Ballard Spahr Litigation Partner Sarah B. Wallace has been nominated for the Colorado Lawyers Committee Individual of the Year award.
Ms. Wallace was selected as a nominee for her pro bono work for what is believed to be the longest-running civil case in Colorado history. The matter concerns the right of landowners in the San Luis Valley to access a 77,500-acre mountainous parcel known as the Taylor Ranch or Cielo Vista Ranch. Their right of access was created in the mid-1800’s, when settlers were promised access to the parcel for uses necessary for their survival, like livestock grazing and firewood collection. More than 100 years later, the parcel was purchased and the new owner fenced off the land, thus setting off almost 40 years of tension. The Colorado Lawyers Committee has been active on the landowners’ behalf for over two decades, and Ms. Wallace, Ballard Spahr associates Alexia C. Chapman, Chad P. Jimenez, and Andrew P. Valencia and Ballard Spahr staff member Sherri Clark became involved in spring 2020. Their work has helped the landowners continue to access the ranch.
“Sarah’s skillful and effective leadership have been a terrific addition to this important fight,” the Colorado Lawyers Committee wrote.
The 2022 Colorado Lawyers Committee Awards presentation will take place September 14 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. MST at the Grand Hyatt Denver.
Original source can be found here.