Feature Stories
James Spaanstra, '74
As a partner for Faegre and Benson environmental and natural
resources practice in Denver, Colorado James Spaanstra, ’74 advises
his clients on national and international initiatives that regulate
greenhouse gas emissions. These clients include industrial,
commercial, and governmental businesses who he advises in the matters
of federal environmental law. He has also helped to draft and develop
these laws at local, state, and federal levels.
Before his
career at Faegre and Benson, Spaanstra worked for the Carter
administration as a staff attorney for the Council of Environmental
Quality. During this appointment, he advised President Carter on
national environmental policy.
During his career, Spaanstra
has earned many recognitions including International Who’s Who of
International Lawyers, Environment Law’s The Best Lawyer in America,
as well as mention in several environmental publications. He has also
held appointments on the Colorado Climate Action Plan Advisory Panel,
Board of Trustees for Colorado School of Mines, as chairman for
Jefferson County Planning Commission, and as chairman for the Colorado
Commission on Judicial Discipline.
After graduating from
Grand Valley State University with a bachelor’s of science, Spaanstra
continued his education and received his Juris Doctorate from the
University of Michigan in 1977.
He currently resides in
Denver, Colorado
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