Montana Lawyer August/September 2024

Holland & Hart welcomes seasoned Montana attorney Sarah Clerget, who leads the State Government Affairs practice and augments the firm’s litigation team in Montana. Sarah leverages insider knowledge of how business is done with Montana government to help companies navigate regulatory, policy, and litigation issues.

SARAH CLERGET Of Counsel | Government Affairs Specialist

BRIANNE MCCLAFFERTY | BILLINGS OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVE PARTNER 406.896.4642

401 North 31st Street, Suite 1500, Billings, MT 59101 www.hollandhart.com

co-management and co-stewardship of public lands and explore real-life examples to resource stewardship and tribal sovereignty. Is the fishpond Waters of the United States? After decades of uncertainty, “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act are defined by Sacket v. EPA (2023). We’ll discuss the deci sion’s impact nationally and applica tion of the Court’s 2020 Maui deci sion in National Pollution Discharge Elimination System cases in Montana. You’ll hear about the latest Constitutional developments relating to Montanans’ right to a clean and health ful environment, from updates on the youth constitutional climate case, Held v. Montana, currently on appeal before the Montana Supreme Court, to a chal lenge to the Yellowstone Generating Station, also pending before the Court. The Natural Resource Section will hold its annual meeting and election of officers. Positions are open, so you can join the leadership and direction of this critical group, watching over laws and policy of Montana’s environment. R andall A. Snyder, the founder of Snyder, Beaudry & Cook (Bigfork), is the Liason for the Natural Resources Law Section.

owes much of its title as “the last best place” to its people and natural resources. From the world-famous Held trial to joint tribal-federal management of public lands to energy policy, to Clean Water Act litigation, Montana truly is the epicenter of tradition and change. Join the Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law section of the state bar for its annual CLE to discuss these topics and more this September 27, 2024 at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law. This year’s presentation offers broad topics and updates for all practitioners. Supreme Court Justice Laurie McKinnon (or another justice) begins with an update on state and federal legislation and litiga tion. She may be joined by Al Blewitt Law Professor Michelle Bryan, who grew up farming and ranching, as a UM Law stu dent, edited the Montana Law Review and was a policy specialist for the Montana Water Center in Bozeman. Curious about how Tribal and Montana environment intersect? We welcome Al Blewitt law professor Kekek Startk, Turtle Mountain Ojibwe and Bizhiw (Lynx) member and Co-Director of the UM Indian Law Program; the Margery Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic; and the American Indian Governance and Policy Institute. He’ll address tribal

Missoula focusing on assisting private eq uity and capital venture clients in matters related to corporate formation, mergers, and general corporate advice. Renee focuses her practice in general liability and medical malpractice matters.

Previously working as a registered nurse at two large academ ic medical centers and as a legal nurse consultant for both the plaintiff and the defense side, Renee

brings a unique experience to her medical malpractice defense practice. She began her career as a lawyer at the Cook County State Attorney’s Office in the medical litiga tion section representing all county health entities, including hospitals and medical clinics, even those in the jail system. She also spent many years at a national law firm based in Illinois representing hospi tals, assisted living facilities, nursing home facilities, and outpatient care clinics. The NREEL Section The Preamble to the Montana Constitution acknowledges the grandeur of our mountains, the vastness of our roll ing plains, and the desire to improve the quality of our lives. Montana undoubtedly

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