Mr. Shimmin's practice focuses almost exclusively on water law, issues surrounding water law, and water project development. In particular, his experience includes direct and primary responsibility for:

• Adjudication of conditional and absolute water rights, both surface and underground
• Development, adjudication, and administration of plans for augmentation, changes of water rights and exchange cases
• Resolving well permit problems
• Evaluation, including title examination, of water right purchase and sale transactions
• Evaluating and drafting proposed legislation before the Colorado Legislature
• Resolving drainage, seepage, and flooding issues
• Representing applicants for water project funding
• Special counsel to municipalities, special districts, ditch companies, and water users associations
• General counsel to six groundwater management districts, involving extensive work in designated groundwater basins and practice before the Colorado Ground Water Commission

In the course of his client representation, Mr. Shimmin has directly handled significant litigation involving both trial and appellate matters before the State Engineer, Ground Water Commission, District Courts, Water Courts, Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court in Colorado. His clients include both applicants and objectors in water matters.

University of Colorado School of Law, Boulder, Colorado

Magna Cum Laude, Social Science (Emphasis in Political Science)
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

Colorado Supreme Courts Water Court Committee
Colorado Bar Association, Water Law Section
Colorado Ground Water Association
Colorado Water Congress, State Affairs Committee
South Platte Basin Round Table
Colorado Interbasin Compact Committee

Mr. Shimmin is admitted to practice law in the State of Colorado and in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.

Colorado Editor, Western Water Law and Policy Reporter, a monthly water law newsletter for the western United States, 1996-2000.

Impact of the Thornton Case on Future Municipal Water Supply Planning, Colorado Municipal League Convention, Snowmass, Colorado 1997.

Designated Groundwater Issues, Colorado Water Congress Workshops, Denver, Colorado, 1997 and 1998.

"Instream Appropriative Rights - The Fort Collins Experience," Colorado Water Congress Workshop, Colorado Springs, Colorado, September, 1992.

"Pre-Trial Case Preparation in Complex Groundwater Litigation: The Lawyer's Role," Rocky Mountain Groundwater Conference and C.U. Law School Conference, Boulder, Colorado, June, 1992.

"Conflicts Between the Right to Divert and Water Quality," Colorado Water Workshop, Gunnison, Colorado, July 25, 1989.

"The Case for Allowing Diversified Uses for Instream Water Rights," Colorado Bar Association Annual Convention, Colorado Springs, Colorado, September 17, 1987.

"Statutory and Case Law History of Nontributary Groundwater," Colorado Water Congress Workshops, Denver, Colorado, 1985 and 1986.

"El Paso County's Groundwater Management Policy -- Legal Issues," League of Women Voters Workshop, Colorado Springs, Colorado, October 18, 1986.

"Adjudicating Domestic Wells," Public Forum Series of Boulder County Bar Association, Boulder, Colorado, February 19, 1985.

"The Impact of Groundwater Law on Mining: A Survey of the Rules Governing Dewatering of Mines and Utilization of Ground-water" presented at the National Water Well Association Conference on The Impact of Mining on Groundwater, Denver, Colorado, August 27-28, 1984

"Water for Mining and Milling," Small Miners Workshop sponsored by The Mining Record, Golden, Colorado, April 24, 1984.

"The Six-State Ogallala Aquifer Study--a Legal Analysis," ABA Natural Resources Section Conference, Denver, Colorado, April 9, 1984.

"Dam Safety in Colorado," Public Forum Series of Boulder County Bar Association, Boulder, Colorado, December 13, 1983.