Schroeder Law Offices Returns to the Nevada Junior Livestock Show!

On May 7, 2022, Schroeder Law Offices attended the Nevada Junior Livestock Show in Reno, Nevada.  The three-day show was at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Event Center. The show is a place for the National FFA Organization, 4-H, youth Grange, and independent youth members to exhibit their livestock projects before the public. They develop skills and practices related to livestock production.  These youth organizations are a popular part of Nevada’s agricultural community. They often are an important family activity for our agricultural clients.

Animals at the show included turkeys, pigs, lambs, goats, and steers.  Livestock were judged for quality and breed standards. Youths also competed in showmanship events. These events judged their skills and knowledge in animal handling and rearing.  The show ended with the annual market auction.  Youth are encouraged to contact local businesses and individuals. Then they can attend the auction and bid on livestock. The Western Nevada Grange invited Schroeder to bid on broad breasted white turkeys raised by the Club’s youth members. 

Winning at the Auction

We loved seeing familiar faces in the crowd and attending the Buyer’s dinner. AND we won the bid for Western Nevada Grange Member Sabella Thompson’s turkey! This was Sabella’s first year showing and selling an auction animal for Grange. Sabella sent Schroeder staff home with homemade cookies and her own artwork as a thank you for being her buyer.  The cookies didn’t last long, but Sabella’s art is proudly displayed in the office.   Schroeder Law Office staff also bid on other livestock to support additional local youth in their livestock rearing endeavors.

On May 8, 2021, Schroeder Law Offices supported local youth by attending the Nevada Junior Livestock Show in Reno, Nevada.  Schroeder was invited by Carson City resident, Conner Simerson to bid on his broad breasted white turkey.  The three-day show took place at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Event Center. The purpose of the show is to provide an opportunity for the National FFA Organization, 4-H, youth Grange, and independent youth members to exhibit their livestock projects before the public and develop skills and practices related to livestock production.  These youth organizations are a popular part of Nevada’s agricultural community and often are an important family affair for our agricultural clients.

Animals at the show included turkeys, pigs, lambs, goats, and steers.  Livestock were judged for quality and breed standards. Youths also competed in showmanship events where their skills and knowledge in animal handling and rearing were judged.  The show ended with the annual market auction.  Youth are encouraged to contact local businesses and individuals to attend the auction and bid on their livestock.  Livestock are then processed by third parties and provided to bid winners to fill their freezers.

In addition to seeing a few familiar faces in the crowd and attending the Buyer’s dinner, we won the bid for Simerson’s turkey!  Schroeder Law Office staff were also able bid on other livestock and support additional local youth in their livestock rearing endeavors. 

Schroeder Law Welcomes new Legal Assistant and is happy to announce the newest addition to its Reno team, Leslie Velazquez. As our newest Legal Assistant, Leslie will be working to assist our paralegals and attorneys on client matters, marketing, and other administrative duties. Leslie earned her Associates of Arts degree from Truckee Meadows Community College in May of 2016. Shortly after, she obtain her Bachelors of Liberal Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Nevada, Reno in December of 2018, majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology.

Leslie was born and raised in Reno, Nevada where she saw the development of Nevada’s agriculture grow and extend over the years. She is eager to develop knowledge on Nevada’s Water Rights. She enjoys spending time family, hiking, and playing soccer year around. She is excited to join the Schroeder team working to assist our community with all their water needs.

Beginning Tuesday, September 3, Schroeder Law Offices, P.C., resumes regular office hours:

Monday through Friday
8:00 am – 5:00 p.m.

Schroeder Law will be closed, Monday, September 2, to observe Labor Day.

This summer we experimented with a nine day rotation, Monday through the next Thursday, 7:30 am – 5:30 pm. The tenth day, every other Friday, either the Reno or Portland office was closed covering work for the other office alternatively.

In an emergency, please phone or email your attorney directly. Our goal is to return your call or email within 24 hours.

