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Melissa C. Meirink
Associate
Denver Office
 Energy, Environment and Natural Resources
Environmental Compliance
Indian / Native American Law
Historic Preservation
National Environmental Policy Act
Endangered Species
Global Climate Change
Oil & Gas
Minerals
Geothermal
303-295-8354
mcmeirink@hollandhart.com
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EXPERIENCE
Ms. Meirink is a member of the Natural Resources Department where she splits her time between environmental compliance and Indian law. Ms. Meirink's environmental compliance practice focuses on compliance with federal and state environmental regulation. She has experience with NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, and cultural resource protection laws, such as the National Historic Preservation Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Ms. Meirink also has extensive experience with Indian law and with natural resources development on tribal lands. Ms. Meirink has assisted tribal and non-tribal clients in a variety of matters, including jurisdictional issues, tribal employment, environmental remediation, Indian gaming, and negotiations of mineral leases and rights-of-way on tribal lands. She is also actively involved in Holland & Hart's Climate Change Practice Group, particularly on climate-related matters affecting Indian land.
Prior to joining Holland & Hart and while in law school, Ms. Meirink externed as a law clerk for the Honorable Gerry L. Alexander, Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court.
PUBLICATIONS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
BLM Issues Notice of Intent to Revise National Programmatic Agreement, Holland & Hart News Update, December 2009.
FWS 90-Day Finding Concludes Listing Wyoming Pocket Gopher May be Warranted, Holland & Hart News Update, February 2009.
Department of Interior and EPA Conclude in Guidance Documents That Proposed Actions Involving GHG Emissions, Holland & Hart New Update, October 2008.
"Emerging Legal Issues & Approaches to NEPA Compliance for Climate Change," presentation for CLE International Conference on NEPA, San Diego, CA, February 23-24, 2009.
"Programmatic Agreements for Federal Historic Preservation Review and Tribal Consultation--Can they Help Avoid Regulatory Gridlock in the Mineral and Energy Boom?" presented at 54th Annual Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute, Snowmass, Colorado, July 17-19, 2008.
"Programmatic Agreements and Energy: The Promise and Reality of Flexible Regulation," presentation for CLE International Conference on Historic Preservation, Denver, Colorado, February 2008.
"Climate Change on Tribal Lands," panel discussion conducted at the 2007 Indian Land Working Group Symposium, Green Bay, October 2007.
"An Overview of Current Federal Cultural Resource Protection Statutes," presentation given at Legal Trends & Issues Facing the Natural Gas Pipeline Industry, Colorado Springs, October 2006.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
 Secretary, Colorado Indian Bar Association
Member, Colorado Hispanic Bar Association
Member, American Bar Association
Member, Colorado Bar Association
Member, National Hispanic Bar Association
Member, Native American Bar Association
Member, Colorado Women's Bar Association
Member, Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence Retention Working Group
Board Member, Saint Mary's Academy Alumnae Association
Advisory Board, Denver Indigenous Film & Arts Festival
EDUCATION
Seattle University School of Law J.D. 2005
- magna cum laude
- Dean's List
- Dean's Diversity Scholarship Recipient
University of Colorado B.A. 2001
- Dean's List English and History degrees
- Featured in "The National Dean's List 2001"
- Co-President of Phi Alpha Theta, Beta-Epsilon Chapter (History Honors Society)
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