Shareholder/Director

Mr. Utton was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1965. He graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia majoring in economics in 1987. Mr. Utton earned his J.D. degree from Stanford Law School in 1990, where he was a member of the editorial board of the Stanford Law & Policy Journal.

After graduation from law school, Mr. Utton served as a law clerk to the Honorable James A. Parker, U.S. District Court Judge, in Albuquerque, New Mexico from 1990 to 1992. He then worked as a Special Prosecutor from 1992 to 1995 at the Office of the New Mexico Attorney General. In 1995, Mr. Utton joined the law firm of Sheehan & Sheehan, P.A. as an associate, becoming a shareholder in 1998.

Mr. Utton practices primarily in the areas of water rights, administrative law and water planning; federal and state water rights litigation, including stream system adjudications; land use planning and zoning; and real estate and development. His clients have included private and public entities throughout the State of New Mexico requiring representation in these areas. He is certified by the New Mexico Board of Legal Specialization as a Natural Resources Specialist in Water Law.

Mr. Utton has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of New Mexico Law School, teaching classes in natural resources and water law. He is a member of the American Bar Association Committees on Water Resources and Land Use Law.

Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Phone: 505-247-0411
Fax: 505-842-8890
Email: jwu@sheehansheehan.com

Honors and Awards

• Certified as a Natural Resources Specialist in Water Law by the New Mexico Board of Legal Specialization
• The Best Lawyers in America (Water and Natural Resources Law), 2006 – Present

Areas of Practice

• Water Law
• Administrative Law
• Land Use Planning and Zoning
• Real Estate

Bar Admissions

• New Mexico, 1990
• Colorado, 1994
• U.S. District Court, District of New Mexico, 1992
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit, 1992

Education

• Stanford Law School, Stanford, California
  • J.D. – 1990
  • Law Review: Stanford Law & Policy Journal, Editorial Board, 1988 – 1990
• University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
  • B.A. – 1987
  • Honors: With Distinction

Published Works

• New Mexico Water Law Update: Battles of the Rio Grande, Water Resources Committee Newsletter, American Bar Association, April, 2000
• The International Law of Minimum Stream Flows, Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law and Policy, Winter, 1999
• Commission for Environmental Cooperation Links Trade and Environment, International Environmental Law Committee Newsletter, October, 1999

Representative Clients

• New Mexico State University
• Santa Fe County
• The Association of Acequia Nortenas
• Doña Ana County
• Fort Sumner Irrigation District
• City of Raton

Classes/Seminars

• Indian Water Rights Settlements and the Environment, Western States Water Council, 2007
• Land Use and Water Supply, CLE International, 2005
• Assuring a Water Supply: Water Rights Transfers, State Engineer Administration and Water Reuse, Lorman Education Services, 2002
• New Mexico Water Law Overview: State Engineer Administration and Conjunctive Management of Ground and Surface Water, New Mexico Real Property Institute, 2001
• Regional and Local Water Suppliers, CLE International, 2001
• Seminar on Advanced Water Law, University of New Mexico School of Law, 1999
• Advanced Natural Resources Writing, University of New Mexico School of Law, 1999

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Western States Water Council, Council Member
• Santa Fe Watershed Association, Board Member

Past Employment Positions

• Office of the New Mexico Attorney General, Special Prosecutor, 1992 – 1995
• Hon. James A. Parker, United States District Judge, District of New Mexico, Law Clerk, 1990-1992