to deliver any of the water allocated to the Lees’ 39 acre field in 2014 and had yet to deliver the 2015 water allocation. After its admission, OID then delivered water to the Lees, but it was too late for the Lees’ hay stand to produce as it would have otherwise. At trial, the jury found OID’s failure to deliver and failure to timely deliver water made OID negligent and awarded judgment in favor of the Lees for the entire amount of Lees’ lost profits.

Unfortunately, the judgment will not “make the Lees whole” due to the expense of the case going to trial rather than settling. Additionally, OID has now decided to appeal the decision to the Oregon Court of Appeals. OID argued at trial, and may take up a similar argument on appeal, that a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (“BOR”) Repayment Contract from 1951 between the BOR and OID, along with other irrigation districts, makes OID wholly immune from liability even when OID failed to deliver water to the Lees when the water was allocated and available for delivery. The BOR repayment contract is a contract for the irrigation districts to repay the BOR for the construction obligations incurred to build the Owyhee Project.

Schroeder Law Offices was privileged to have the opportunity to work with the Lees to hold OID accountable for its failure to deliver water that was available, paid for, and allocated to the Lees.

2017 was an eventful year for the team at Schroeder Law Offices (“SLO”). As SLO moves toward a productive 2018, we are pleased to highlight the exciting events of 2017 and what’s ahead in the New Year!

In February we hosted a reception honoring Al Steninger at the Society for Range Management in St. George, Utah. Shareholders Laura Schroeder and Therese Ure, as well as Alan Schroeder, had the honor of celebrating the Sustained Lifetime Achievement Award for range consultant Steninger, long-time friend and consultant to the firm.

In April 2017, our Reno Office received a new home moving from the mid-town area to south Reno. The new office includes convenient parking and approx. 2,600 sq feet divided into a roomy, reception area, large and small conference rooms, multiple private offices, and work areas. Should our out-of-town client need a space to work or meet in Reno for a day or more, we have space to share.

After settling in, SLO hosted an open house for all of our clients, consultants and friends to come check out the new Reno space! We enjoyed this event as the Portland team came to Reno to assist in this celebration, complete with Stix Cattle Company barbequing tri tip!

Following the Open House event and team Schroeder’s participation in the Dust Devil Triathlon in Fallon, NV, the SLO team went out to the field! Our firm serves a wide variety of water users including local farmers, and we had a great time learning more about irrigation systems in Northern Nevada from local expert Norm Frey of Frey Ranches, learning about the cattle industry at Stix Cattle Company, and touring the local livestock auction at Fallon Livestock LLC.

While we had a busy year among our Reno Office move, open house, and field day, we are honored to highlight some of our SLO team member’s developments during 2017.

• Associate Attorney Lindsay Thane passed not only the Oregon State Bar in May 2017, but also passed the Montana State Bar in September 2017 – adding a seventh state to our firm’s licensing!
• Legal Secretary Mollie Finke joined our Portland team in April, making her debut in the legal field.
• In November, our Portland team added a new Paralegal, Rachelq Harman.
• In December, paralegal Tara J. Jackson took a sabbatical, chasing sunny weather with a couple of weeks exploring the north island of New Zealand, enjoying beautiful vistas and mountain biking and finished out her time in Arizona spending more time on her bike and with family. Tara is now back on board.

In the New Year, SLO is looking forward to hosting more classes and/or workshops regarding water law. In 2017 as well as past years, SLO Shareholders Therese Ure and Laura Schroeder have hosted water rights bootcamp classes as well as real estate water right classes. Keep an eye on our coming events list for classes and events to come in 2018, or check out our speaking and presentations page for a list of topics.

The Oregon Water Resources Department will no longer be issuing water use permits for “nursery operations use” in the Willamette, Sandy, and Goose & Summer Lakes Basins. This decision follows a very long history of the Department’s issuance of nursery operations permits all across the State, including these basins. The Department recently decided to read its Basin Program rules in such a way to not allow this popular and pervasive type of use in these particular basins.

Nursery water use permits are different than irrigation use permits. The “default” characteristics of a nursery use permit include year-round water use, a rate equal to one-fortieth cubic foot per second per acre for containerized nursery plants, and a duty of five acre feet per acre per year for containerized nursery plants. By contrast, irrigation use permits are limited to the “irrigation season” that is typically from March through October, one-eightieth cubic foot per second per acre, and two and a half acre feet per acre (depending on the location). Moreover, irrigation use is limited to artificial application of water to plants, while nursery operations use includes use in nursery facilities for much more than direct application to plants (soil preparation, temperature control, application of chemicals or fertilizers, etc.).

