Environmental Law

ID Specific

Water Rights in Idaho

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Idaho CLE Approved 6 Total
Oregon CLE Approved 6 Total
OnDemand
5 hours 58 minutes
Arthur Macomber
Maximilian Bricker
Caitlin Skulan
Norman Semanko
With Arthur B. Macomber from Law Office of Arthur B. Macomber + 3 others
Recorded August 21, 2025
Product ID 99903

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Overview

Protect Your Client's Water Rights and Use

The fight for "liquid gold" is getting ugly. With developers, government officials, energy companies, tribal leaders, utility companies, farmers, and others putting water in their crosshairs, more and more attorneys are taking on these complicated cases. This focused legal program is packed with the latest and greatest legal strategies for protecting your client's water rights and use. Whether you're an experienced water law attorney or new to the practice area, this program will provide you with practical tools to tackle water law cases. Register today!

  • Gain the tools you need to handle evaluation, development, adjudication, legislation, and acquisition of water rights.
  • Get the fundamentals of water law down, learn critical terminology and find out how to simplify the adjudication process.
  • Hear the most recent case law, review recent legislative updates, and understand the interaction between federal, state, and local water law regulations.
  • Learn how to evaluate water rights, what evidence you need to look for, where to get it and how to apply it to litigation.
  • Discover real-world techniques for handling leasing, modification, exchange, transfer, purchase, and sale of water rights.
  • Find out practical strategies for handling ownership and lease disputes, condemnation disputes, easement challenges, and application disputes from experienced attorney faculty.
  • Examine emerging hydraulic fracturing, tribal, and geothermal water law issues.
  • Overcome ethical challenges of representing more than one client in a river system.

Abbreviated Agenda

  1. Prior Appropriation Water Law Made Simple
  2. Legislation, Regulation and Case Law Update
  3. Handling the Application, Lease, Transfer and Sale of Water Rights
  4. Water Rights Evaluations
  5. Handling Water Rights Disputes: Adjudication Procedures and Litigation Tips
  6. Current Issues, Legal Challenges and Recent Trends
  7. Ethics and Water Law

Related Topics

Product ID 99903

Credit Details

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Idaho CLE Approved 6 Total
Oregon CLE Approved 6 Total
Select Jurisdiction
CLE

Agenda

All times are shown in

  1. Prior Appropriation Water Law Made Simple

    1. Water Law Fundamentals - A Brief Overview
    2. Determination/Allocation of Water Rights
    3. Water Law Terminology for Attorneys
    4. Overview of the Administrative System
    5. Visual Aids of State Water Bodies, Rivers and Streams - What Water is Being Disputed and Why

  2. Legislation, Regulation and Case Law Update

    1. State and Local Water Law Update
    2. Federal Legislation and Regulations
    3. Federal, State and Local Regulations and Compliance Update
    4. Recent Case Law

  3. Handling the Application, Lease, Transfer and Sale of Water Rights

    1. Applying for Water Rights - From Basic to Complex
    2. Leases
    3. Modifications
    4. Exchanges
    5. Transfers
    6. Purchase/Sale of Water Rights
    7. Negotiating and Drafting Agreements

  4. Water Rights Evaluations

    1. Determining Validity/Ownership and Due Diligence Reviews
    2. Title and Survey Reviews
    3. Inspections
    4. Expert Witness Tips - Consulting with a Water Resources Engineer and Other Water Experts
    5. Applying Hydrology, Groundwater Modeling and Nanotechnology to Litigation Strategies
    6. Proving How Much Was Used, How Much They Need to Use and When They Started Using it
    7. Determining Future Supply

  5. Handling Water Rights Disputes: Adjudication Procedures and Litigation Tips

    1. The Adjudication Process
    2. Ownership Disputes
    3. Condemnation Disputes
    4. Lease Disputes
    5. Opposing an Application for New Water Rights
    6. Modification Disputes
    7. Easement Disputes

  6. Current Issues, Legal Challenges and Recent Trends

    1. Tribal Water Rights
    2. Hydraulic Fracturing- Water Use in the Oil and Gas Industries
    3. Current Water Quality Standards/Contamination Issues
    4. Drought Challenges
    5. Overcoming Ditch Company Challenges
    6. Local and Municipal Initiatives, Utilities and Development Projects

  7. Ethics and Water Law

    1. Multiparty Representation and Ethical Challenges
    2. Compliance Issues, Risks and Ethics
    3. Replacement Plans and Reclamation: Avoiding Ethical Pitfalls

Who Should Attend

This basic level seminar is designed for those who are involved in water right disputes and transactions, use, regulation, and protection of water resources. The following should attend:

  • Attorneys
  • Government Officials
  • Engineers
  • Regulators
  • Energy Companies
  • Water Management Specialists
  • Real Estate Developers
  • Landmen
  • Paralegals

Speakers

Arthur B Macomber
Arthur B.
Macomber
Law Office of Arthur B. Macomber
Maximilian C Bricker
Maximilian C.
Bricker
Somach Simmons & Dunn
Caitlin Skulan
Caitlin
Skulan
Schroeder Law Offices, P.C.
Norman M Semanko
Norman M.
Semanko
Parsons Behle & Latimer
Speaker bio
Arthur B Macomber

