Norman M. Semanko

Norman Semanko has more than 30 years of experience with water resources, environmental, natural resources, land use, public lands and regulatory issues. Mr. Semanko represents clients from Parsons Boise and Idaho Falls offices on water law, environmental and land use matters before government agencies and in state and federal courts. He has been an adjunct professor and lecturer at several law schools and colleges and is a frequent conference speaker. He has testified before Congress, State legislative committees and other governmental bodies on numerous occasions. Mr. Semanko has represented clients in Endangered Species Act, National Forest Management Act, NEPA and APA litigation in federal courts, involving salmon, steelhead and caribou as well as recreational access issues. Mr. Semanko currently serves as general counsel for the Family Farm Alliance and as vice chairman of the Litigation Review Committee for the National Water Resources Association (NWRA). He is also a member of the Litigation Advisory Committee for the Mountain State Legal Foundation. He is a past president of NWRA and was previously chairman of NWRAs Federal Affairs Committee. He has served as a member of the Western States Water Council and the Columbia Basin Partnership Task Force. Mr. Semanko previously served as executive director and general counsel for the Idaho Water Users Association, monitoring water issues, analyzing federal and state legislation and regulations, advocating in the State Legislature, before Congress, and various agencies and provided legal advice and services to the Association, including litigation and appeals. He also served as a legislative assistant in both the U. S. Senate and U. S. House of Representatives, handling water, environment and natural resource issues. Mr. Semanko has been recognized as an Idaho Leader in Law by the Idaho Business Review. Mr. Semanko is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center where he served as Student Bar Association vice president and was a member of the Craven Constitutional Law Moot Court team. He received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Idaho.