Professor Emeritus Reed Benson Elected as an Honorary Trustee of the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law
August 12, 2025 - By Alex Ritchie - Executive Director of The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law
On July 16, 2025, at the Annual Meeting of the Trustees Council of The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law (the “Foundation”), Professor Emeritus Reed Benson was elected as an Honorary Trustee of the Foundation for life for his contributions to the Foundation and to the larger community of those who practice in the areas of natural resources, energy, and environmental law.
The Honorary Trustee distinction is equivalent to the Foundation’s lifetime achievement award and the highest distinction bestowed by the Foundation. Honorary Trustees are selected from nominations from active Trustees of the Foundation, and Professor Emeritus Benson received numerous nominations from law professors from around the county.
Although many people are nominated for the distinction, very few are elected. Before someone can be elected, the Foundation’s Nominating Committee looks closely at the nominee’s contributions over the course of their entire career. In the case of Professor Emeritus Benson, he is a former member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, represented the University of New Mexico and the University of Wyoming on the Trustees Council for 20 years, and has an extensive record of committee service, including seven years on the Scholarships Committee. He also chaired the Water Section at the Foundation’s Annual Institute, co-chaired the Water Law Institute, and assisted with planning several other educational programs. He served the community of law professors by editing the Natural Resources Law Teachers Newsletter for 11 years. In addition to the numerous books and law review articles he authored or co-authored, he also authored four Annual Institute and special institute papers. Perhaps most importantly, he heavily involved his students and faculty colleagues in the Foundation.
As the UNM representative, Professor Emeritus Benson’s students received numerous scholarships, significant funding to attend natural resources conferences, and funds for networking events with local practitioners because he emphasized the importance of engaging with practicing lawyers when trying to enter the field. The School of Law and the Foundation congratulate Professor Emeritus Benson on this well-deserved accomplishment.
