As a child, Steve Clyde ('75) watched his father, one of the premier water lawyers in the United States, meeting with clients and walking ditch banks throughout Utah.
"It was a lot of day-to-day work with farmers and ranchers, helping them solve their water problems. Over the course of his career, he received cows, sheep, or occasionally mineral interests to satisfy legal fees because the people he was working with couldn't afford to pay the bills. They were so grateful for his efforts," Clyde recalls.
Edward Clyde, who founded the firm now called Clyde Snow & Sessions, grew up in a sheep ranching family in Heber, Utah. He taught his son, Steve, to remember his origins and be willing to step in and help others.
"That gave me a lot of inspiration," Clyde says. "I admired my dad and emulated him a lot."
Following in his father's footsteps
After graduating from the University of Utah with a bachelor's degree in political science, Clyde decided to attend Utah Law, where his father had also earned his juris doctor.
"Utah Law had a great reputation in natural resources law, and it seemed like a really good fit for me," he says. "I'm also a history buff and love the history of the West. The Prior Appropriation Doctrine, which affects water rights in the Western United States, is truly history in the making as a common law doctrine. I enjoyed learning about the development of law and how it's changed over time."
Professor Bob Swenson was instrumental in solidifying Clyde's decision to focus on water law. He also enjoyed taking classes from Professor Bob Schmid, who taught oil and gas law. After Clyde graduated in 1975, he weighed an opportunity to work for the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., but ultimately decided to join his father's law firm.
"I knew I would get more experience working with him than I would gain anywhere else. We had more than 17 years working together," Clyde recalls. "It was a wonderful relationship, not only as father and son, but professionally. I would not have given that up for anything."
When Edward Clyde passed away in 1992, Clyde succeeded his father in representing the Central Utah Water Conservancy District as outside general counsel. He has enjoyed working on Utah's Colorado River water issues.
"I've had such a positive experience working with the district because they are problem-solvers. We've tried very hard to address various issues, from endangered species issues with the Colorado River fish to water supply issues and hydrology in the river, so that the Central Utah Project could continue to completion. My work with the district has probably been the most fun and most challenging of my career," he says.
He has also represented irrigation companies, municipalities, farmers, and real estate developers all over the state, is a member of the Utah Water Task Force, and is a lay member of the Legislative Water Development Commission. Broad exposure to solving water problems in all these areas has allowed Clyde to use his legal knowledge and skill in a productive way.
"I have tried to be instrumental in helping modernize Utah’s water law to meet the competing demands on our limited water supply to support our growing population and economy," Clyde says. "Both the Utah Water Task Force and Legislative Water Development Commission have crafted legislation over the past five years or so to make it possible to deliver water to Great Salt Lake, largely through voluntary, market-based solutions. That task is far from over, but progress has been made."
Clyde also has a personal connection to working on Great Salt Lake legislation.
"I have some health issues largely caused by environmental conditions surrounding the lake," he says. "However, the work is also rewarding because it's a good thing to do for society as a whole. It's what's made the water law practice fun for me."
Utah Business Magazine recently recognized Clyde's years of water law service with its new Green Business Award, which Clyde says came out of the blue.
"I was flattered and honored to have been selected and appreciated, and I'm thankful to Professor Brig Daniels and Adjunct Associate Professor Beth Parker for the nomination," he says. "I'm nearing the end of my career, and that reward is now a nice feather in my cap."
Giving back to Utah Law
Clyde also worked as an adjunct professor at Utah Law for 10 years after the late Professor Bob Swenson retired.
"Bob recommended me as an adjunct professor when he retired, which was awfully kind of him. I thought it spoke volumes of the fact that I had earned some credibility in the Bar at that point," he recalls. "I really enjoyed interacting with students. They were so bright, inquisitive and challenging. Every time I left the classroom after I dealt with their questions and worked through things with them, I was thankful I wasn't competing with them in the job market. They were really something."
Though he is no longer teaching, Clyde continues to interact with many of his former students and has hired a number of them over the years, including Emily Lewis, who now also works as an adjunct professor. He continues to meet students and faculty through Wallace Stegner Center conferences and other events at the law school.
"I stayed involved with the school for years through the alumni association and the new building fundraising efforts and enjoyed my interactions with Dean Hiram Chodosh and Dean Bob Adler. Hiram had a great vision for the new law school building, and Bob had the capability to push it home. Working with both of them was a lot of fun," he says. "The new law school building is such a wonderful facility and great learning environment. I'm jealous that I didn't get a chance to attend."
When Clyde was a student, law school was cutthroat and access to professors was difficult. The professors gave lectures and didn't invite a lot of interaction, he recalls. The Westlaw research program did not exist until his third year, so research required reporters and key numbers.
"One time we had an assignment to read a particular case. There was only one copy of it in the law school, so it was locked in the reserve room. A classmate—I have no idea who—cut the case out of the reporter so none of the rest of us could look at it," Clyde says. "Today, the environment in the law school is much friendlier. The students are very congenial, and the faculty is willing to sit and talk with students. It's a much more healthy environment for learning than what I went through."
He notes that Utah Law's clinical programs are preparing students better to practice law.
"The clinics are a milestone improvement. We learned the law, but we didn't know the practical side of it. The first couple years as a practicing lawyer were a steep learning curve," he says. "I think the clinical programs Utah Law offers are wonderful and have turned out some amazingly good young lawyers."
Though he had challenges during his own law school journey, Clyde remains grateful for connections that have endured for decades.
"I made some lifelong friends, and I continue to see them and enjoy their company. I also cherish the relationships I developed with Utah Law faculty members and staff members through my time as an adjunct professor and on the alumni board," he says. "This is a great institution, and I hope to continue giving back to it."
Honoring a half-century of law practice
This year marks 50 years since Clyde graduated from Utah Law and began working at Clyde Snow & Sessions. While he says he never aspired to practice this long, he doesn't yet have retirement plans.
"Right now, work is a really good outlet because it keeps my mind active. I may just work 50 years because I'm still having fun," he says. "While I've slowed down a great deal from what I used to do, I think I'll continue to stay somewhat active in the practice. I've thoroughly enjoyed my work for the Central Utah Water Conservancy District and the people there and their can-do attitudes to solve these big water problems. It's been an incredibly fulfilling part of my life, and I don't want to ever totally walk away from it."