For the past decade, Schroeder Law Offices has provided opportunities to law students interested in learning water and natural resource law. Former SLO law clerks have established successful legal practices across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Schroeder Law Offices is pleased to introduce our 2019 summer law clerk, Katie Jourdan. Katie is returning to work with the attorneys and staff after having clerked previously with SLO during the fall of 2018.

Katie is entering her last year of law school at Lewis and Clark Law School, where she will complete her Juris Doctorate in May of 2020. With an emphasis on Natural Resource and Land Use Law, Ms. Jourdan has experience researching and analyzing water rights issues. Previously, Katie worked with the Western Resource Legal Center on land use and agriculture issues. She also interned with the Washington Cattlemen’s Association where she conducted research on recent land use legislation. 

Katie holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and Journalism from Gonzaga University, where her enthusiasm for natural resources has paved her way to law school. Her background in agriculture and small farm life further nurtures an empathy for water users and the issues that rural America faces.

This summer, Katie is putting to good use her time spent in the classroom and exercising her proficiency in legal research. She is working with the attorneys and staff at Schroeder on client cases, educational presentations, and litigation preparation. In the fall, Katie will begin her final year at Lewis and Clark.

Schroeder Law Offices is pleased to announce that Attorney/Partner Sarah Liljefelt accepted the position of Water Resources Committee Chair for the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, beginning in the coming year. Sarah has been a member of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association for many years, and has been very active with the Oregon CattleWomen as Vice President and Legislative Committee Chair. She is excited to use her Oregon water resources knowledge to support and defend the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association’s water interests in the years to come.

Sarah’s new position was announced earlier this week when she presented at the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association’s Mid-Year Conference in Canyonville, Oregon. Sarah provided an update on the Klamath River Basin Adjudication and conjunctive surface water/groundwater management in the Klamath Basin. Some of the other highlights from the conference included an update of Western Resources Legal Center’s recent victories by Executive Director Caroline Lobdell (Sarah is a former WRLC law clerk), and a trip to Melrose Vineyards (https://www.melrosevineyards.com/) with the Oregon Cattlewomen – beautiful location, friendly staff, and great food and wine!

Taking time away from their busy schedule, Schroeder Law Offices attorneys and staff spent an educational weekend together while also celebrating their newest achievements!

Oktoberfest! On Friday, October 12, 2018, Schroeder Law Offices hosted an “Oktoberfest” event in downtown Portland to honor attorney Sarah Liljefelt as the newest Shareholder of the firm and to celebrate our newest associate attorney, Jakob Wiley. We were happy to share their recent accomplishments with many of our Oregon clients, consultants, family, and friends.

Farm Tour! After an evening celebrating, Schroeder Law Offices packed it up and headed out to the country on Saturday for an educational opportunity touring a client’s farm. We learned about different agricultural irrigation techniques, multiple land use opportunities combining mining and agriculture, and processing various agricultural products from farm to table.

Utilization Concepts! We then met up with Professor Todd Jarvis of the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University to discuss water rights issues in the West, learning a bit about the water basin utilization project he and associate attorney Jakob Wiley are working on. Professor Jarvis and attorney Wiley (with some other contributors) are collaborating to write a book on the unitization of aquifers as a way to manage water use – while still in the research phase, the book is expected to be completed by the Summer of 2019. We look forward to sharing their discoveries and plans as they move forward.

We Escaped! Finally, Schroeder Law Offices took the opportunity to do some additional team building and participated in two different escape rooms at “Stumptown Escape Games.” The games were challenging but our teams escaped by putting their heads together and succeeding under pressure!

