University of Colorado Law School student Jacob Jose (’23) has been named the 2022-2023 Colorado Law Wyss Scholar in U.S. Lands Conservation. Jose, a J.D. candidate, is Colorado Law’s fifth Wyss Scholar. The Wyss Scholars Program, awarded to one Colorado Law student each year, supports graduate-level education for promising leaders in United States land conservation. Recipients receive generous financial assistance to cover the full cost of one year of law school, as well as funds for internship opportunities, research assistance, and postgraduate support. Wyss Scholars learn the latest in conservation law and policy and apply that knowledge in careers at land management agencies and nonprofit conservation groups.
Jacob Jose has leveraged the formal education and practical experiences as a Colorado Law student to develop into a conservation advocate. Last summer, Jacob served as the Colorado Law Harrison Fellow, working with The Nature Conservancy researching and proposing transactional tools to produce water savings in the Colorado River Delta. Currently, he serves as a legal extern at the Fish and Wildlife Service, working to bridge programmatic and legal staff and to ensure conservation goals are achieved. This summer as part of the Wyss Scholar Program summer internship, he will work as a legal intern with the Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resource Division’s Wildlife and Marine Resource Section ensuring that the agencies fulfill their obligations to protect endangered species and their habitats. Jacob envisions these experiences will prepare him to one-day craft policy and apply legal tools to protect and sustain the land, landscapes, and natural resources, from which he draws inspiration.