Michelle Bryan

Growing up in farming, ranching and recreation-based communities in the West, near tribal lands, inspired Michelle Bryan to pursue a career practicing and teaching natural resources and environmental law. Besides being a law professor, Bryan served as president of the Montana Justice Foundation and is currently a governor appointee on the Small Business Compliance Assistance Advisory Council. Bryan graduated from the UM School of Law with high honors and was an editor of the Montana Law Review. She also graduated with high honors from Montana State University, in both the honors program and political science. As a policy specialist for the Montana Water Center, she wrote a series of articles for Montana newspapers and water law manuals for Montanans. She publishes extensively on the protection of tribal sacred waters, local-federal land use collaboration, the relationship between land and water use, water rights law, water planning for climate change, balancing environmental and land use rights, public trust in water use and comparative natural resource law.

Michelle Bryan is an inspiration, role model and mentor to the many women students whose lives she touches.