Schroeder Law Offices is celebrating 27 years of representing water users in the West! To celebrate, SLO’s attorneys and staff from several states will travel to Portland, Oregon for an Oktoberfest party at the Portland City Grill to thank our clients, consultants, friends, and families for their contributions to our success over the years. SLO will also be celebrating attorney Sarah Liljefelt as its newest shareholder, attorney Lindsay Thane’s admission to the Montana Bar, and our newest attorney in our Portland office, Jakob Wiley. As part of the weekend event, the SLO crew will visit a farmer and food processor client in the Willamette Valley to learn more about their operation. We are all very excited for the opportunity to spend time with the members of SLO from different states!  

Attorney Sarah Liljefelt presented at Halfmoon’s Water Laws and Regulations seminar on June 7^th on the topic of Oregon Groundwater, teaching a group of engineers about groundwater ownership, regulation, and acquisition of groundwater use rights in Oregon. This week, on June 28^th, Sarah will present at the Oregon State Bar Environmental & Natural Resources Section’s “brownbag” continuing legal education seminar on the topic of groundwater regulation in the Klamath Basin in Oregon. Her co-presenter is Lisa Brown of WaterWatch, who will speak about groundwater in Harney County. If you are interested in attending, please visit the Section’s Events page or Schroeder Law Offices’ Coming Events page for more information. Sarah’s presentation materials are available on the Section’s Events page.

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

Schroeder Law Offices is happy to announce that intern, Valley Urricelqui is joining us this summer in the Reno Office. Valley was born and raised in the Northeastern part of California where her family runs a hay and cattle ranch.

Valley is a strong advocate in the Cattle Industry as she is the Public Relations Officer for the Chico State Young Cattleman’s Association. In April this year, Valley received the title of California State Beef Ambassador representing the North State. In this position she represents the State of California as a voice for the Beef Industry and is helping to spread the good word about the agriculture industry as a whole in efforts to gain more support from the public. Her goal is to present in elementary classrooms to educate our youth about where their food comes from, the hard work and processes necessary for raising livestock and food supplies, and the nutritional health benefits of our food.  Making the “farm-to-fork” connection is an important mission for Valley.

Valley is currently attending Chico State University where she plans to graduate with a degree in Agriculture Science and Education come Spring 2019. After graduation from Chico State, Valley plans to attend law school in hopes of becoming a water or land rights attorney. Being born and raised in the agriculture industry she has grown a strong passion for protecting individual property interests and natural resources. As Valley states, “I have watched my family, as well as other good ranching and farming families, deal with land and water right issues for years.”

Valley’s passion is providing support in the protection of farmers and ranchers, to ensure generations to come continue to add to the food security of our nation.   Regardless of the path Valley will choose, she wants to continue being an advocate for the industry and wants to increase awareness of agriculture especially with our younger generations.

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.

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!

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 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.

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.

Schroeder Law Offices (“SLO”) represents a wide variety of water users ranging from municipal to agricultural to domestic. On August 12, 2017, the Portland and Reno teams took an educational field trip to learn more about some of the industries that it supports in Northern Nevada.

The first half of the field trip included touring Western Nevada Cattle Feeders facilities in Fernley, NV, participating in an informational and educational discussion with feedlot owner Dave Stix about his cattle business as well as the cattle industry as a whole. Following the feed lot tour, the SLO team was able to tour two sale yards in Fallon, NV. The first sale yard, Fallon Livestock LLC, was not holding a sale which provided us the opportunity to walk through the entire facility and learn how cattle are bought and sold. The second sale yard, Nevada Livestock Market, was holding a special sale which provided the Schroeder Law team with a view the fast pace of a live auction.

The second half of the field trip included a tour of irrigated, farm land in Fallon, NV as well as learning about the sources and process of water delivery for the farmers of the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District with our tour guide and expert for the day, Norm Frey of Frey Ranches in Fallon, NV. This provided the Schroeder Law team the opportunity to learn about the Newlands project and gain a better understanding of farming and the specific irrigation systems in Northern Nevada. Education included identifying crops as well as learning more about how the science of farming in Northern Nevada including the tremendous strides made with the use of technology.