Arthur B. Macomber

Law Office of Arthur B. Macomber
Arthur Macomber

has practiced real property law in the Inland Northwest since 2006. Over a fifteen-year period, he built a private practice from a solo practice to six attorneys (including the new owner in 2021) practicing in three states. That firm was sold in 2021, and Mr. Macomber is now a solo practitioner again. He has published widely on real estate issues in the Idaho State Bar's Advocate Magazine; taught contracts drafting at Gonzaga University School of Law, and contracts for paralegals at North Idaho College; and presented "Resolving Boundary Disputes" and "Avoiding, Identifying, and Resolving Ethical Issues in Land Transactions and Disputes" for continuing legal education credit before attorneys and real-property-related professionals. Mr. Macombert also created and held 24 free public seminars for north Idaho landowners and citizens interested in the North Idaho Water Adjudication. He earned his J.D. degree at Hastings College of Law at the University of California and his undergraduate degree at George Fox University. Mr. Macomber is admitted to practice Idaho and Montana.

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Speaker bio
Maximilian C Bricker

Maximilian C. Bricker

Somach Simmons & Dunn
Maximilian Bricker

represents public and private clients across the western U.S. on a variety of water-related matters, from facilitating water rights transactions to assisting with legislation to litigating before administrative agencies or in court. Prior to practicing water law, he co-managed farming operations for his family's 33-acre walnut orchard near Visalia, California. That real-world work experience shapes his understanding of the water supply challenges clients face amid varying climate conditions. The Association of California Water Agencies awarded Mr. Bricker its 2021 Stephen K. Hall Water Law & Policy scholarship, given annually to a graduate student who is dedicated to working for a safe and stable water supply through sound water management policies. While at Sturm College of Law, he was a staff editor and court reports editor for University of Denver Water Law Review. Before law school, Mr. Bricker graduated from Cal Poly with degrees in agricultural systems management and agricultural business. He has served as the general manager of Henry Miller Water District near Bakersfield, California, and worked for J.G. Boswell Company where he oversaw the installation and operation of various irrigation systems and participated in the preparation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans. Mr. Bricker is admitted to practice in Colorado, California, Idaho and Oregon.

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Speaker bio
Caitlin Skulan

Caitlin Skulan

Schroeder Law Offices, P.C.
Caitlin Skulan

is an attorney with Schroeder Law Offices, P.C. Her areas of practice include agricultural, municipal, and irrigation district water use permitting, extensions, perfection, transfers, compliance, and protection; vested claim and historical water use research and adjudication; groundwater interference and connection; water use in designated, critical and limited areas; public lands (easements/right-of-way, permitting use, grazing); agribusiness and business incorporation and formalities; and litigation. Ms. Skulan earned her J.D. degree and certificate in natural resource and environmental law from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College, and her B.S. degree in natural resource sciences from Northland College. She is admitted to practice in Nevada, Idaho, Federal District of Nevada, Federal District of Idaho, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

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Speaker bio
Norman M Semanko

Norman M. Semanko

Parsons Behle & Latimer
Norman Semanko

is an attorney at Parsons Behle & Latimer in the firm's water law practice group. He has more than 30 years of experience with water resources, environmental, natural resources, land use, public lands and regulatory issues. Mr. Semanko represents clients on water law, environmental and land use matters before government agencies and in state and federal courts. He has been an adjunct professor and lecturer at several law schools and colleges and is a frequent conference speaker. Mr. Semanko has testified before Congress, state legislative committees and other governmental bodies on numerous occasions. He previously served as executive director and general counsel for the Idaho Water Users Association, monitoring water issues, analyzing federal and state legislation and regulations; advocating in the state legislature before Congress, and various agencies, and provided legal advice and services to the association, including litigation and appeals. Mr. Semanko also served as a legislative assistant in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, handling water, environment and natural resource issues. He is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center.

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In the unlikely event that NBI cancels or reschedules an upcoming program, each registered attendee will be contacted via email by a representative of NBI. Outreach to attendees begins as soon as NBI is made aware that a program will not move forward at its originally scheduled date and time.
Are multiple attendee discounts available?
Yes, the more people you bring from your organization, the more you save. After the first registration, each additional attendee receives a special discount off of their total tuition.
When will the OnDemand be available and how long will I have access to the content?
The OnDemand Video will be available to stream within 14 days of live broadcast date. You will have access to the content for 6 months in your account. If you’re a subscriber, you’ll have access to your course recordings until 7 days after the expiration date of the subscription.
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When you enroll prior to the live event date you will receive access to the live-streaming webinar which will allow you to interact with faculty in real-time. With each course, you will receive access to the content via OnDemand Streaming and the Video Download. Course reference materials are included with each course purchase in a downloadable PDF format.
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While only paid registrants can receive continuing education credit for attending, there are no limitations to the number of viewers at each connection.

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