The Department’s Basin Program rules may be found at Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 690 Division 500 and thereafter. Each Basin Program outlines classified water uses that are authorized within the basin, or within particular stream reaches of the basin. None of the Basin Programs specifically classify nursery operations use as an authorized water use. The Basin Programs do, however, classify irrigation and agricultural water use as authorized uses. Nursery use comes under the umbrella of these two types of water uses. As such, the Department issued nursery operations use permits on a regular basis throughout the State.

Division 500 provides definitions that are particular to the Basin Programs that follow. The definition of “irrigation use” in Division 500 is “the use of water for agricultural water use, cranberry use, irrigation, nursery operations use, or temperature control…” However, this definition is limited to specific Basin Programs, excluding the Willamette, Sandy, and Goose & Summer Lakes Basins. As such, Department staff recently informed us that the Department will no longer issue nursery operations use permits in the Willamette Basin. We assume the Department will have the same opinion as to the Sandy and Goose & Summer Lakes Basins. Further, it is possible the Department will also cease issuing cranberry use and/or temperature control permits in all three basins, depending on the specific classifications in the basins.

It will be very important for new applicants in the Willamette, Sandy, and Goose & Summer Lakes Basins to realize the limitations of different types of water uses available to them in different basins, and to clearly articulate all details of the requested water use. In our recent revision of a pending nursery use application in the Willamette Basin, our office drafted the specific water use conditions we were requesting on behalf of our client to ensure no errors occurred during permitting. Costs will also increase if additional fees must be paid to the Department to request multiple uses (such as irrigation and agricultural use) to replace the more “global” nursery operations use applications.

Make sure to stay tuned to Schroeder Law Offices’ Water Law Blog for more news that may affect you!

Update:

At the beginning of 2018, the Department rethought its position with regard to ceasing nursery use permits in the Willamette, Sandy, and Goose & Summer Lakes Basins. The Department resumed issuing such permits as of the date of this update. It is important to realize how agency policy and interpretation can shift over time, affecting water use rights in Oregon. This is a good example of that phenomenon.

The Oregon Association of Nurseries annual convention was held on November 3^rd and 4^th at the Salishan Spa and Golf Resort, in Gleneden Beach, Oregon. The convention is a forum used to discuss issues vital to Oregon nurseries, vote on OAN bylaws, and honor the industry’s achievers at the annual president’s Awards Banquet. In an effort to support OAN, Schroeder Law Offices donated two bottles of Oregon whiskey for the silent auction at the President’s Awards Banquet.

Eastern Oregon is already experiencing above-average snowpack levels for this time of year, reports the Capital Press: link.

This follows above-average snowpack and precipitation reports from the 2016-2017 water year, and looks to be good news for Oregon water users as we continue to climb out of the recent drought. (You may remember seeing the Owyhee Reservoir draining water through the “Ring Gate” or “Glory Hole” in 2017 for the first time since 2011; see the video here.) See also, Natural Resources Conservation Service Oregon Basin Outlook Report (June 1, 2017): link.

The good start to the 2017-2018 water year, combined with carryover storage in some Eastern Oregon storage reservoirs, could even result in water releases for flood control in early 2018, according to the Capital Press.

Stay tuned to Schroeder Law Offices’ Water Law Blog for more news that may affect you!

Schroeder Law Offices, P.C. will be closed for some holiday dates in 2017, as described below:

Thanksgiving
November 23, 2017 & November 24, 2017
Schroeder Law Offices will be closed on Thursday, November 23rd and Friday, November 24th.
We will reconvene regular business hours on Monday, November 27, 2017.

Christmas
December 25, 2017
Schroeder Law Offices will be closed on Monday, December 25th.
We will reconvene regular business hours on Tuesday, December 26, 2017.

New Year’s Day
January 1, 2018
Schroeder Law Offices be closed on Monday, January 1st.
We will reconvene regular business hours on Tuesday, January 2, 2018.

During these holiday periods, we will not be routinely responding to phone calls/ messages, emails, or mail. In an emergency, please phone or email your assigned team associate attorney directly or email counsel@water-law.com. The attorneys will check their email at least once each day and attempt to get back to you within 24 hours of your call or email.

