This article originally appeared in the spring 2025 issue of Res Gestae.
Denise Dragoo (JD ’76) credits growing up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the impetus for pursuing a career in environmental and natural resources law. Surrounded by evidence of mining and its history—Colorado Springs was a major coal and gold mining hub during the mid-19th century—Dragoo became interested in this specialty, eventually becoming a trailblazer in her own right and practicing law in a nascent field.
“My parents had a home on the Gold Camp Road, which was the old railroad bed extending from the gold and silver mines in Cripple Creek to Colorado Springs. We were always hiking and exploring the old ghost towns in Cripple Creek. It was hard to ignore the impact of mining,” Dragoo recalls. “There were many scars that could still be seen along stream beds left from antiquated dredge mining activities. Historically, mined ore was hauled along the railroad for processing at a smelter in Colorado Springs. Although the smelter was long abandoned, it was hard to ignore that the area around the smelter had no vegetation. Those early observations impacted me and played into my interest in environmental law.”
Dragoo earned her bachelor’s degree in American history at the University of Colorado. She applied to Utah Law when she learned about a visiting professor there, a pioneer in her field of interest and one of the few teaching environmental law.
“In 1973 when I entered law school, it was early times for environmental and public land law reform, but I was very eager to learn that specialty. It was primarily Owen Olpin and his expertise in the field that was of interest to me,” Dragoo says.
Professor Owen Olpin later became the environmental chair at Utah Law and was well-known for having memorized his students’ names by the first day of class. And Olpin wasn’t the only professor who stood out to Dragoo. She remarks that she had the “greatest generation of law professors” during her time at Utah Law.
“Our law school class was very lucky. There were many professors who had practiced law before they became distinguished at teaching law. Our professors had a lot of good experience and were excellent teachers and role models,” Dragoo says. “Dean Sam Thurman—I remember his very dry sense of humor and his ability to teach ethics and actually make the topic fun! Professor Ronald Boyce used the socratic method to teach evidence, and he was both feared and revered. He went on to become a U.S. magistrate judge. And Professor John Flynn provided insightful career guidance, directing me to a post-graduate LLM program in environmental law. He was wonderful!”
But Dragoo most cherishes the friendships she made at Utah Law and has continued to foster throughout her career. Randy Dryer (’76), she recalls, was “always president of everything and very memorable.” Then there were David Leta (’76) and Cary Jones (’76)—both of whom would later become Dragoo’s colleagues at Snell & Wilmer. She even met her husband, Craig Anderson (’77), in law school.
Striking gold with Gov. Scott Matheson’s administration
Law school provided many opportunities for Dragoo to pursue her passion, including two clerk positions: one with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., and the other with the EPA Regional Counsel Office in Denver, Colorado. With encouragement from Professor Daniel R. Mandelker—another pioneer in environmental law—she continued her legal education, earning her LLM in environmental and land use law from Washington University School of Law.
She worked for the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C., before returning to Utah for a position in Gov. Scott Matheson’s administration.
“Gov. Matheson allowed me to help draft the Utah Coal Mining and Reclamation Act, which gave the state primary regulatory control over coal mines. At the same time, the Intermountain Power Plant was being sited in Delta, Utah, so there was a big demand for coal. The act authorized the state to issue mining and reclamation permits to coal mines conditioned on the posting of bonds to assure they were reclaimed,” Dragoo says.
She also credits Gov. Matheson as a great legal mentor who took a chance on her and encouraged her to work on the bill with industry and environmental stakeholders and the legislature.
“Gov. Matheson was definitely a big inspiration—probably the biggest. He opened doors for me and allowed me the opportunity to work on the mine reclamation legislation. It was the best experience and helped me find my footing,” she says.
Digging deeper into mining law
With some “good government experience” under her belt, Dragoo then went into private practice and quickly encountered clients with questions about the Coal Mining and Reclamation Act. Luckily, she knew just how to help them.
“Clients from the mining industry asked, ‘Do you know anything about this law? How can we obtain a permit?’ Helping to draft the legislation gave me the knowledge needed to assist the coal mine operators with permits, bonding and enforcement actions,” Dragoo recalls. “My principal clients for 40 years of practice were from the coal mining industry. A working knowledge of the act provided a somewhat unique expertise, which definitely helped to generate clients.”
Dragoo’s enthusiasm for the work hasn’t wavered over the years, as she’s found an element of fun in every project and case she’s worked on.
“I’ve enjoyed working with people in the mining industry—they’re the salt of the earth. Plus, I’ve had fun watching mining projects grow from the permitting stage to operation,” she says. “It sometimes requires years to help the client assemble the mining and property rights, acquire local land use approvals and state and federal environmental permits. When the permits are finally approved and the mine is in operation, it’s very satisfying to see that whole process come to fruition and know that you helped the client to make it happen.”
At times, Dragoo found it challenging to navigate the gender dynamics within the mining industry, as some didn’t know what to think of a woman interested in mining law. She pushed forward anyway.
“Initially, it helped to put on a hard hat and take a few trips through an underground mine to reassure the mine operator. However, over time the mining industry has grown to appreciate women working in the mines and as mining lawyers,” she says.
In addition, it helped to work with other lawyers in the mining industry through the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (now the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law), the American Bar Association, and the Utah Mining Association. Dragoo even joined the Alta Club, which was founded by members of the mining industry, and served on their board. In 2020, she became the third woman elected to be president of the club.
Lightening others’ loads
Currently, Dragoo is a partner at Snell & Wilmer’s Salt Lake City office and has enjoyed working with her law school friends.
“David Leta, Cary Jones, and I all arrived at Snell & Wilmer in the late 1990s after practicing in other firms. We all graduated from Utah Law in the same year—1976—and we had a wonderful time in practice together at Snell & Wilmer,” Dragoo says. “David’s specialty was bankruptcy and Cary’s was real estate and finance, but our paths often crossed in surprising ways. We were great colleagues and shared a special bond as ‘the Class of ’76.’ Sadly, Cary passed away last year, and we truly miss his generosity and the stories he could tell regarding our law school professors and classmates.”
Dragoo is also passionate about giving back to the community and has supported organizations such as And Justice for All and the Legal Aid Society in a variety of ways. In addition, she enjoys mentoring new attorneys because it gives her a boost in her practice.
“Community service has been a great way to stay connected with some of my law school friends and still feel like I’m giving back. Anne Milne (’76) recently stepped down as Executive Director of And Justice for All after more than 40 years of service. She has been my friend and colleague since law school, and we have always had fun while serving the community,” Dragoo says. “I also like to participate in the Utah State Bar’s new lawyer training program because it’s inspiring to hear the fresh perspectives of lawyers coming into the profession. Everybody’s always so enthusiastic. I get as much out of the exchange as the mentees.”
And that is ultimately what Dragoo loves most about the law: being able to help people.
“I really enjoy helping clients and seeing a project come to fruition. It’s exciting to use your legal skills to assist, whether the matter involves due diligence for a lender resulting in needed financing, or to help a project obtain the permitting needed to start operations, or a bond to assure it is properly reclaimed. The practice of law has provided me with a very satisfying career,” she says.