UNM School of Law Welcomes Natural Resources Law Teacher Institute to Albuquerque
July 23, 2026
During the week of May 27-29, the UNM School of Law Natural Resources and Environmental Law (NREL) program welcomed more than 84 scholars and practitioners of natural resources and environmental law to Albuquerque for scholarly discussions and field experiences in the 22nd Natural Resources Law Teachers Institute (NRLTI). The event was held at the Hotel Andaluz and sponsored by the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law (FNREL).
After successfully competing to bring the 2026 NRLTI conference to Albuquerque, School of Law faculty, including professors Jennifer Laws, Warigia Bowman, and Cliff Villa, participated in a full year of planning for both the panel presentations and field trips. Director of the UNM NREL program, Professor Cliff Villa, provided opening remarks for the NRLTI conference and moderated a panel discussion on Water Resources Management in the Western United States, a panel that included Professor Warigia Bowman speaking on challenges concerning management of water in the Rio Grande basin. Field trips during the program featured a visit to the Pueblo of Acoma, a guided ranger walk through the bosque forest of the Rio Grande Nature Center, a paddleboard excursion on Cochiti Lake, a tour through the Petroglyph National Monument, and a hike in the Sandia Mountains. The 2026 NRLTI conference was a success and gratitude is extended to all the sponsors, planners, and participants from across the country.