Attorney Sarah Liljefelt and Paralegal Tara Jackson attended the Oregon Ground Water Association’s Fall Convention at the end of October. Tara’s team won fourth place in the annual golf tournament, winning machetes as part of their prize package! Tara also won the women’s long drive; way to go, Tara! Sarah presented at the convention on the topic of groundwater transfer challenges, and received great questions and feedback from attendees.

The Oregon Ground Water Association’s Fall Convention is always a blast with a lot of wonderful folks! Check out the organization at: http://www.ogwasite.org/.

Stay tuned to Schroeder Law Offices Water Law Blog for news that may affect you!

Do you remember when extensions of time were approved by the Oregon Water Resources Department routinely with ease? That time was over for municipal water providers years ago (see related article); however, until recently, other permit holders simply faced increasing amounts of application paperwork.  Now, that time may be over for every permit holder. Our office has seen requests for extensions of time receive increased scrutiny from the Department as of late.

Recently, a client applied for their first extension of time after investing substantial resources towards diligent development under their water use permit. The proposed final order approving the extension of time was 13 pages long, discussing every single inquiry from the extension application and whether the client’s response was sufficient. Even though the Department is proposing approval, it is clear that such approval will be more difficult to receive going forward.

Certain factors are of extreme importance for water users hoping to obtain extensions of time for their water use permits. Physical construction must begin and be diligently prosecuted during the time to complete construction under the permit or prior extension period. The Department will closely examine how much physical development of the water system has occurred and the permitee’s reasons for not completing construction. The Department will also evaluate and balance financial investment, market and present demands for water, the amount of water available to satisfy other affected water use rights, scenic waterway flows, and habitat needs of sensitive, threatened or endangered species.

Of additional importance is compliance with permit conditions. If a groundwater use permit requires annual static water level measurements following well construction, it is extremely important that the permittee complies with the condition. The same is true for installation of flow meters, submission of water use reports, and more. The Department may deny an application for extension of time for less than full compliance with all permit terms.

Applications for extensions of time have increased in length and complexity over the years. The current permit extension application is 12 pages long. (Extension of time application forms are available here.) Our office routinely completes extension of time applications for clients. It takes time to provide all the development details and documentation now required by the Department. Do not wait until the day before your permit expires to start your extension application. We recommend seeking assistance one year before your permit or current extension term expires to consider if an extension can be avoided, and, if not, making sure all conditions are met before an extension of time application is filed.

It is more important now than ever to make sure you have all your “ducks in a row” when using water under a permit and seeking an extension of time. Stay tuned to Schroeder Law Office’s Water Law Blog for more news that may affect you!

Law Clerk Jakob Wiley will be presenting on unitization approaches to aquifer governance at the next Groundwater Advisory Committee (“GWAC”) meeting held June 30, 2017. He will be presenting his research on voluntary aquifer governance agreements, focusing on aquifer governance rather than groundwater management. The approach is the topic of his graduate thesis as part of his master’s degree, as well as his portion of an upcoming book co-authored with Dr. Todd Jarvis titled Collective Aquifer Governance: Dispute Prevention for Groundwater and Aquifers through Unitization, currently being prepared for the Cambridge University Press.

Jakob’s presentation will show how groundwater governance has “missed the aquifer for the wells,” focusing attention on groundwater levels and failing to incorporate other aquifer resources, such as storage potential, heat exchange, water quality, or future aquifer uses like carbon sequestration. With some aquifers, the focus may lead to damage to the reservoir (See https://ngwa.confex.com/ngwa/renew08/techprogram/P5225.HTM).

Unitization techniques look at the aquifer as a whole, encourage subsurface exploration, and may create “aquifer communities” that create a regional identity with the aquifer. (See https://www.scribd.com/document/112436071/Jarvis-W-Todd-In-search-of-a-New-Identity-Good-Water-Neighbors). Contract approaches to groundwater governance have been seen internationally, but have yet to be clearly seen in the United States relating to groundwater. (Contract-based approaches are common in other natural resource areas, like the recent Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for the sage grouse, see http://www.conservationhabitat.org/local-resources/Harney-County-Sage-Grouse-CCAA/36004/). Jakob will bring these examples to the GWAC meeting and present the approach as a possible addition to Oregon’s groundwater governance toolbox.

