James Eklund is one of the American West’s leading water lawyers, a fifth-generation Colorado rancher, and a trusted advisor to governments, utilities, developers, and landowners navigating the complexities of water and land. He is a partner at Taft/ Sherman & Howard, where he leads the firm’s Water & Natural Resources practice and represents clients in water-rights litigation, land and infrastructure transactions, interstate compact matters, and natural-resource policy.

James previously served as Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the state’s top water agency, where he led the development of Colorado’s first comprehensive State Water Plan. He also served as Colorado’s Commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission, placing him directly at the center of Colorado River negotiations, drought contingency planning, and interstate compact administration. Earlier in his career, James served as an Assistant Attorney General and later as Legal Counsel to the Governor of Colorado, advising on water, agriculture, natural resources, and environmental policy. His combined experience inside state government, across the Colorado River Basin, and in private practice gives him a uniquely practical understanding of how water law affects land ownership, development, valuation, and risk.

James also brings more than a century of lived knowledge from his family’s Norse Sky Ranch, homesteaded in 1888, where his family has managed irrigated agriculture and water rights for five generations. This background allows him to bridge the gap between legal doctrine and on-the-ground realities for brokers and land professionals.

He has taught courses at both the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Denver, and he is a frequent speaker to national audiences, including the Realtors Land Institute, Colorado Water Congress, AIAI, and numerous universities and industry associations. His work and commentary have appeared in the New York Times, NPR, and many other regional and national outlets. James earned his B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law.