Pro Bono

When the Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Denver Water and Greenway Foundation signed an agreement for a reallocation of water to an environmental pool at Chatfield Reservoir, it was the culmination of more than a decade of work to address water scarcity in Colorado. The Brownstein team was critical to making this happen handling all of the complex natural resource issues that arose throughout the course of the project. Designed to store water which can be released as needed, the Chatfield environmental pool will provide multiple benefits to the Denver metro area. From enhancing recreational opportunities and improving water quality to providing additional stream flow to support agricultural needs, the Chatfield environmental pool is a critical step in securing Colorado’s future water resources.

When it comes to helping communities in need, we go all in. That’s why we partnered with PARS Equality Center to provide pro bono legal services to their Afghan Support Project. When violence in Afghanistan escalated in 2021 and hundreds of thousands of Afghans were displaced, we stepped in to be part of the solution. Twenty-one teams comprised of Brownstein employees across all of our offices are working to submit over 130 emergency humanitarian parole applications to the United States Citizen and Immigration Services on behalf of Afghan refugees. Our support of Afghan refugees continues once they arrive in the U.S. through a partnership with Miry’s List.

In March 2020, Gov. Sisolak quickly assembled a COVID-19 Task Force of business leaders and community members, and asked Brownstein to represent the entity. This group drew on private sector resources to aid Nevada’s response, relief and recovery from COVID-19. Our team, led by Las Vegas Office Managing Partner Ellen Schulhofer, rallied behind this cause playing an integral role as pro bono counsel and advising the task force in its efforts to raise funds to provide PPE and medical supplies for the medical community and first responders, as well as tablets and broadband access for Nevada’s students. As a result of the generosity of Nevadans, millions of dollars in PPE went to the people who needed it most and tens of thousands of students without access to education were able to learn remotely.

Jewish Family Service (JFS) sought to establish a social enterprise that would directly and positively influence the community. JFS drew on its long-term relationship with Brownstein to provide pro bono legal counsel on all aspects of its acquisition of Altius Farms, a grower of high-quality, local, chemical- and pesticide-free leafy greens. JFS Altius Farms is home to a rooftop greenhouse located in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood, which yields over 31,000 pounds of fresh produce each year. The fresh produce will be sold to local restaurants and grocers, as well as to stock the JFS food pantry to serve those with food insecurity. We’re at our best when we’re helping clients achieve their goals, working with an organization we believe in and giving back to the community.

Colorado’s Costilla County has a long history of communal land access, starting in the 1800s with the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant, which allocated “La Sierra” for community use. Over the past forty years, conflicts over land access have persisted. More than a decade ago, our team successfully litigated, on a pro bono basis, to assure the owner of La Sierra could not block locals’ access by restricting entry through the Torcido Gate. Recently, a new La Sierra owner sued two local residents for trespass. Brownstein’s litigation and natural resources teams quickly filed a pro bono counterclaim asserting the residents’ historic access rights and a prescriptive easement for herding cattle along a path through adjacent property. Ultimately, an amicable resolution was reached, protecting access to these valuable lands.