By taking field trips and learning about the businesses, industries and geographic regions that our clients reside in, our team’s goal is to be better prepared to understand the issues of our clients and to represent their interests.

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.

We are excited to announce our new office building for the Schroeder Law Offices, P.C. Reno Office! We were previously located off Marsh in the Midtown Reno area, but have relocated to a bigger space in South Reno that better fits our needs to serve our clients. Please take note of our new physical and mailing address listed below:

Schroeder Law Offices, P.C.
10615 Double R Blvd.
Reno, NV 89521

We couldn’t be more pleased with our new space and are looking forward to serving clients from this new location. We are currently adjusting to our new home but will be hosting an open house event this coming summer to get to know our community better and share the space with our clients. Be on the lookout for an announcement with open house details!

From the Team at Schroeder Law Offices

If you haven’t yet, join our list to receive important water and land related information or order our free water equivalents magnet!

Laura Schroeder, schroeder@water-law.com  Therese Ure, t.ure@water-law.com  Sara Liljefelt, s.liljefelt@water-law.com

Schroeder Law Offices, PC • 1915 Cesar Chavez Blvd, Portland, Oregon 97212 • 440 Marsh Avenue, Reno, Nevada 89509

Schroeder Law Offices understands it can be a bit intimidating to contact a law firm when you encounter a problem you cannot solve alone. You are not alone:  Schroeder Law receives multiple initial potential client calls every day, and our goal is to listen, understand, and meet your goal to solve a problem in a cost effective and professional manner.

Unfortunately due to liability, attorneys cannot give legal advice on your initial, first-time call.  While it can be frustrating not to receive an immediate answer to what you may presume is a “quick legal question,” attorneys can only provide answers after conflicts are checked by running them through a system check and the client as well as the general issue are approved to be addressed by the firm.  All information requested of potential clients on the initial call is necessary in order to provide the best and most ethical advice and counsel possible.

When you call Schroeder Law Offices, your call is directed to an experienced member of our staff who will collect basic information and listen to the reason for your call. Below is a short list of the kinds of questions our staff will ask in order to determine what kind of legal assistance you need and if there are any potential conflicts that our office may encounter:

1. What is your contact info (phone number, email, mailing address)?
2. Where is the property at issue located? (we prefer lot descriptions)
3. What is the reason you are seeking legal help? (legal issue or goal for the representation)
4. What are the names or the people or companies and their attorneys (if you know them) that are involved?
5. Who is or might be opposed to what you are trying to accomplish?
6. Are there any immediate deadlines that you are facing?

Once we obtain the relevant information, we will run a conflict of interest check through our digital file system to ensure that any opposing parties are not current or previous clients, confirm that current or previous clients do not own or lease property near the property of concern, there is not a present  deadline that our firm cannot meet, or involve an issue that requires expertise other than what the firm may collectively lend its experience in addressing.

After we confirm there is no conflict, we pass the information to an attorney to review and help with next steps. Based on the next steps that our attorney advises, we will call or email you.  The response may be to offer you an initial attorney call at a flat fee, hourly fee or refer you to another attorney or organization better suited for your needs.  If a flat or hourly fee is involved, and you are interested in proceeding, a proposed fee agreement will be emailed to you.

Upon receipt of the flat or hourly fee agreement, we schedule an initial client conference between you and an attorney to understand your issue more fully, provide preliminary recommendations for moving forward, and legal advice in summary.  Following the initial client conference, you will receive a summary letter of any recommendations or advice provided in the conference.  The summary letter may also include a further contract for legal services with the scope of work tailored to fit your preferred course of action given the recommendations provided.

This process can take anywhere from twenty four hours to one week after conflicts are cleared. However, we understand how important the issues you call our office about are to you and we strive to work as quickly as possible to better serve you, the client!

If you are seeking an experienced Water Law attorney, you can call our office at:

Portland: 503-281-4100

Reno: 775-786-8800