James M. Olson

The firm’s senior principal, Jim has over 25 years of legal experience in the specialized practice of Environmental, Land Use, Municipal, Real Estate, Toxic Tort, Hazardous Waste and Natural Resources Law. A graduate of Detroit College of Law, he also earned a postgraduate Master of Law Degree from the University of Michigan Law School in Public Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Law.

Jim has lectured at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Leadership Institute, and at numerous professional associations, universities, and other organizations in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. He has written and published several books, one on Michigan Environmental Law, and numerous articles on environmental and land use subjects.

Jim is a member of the American Bar Association and the Environmental Law Section, State Bar of Michigan, and is a member of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association. He is also licensed to practice law in Colorado.

E-mail: olson@envlaw.com

Publications

• ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
  
  • Michigan Environmental Law
    (Neahtawanta Press, 1981, 344 pp)
    
    
  • "The Michigan Environmental Protection Act:
    An Experiment That Works,"
    64 Michigan Bar Journal 181
    (1985)
    
    
  • "Ecology, Burden of Proof and Ethics,"
    20 Environmental Law 891
    (Sept. 1990)
    
    
  • "Attorney Fees and Costs Allowance According to the Michigan Environmental Protection Act,"
    8 Michigan Environmental Law Journal 1, p. 2
    (1988)
    
    
• PUBLIC LANDS
  • "Public Natural Resource Law: Toward a Public Lands Ethic," 56 Journal of Urban Law 739
    (1979, 250 pp)
    
    
• INTERNATIONAL LITIGATION AND THE GREAT LAKES
  • Cross-Boarder Litigation: Environmental Rights in the Great Lakes Ecosystem
    (Carswell, 1986, 410 pp)
    (co-authored with P. Muldoon & D. Scriven)
    
    
• THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE
  • "Public Trust Doctrine,"
    Michigan Environmental Law Deskbook, ICLE
    (1992)
    (co-authored with J. Noonan)
    
    
  • "The Public Trust Doctrine,"
    1975 Detroit College of Law Review 161
    (1975)
    
    
• ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
  • A Property Owner's Environmental Guidebook: Natural Resources and Environmental Issues in Residential and Small Business Real Estate Transactions
    (Grand Traverse Regional Environmental Institute, 1991)
    (co-authored with J. Noonan)
    
    
• UNCONSTITUTIONAL TAKING OF PROPERTY
  • "The Role of Fairness in Takings Law,"
    3 Urban Law 440
    (1971)
    
    
• LAND USE, ZONING AND REFERENDUM
  • "Beyond Local Zoning: Regionalism and Environmental Duties,"
    1979 Detroit College Law Review 371
    
    
  • "Local Power of Referendum,"
    50 Journal of Urban Law 209
    (1972)

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Admitted to Courts

• All Michigan Courts, including Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and all trial courts
  
  
• All Colorado Courts, including Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and all trial courts
  
  
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
  
  
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit

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Professional Presentations and Other Instruction

He has given the following presentations and instruction:

• Lecturer
  University of Michigan
  New Ground Conference
  (1982)
  
  
• Lecturer
  Universidade Estadual Paulista Campus de Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, Brazil
  (March 1985)
  
  
• Lecturer
  Presentation to Attorney General and Staff
  State of Sao Paulo, Brazil
  (March 1985)
  
  
• Lecturer
  Canadian Administration of Justice Institute
  Environmental Law: Uncertainty and Risk
  (October 1988)
  
  
• Lecturer
  Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  Natural Resources Leadership Institute
  (January, 1988)
  
  
• Lecturer
  University of Michigan Law School
  Symposium on Lucas and Takings Law
  (January 1993)
  

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Reported Decisions

Jim has appeared as an attorney of record for one of the parties or an amicus in the following reported decisions:

• Superior Public Rights v DNR
  80 Mich App 72; 263 NW2d 290
  (1977)
  
  
• PBB Action Committee v DNR
  403 Mich 251; 268 NW2d 240
  (1978)
  
  
• Environmental Action Council v Natural Resources Commission
  405 Mich 741; 275 NW2d 538
  (1979)
  
  
• Cady v Dick Loehr's Inc.
  100 Mich App 543; 299 NW2d 69
  (1980)
  
  
• PBB Action Committee v DNR
  155 Mich App 356; 320 NW2d 376
  (1982)
  
  
• People v Hubbard
  115 Mich App 73; 320 NW2d 294
  (1982)
  
  
• Committee for Sensible Land Use v Garfield Township
  124 Mich App 559; 335 NW2d 216
  (1983)
  
  
• Kalkaska v Shell Oil
  157 Mich App 227; 403 NW2d 474
  (1986)
  
  
• Upjohn v New Hampshire Insurance
  438 Mich 197; 476 NW2d 392
  (1991)
  
  
• Friends of the Crystal River v USEPA
  794 FSupp 674
  (WD Mich, 1992)
  
  
• Friends of the Crystal River v USEPA
  35 F3d 1073
  (CA 6, 1994)
  
  
• Miller Brothers v DNR
  203 Mich App 674; 513 NW2d 217
  (1994)
  
  
• Traverse City Light & Power v Home Insurance Co.
  209 Mich App 112; 530 NW2d 150
  (1995)
  
  
• K & K Const, Inc v DNR
  456 Mich 570; 575 NW2d 531
  (1998)
  
  
• Nemeth v Abonmarche Development Co
  475 Mich 16; 576 NW2d 641
  (April 21, 1998)
  
  
• Burt Township v DNR
  459 Mich 659; 593 NW2d 534
  (1999)

• Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation v Nestle Waters North American Inc.
  2005 WL 3193717; Mich.App.,2005.
  Nov 29, 2005
  

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Professional Associations

• Michigan Bar Association (MBA)
  • MBA Environmental Law Section
  • MBA Real Property Section
  • MBA Administrative Law Section
    
    
• Colorado Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association
  

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