Washburn University School of Law Celebrates Prestigious Clyde O. Martz Teaching Award Win by Professor Burke Griggs

    Topeka, Kan. — Washburn University School of Law proudly announces that the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law has awarded Professor Burke Griggs the 2024 Clyde O. Martz Teaching Award. This accolade is the most prestigious teaching award for natural resources law professors in the United States. Extraordinarily, Washburn Law has the distinction of producing two Martz award winners—Emeritus Professor David Pierce and now Griggs.

The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law is dedicated to promoting the teaching of natural resources and energy law, including specialties such as oil and gas, mining, renewable energy, water, public lands, environmental protection and Indigenous Peoples law, from both U.S. and international perspectives. The Clyde O. Martz Teaching Award, named after the eighth president of the foundation and a pioneering professor in the field, honors those who have demonstrated excellence in teaching natural resources and energy law. The award criteria emphasize meritorious teaching, fostering a broad understanding of the law, mentoring students and innovative instructional style, all of which Griggs embodies.

Griggs, along with Vanessa Casado Pérez, a professor at Texas A&M School of Law, has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to the field. At Washburn Law, he teaches courses in property, water law, oil and gas law, public land law and legal history. He also serves as director of Washburn’s Natural Resources Law Center and contributes to the law school’s agricultural law and rural practice programs. Griggs’s extensive academic background includes a J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law and a B.A. and Ph.D. in History from Stanford and Yale, respectively. His interdisciplinary approach enriches his teaching, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the historical and cultural aspects of water law.

Dean Jeffrey Jackson praised Griggs’s achievements, stating, "Professor Griggs exemplifies the highest standards of both teaching and scholarship in natural resources and energy law. His dedication to his students and his field is truly inspiring. Having two Martz award winners underscores Washburn Law’s commitment to excellence and leadership in natural resources legal education and leadership.”

This recognition not only honors Griggs’s individual excellence but also enhances Washburn Law’s reputation as a leader in the field. The achievement of having two recipients of the Clyde O. Martz Teaching Award highlights Washburn Law’s distinguished position among law schools.

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Washburn University School of Law – ABA-Accredited Since 1923

Washburn University School of Law was founded in 1903 with 41 students enrolled in the first class. Almost 120 years later, our worldwide network of more than 7,000 alumni includes nationally recognized lawyers, state and federal judges, Kansas Supreme Court Justices, politicians, television journalists and senior executives of Fortune 500 companies and national legal associations. Washburn University School of Law is dedicated to providing its students with a rigorous and comprehensive legal education, and its tradition of excellence in teaching is enhanced by its innovative Third Year Anywhere® program and seven Centers for Excellence: the Business and Transactional Law Center, the Center for Excellence in Advocacy, the Center for Law and Government, the Children and Family Law Center, the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Center, the International and Comparative Law Center, and the Oil and Gas Law Center. In July 2023, the School of Law moved to Robert J. Dole Hall, a state-of-the-art facility named after the former Senator and Washburn Law alumnus. For more information about Washburn Law, visit washburnlaw.edu.