Ms. Thompson has practiced water and natural resources law for over 20 years including federal reclamation litigation and state water rights adjudications. 

Ms. Thompson has significant experience representing water conservancy districts, and other water providers, before the state and federal courts on issues ranging from water adjudications, water supply projects, to federal environmental challenges, standing, and contractual obligations. 

Ms. Thompson also represents other public clients including a ground water management district, with extensive experience in administrative proceedings. 

Ms. Thompson has worked with the New Mexico Attorney General office since 2010 on both federal district court litigation (involving NEPA claims, federal reclamation law, and New Mexico state water law issues) and in compact interpretation and compliance in an ongoing case before the United States Supreme Court. 

Legal Experience

Trout Raley, Colorado
President and Shareholder (2012 – Present) and Associate Attorney (2004 – 2012). Natural resources firm with emphasis in water and environmental law and litigation. Represents a variety of clients including water conservancy districts, municipal corporations, ground water management district, and real estate developers in both state and federal litigation.

Litigation Support Counsel, State of New Mexico (2011 – Present), federal court litigation relating to the operation of the Rio Grande Project, and Special Assistant Attorney General in Texas v. New Mexico, Supreme Court of the United States (2013).

Professional Experience
Environmental Planner II, Carter & Burgess, Inc.
Denver, CO (May 1998 – August 2001)
Consulted for public and private sectors in NEPA compliance, Clean Water Act permitting, Endangered Species Act consultation, and cultural resources analysis; worked extensively with engineers and managed Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements for the Department of Transportation in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Arkansas.

Awards and acknowledgments
Listed in Best Lawyers® for Water Law and Environmental Law

Advanced Courses
National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), completion of intensive training in Trial Skills Program, Rocky Mountain region.

Relevant Publications and Presentations
Colorado Water Law, Speaker, CATA Annual Conference (2022-present)
CLE Speaker, Law of the Rio Grande, 2017.
Contributor, ACQUIRING, USING AND PROTECTING WATER IN COLORADO (3rd ed. 2011).
The Twenty-First Annual Water Law Conference, Into the Twenty-First Century: Water Rights, Water Supply, Water Quality, San Diego, California, February 20– 21, 2003, 6 U. Denv. Water L. Rev. 668 (2003)
Court Report, Raymond Proffitt Found. v. United States Army Corps of Eng'rs, 343 F.3d 199 (3d Cir. 2003), 7 U. Denv. Water L. Rev. 132 (2003)
Court Report, Sierra Club v. Hankinson, 351 F.3d 1358 (11th Cir. 2003), 7 U. Denv. Water L. Rev. 469 (2004)
Court Report, Miccosukee Tribe of Indians v. S. Fla. Water Mgmt. Dist., 280 F.3d 1364 (11th Cir. 2002), 6 U. Denv. Water L. Rev. 171 (2002)
Court Report, Georgia v. United States Army Corps of Eng'rs, 302 F.3d 1242 (11th Cir. 2002), 6 U. Denv. Water L. Rev. 175 (2002)