Make sure to stay tuned to Schroeder Law Offices’ Water Blog for more news that may affect you!

This article was drafted with the assistance of Law Clerk Jakob Wiley, a concurrent student at Oregon State University’s Water Resources Policy and Management graduate program and a law student at the University of Oregon School of Law.

As many know, Oregon is home to some pretty diverse soil types that allows Oregon to grow a vast variety of food and fiber. The climate is varied from western to eastern Oregon that also allows farmers to have some choice in farming methods including irrigation practices.  The never ending issue is water, especially if “mother nature” provides too much or not enough at any given time in the growing cycle.

In Oregon, 2,040,200 acres are used for Field Crops (13.1% according to a 2010 study). Of those 2.04 million acres, 37,000 are used for barley, 30,000 acres are used for corn, 370,000 acres are used for alfalfa hay, and 6,600 are used for hops.  While barley and most grains can be grown without applied irrigation, on dry land, all other commodities generally require applied irrigation.   In 2009, hay (all types) and grass seed were among the top 10 commodities in Oregon according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture.  Hay is a feed crop necessary for meat protein production while grass seed is largely used by the landscape industry including golf courses. These two commodities, hay and grass seed, brought in nearly $2 Billion, according to the OSU Extension Service. We use more land on commodity agriculture than any other type of agriculture, it’s no wonder there’s sticker shock when shopping at grocery stores, particularly for organic foods that require more inputs.

You can learn more information about Oregon crops, by visiting the USDA website or by going to the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s website. To keep informed about water use issues and news, subscribe to our blog. 

Schroeder Law Offices is excited to announce that J.D. Paralegal Lindsay Thane passed the Oregon State Bar, and will be licensed to practice law in Oregon upon her swearing in ceremony scheduled for May 18^th, moving into the position of Associate Attorney.

Lindsay joined Schroeder Law Offices in their Portland, Oregon office in 2016 after graduating from the University of Montana School of Law. Lindsay is an avid runner and enjoys competing in local road races. She loves being outdoors hiking with friends and family. Lindsay has also spent many summers water skiing on Flathead Lake near her home town in Montana.

Looking for a fun activity this weekend? Join Schroeder Law at the 30^th Annual Oregon Ag Fest at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem! The event is FREE for children 12 and under with free parking.

Tara Jackson will be working the Oregon Ground Water Association booth Saturday morning and the Oregon Women for Agriculture booth Saturday afternoon. You will find Sarah Liljefelt at the Oregon CattleWomen’s and Cattlemen’s Association booths on Sunday.

Come experience Oregon agriculture! The event features hands-on exhibits, including pony rides, planting seedlings, sheep shearing demonstrations, and lots of farm animals to see and pet.

Find event details on the Ag Fest website by clicking here.

Partner Sarah Liljefelt and Assistant Administrator Kelley Wesson are heading to Olympia, Washington this weekend to race dragon boats with the Oregon Women Lawyers team, the Dragonflies, at the Port of Olympia. The Oregon Women Lawyers Dragonflies is an all-women, competitive dragon boat team made up of attorneys, paralegals, and other legal professionals. The team took bronze at last year’s race, and they are hoping to medal again this year! For more information about the team, visit their website. Come on down to the race if you are in the area. Sarah and Kelley would love to visit with you between race heats.

Lindsay Thane

Schroeder Law Offices is happy to announce the newest addition the team, Lindsay Thane!  Lindsay Thane has accepted the position as JD Paralegal in the Portland, OR office.  Lindsay comes to Schroeder Law Offices from Montana where she received her J.D. from the University Of Montana School Of Law with a certificate in Natural Resource & Environmental Law.  Prior to Law School, Lindsay earned her B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of Oregon.  Lindsay has taken the Oregon State Bar exam and is currently awaiting the results with high hopes.

Lindsay brings a wide array of experience to Schroeder Law Offices including legal research, writing, and even judicial clinic experience.  Through her experience, Lindsay has spent valuable time in the natural resources field including positions with the U.S. Department of the Interior as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection agency.

We are looking forward to working with Lindsay!

Other Employment

Schroeder Law Office is currently looking for the right attorney to fill a vacancy in the Reno, NV office.  For more information regarding this position and how to apply, visit our website at: http://www.water-law.com/reno-attorney/