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Gregor MacGregor

Colorado’s water courts are vital to using and protecting the state’s water, but their specialized procedures and laws present challenges to Coloradans who participate without an attorney.

Recognizing this challenge, the Committee of the Colorado Supreme Court developed a series of videos explaining the water court process in an easily accessible way. Committee academic representative and University of Colorado Teaching Professor Gregor MacGregor produced the series.��

Hosted on the Getches-Wilkinson Center’s website, the video series introduces the water courts and features interviews with Judge Todd Taylor of Water Court Division 1, Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Monica Márquez, and Attorney General Phil Weiser, who explain how they work with unrepresented parties. Future videos will include interviews with a water referee and water clerk.

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“Because water in our state constitutionally belongs to the public, the ability to navigate Colorado’s water court system is a fundamental access-to-justice issue,” said Josh Boissevain, attorney with the Colorado Water Trust. "These videos will help reduce barriers for self-represented parties by clearly explaining key processes and expectations.”

The committee began the project following discussions of the 2019 University of Denver Water Law Review article “Understanding and Improving the Pro Se Litigant Experience in Water Court.” The authors, including the late Honorable Gregory J. Hobbs, Jr., the Honorable Susan Ryan, and water attorneys Boissevain and Lindsey Ratcliff, conducted a quantitative and qualitative assessment of pro se cases across the seven water court divisions. The authors found that providing more assistance to pro se parties would improve outcomes not only for them, but for all parties in water court.

“The water court process can be overwhelming, especially for parties without legal representation,” said Judge Ryan. “By providing an overview of the water court process and who is involved in that process, the video series gives meaningful insight and access to a complex legal process, ensuring that all parties have a fair and full opportunity to be heard by the court.”

Professor MacGregor was well suited to lead the video project as the former director of �鶹��Ѱ�����Law’s Acequia Assistance Project, housed in the Getches-Wilkinson Center. The project brings together students and private practitioners to provide pro bono services related to land and water rights for Hispano farmers in southern Colorado.

“We’ve connected communities to the water courts for 14 years. That experience was crucial as we decided what information an unrepresented litigant would need and how that information could be presented in an easily understood and useful way,” said MacGregor.

For additional information on pro se resources and water cases, .