University of Colorado Law School student Victoria (Tori) Matson ('26) is this year’s David Harrison Innovations in Water and Energy Law & Policy Fellow. The Fellowship, initiated in 2010 by partners of the law firm of Moses, Wittemyer, Harrison and Woodruff, P.C. in honor David L. Harrison (Law ‘71), is awarded each year to a Colorado Law student on the basis of academic performance, commitment to public service, and interest in the study of water and energy law and policy. To the extent practicable, each Harrison Fellow will focus on a specific project where the partner organization is advancing innovative solutions for sustainable management of water or related energy resources outside the United States.
This summer, as a Harrison Fellow, Tori has partnered with the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) in Durban, South Africa, to support its legal interventions in reforming water law and policy for marginalized communities. This fellowship will allow Tori to explore her affinity for helping overcome systemic barriers to water rights, refine her legal writing and research skills and gain exposure to legal strategies applied to environmental justice and equitable redistribution of water resources.