About
Barton Thompson is the Robert E. Paradise Professor of Natural Resources Law and Professor of Environmental Social Sciences at Stanford University. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, where he directs the Water in the West program, and a Senior Fellow (by courtesy) at the Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Studies. His work focuses on improving water and natural resource management through legal, institutional, and technological innovation.
- Roles: Chair of the Resources Legacy Fund and Stanford Habitat Conservation Board; California trustee of The Nature Conservancy; board member of American Farmland Trust, Sonoran Institute, and Santa Lucia Conservancy.
- Professional Experience: Former partner at O’Melveny & Myers; law clerk to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Judge Joseph T. Sneed.
Research Interests center on the intersection of law, environmental policy, and resource sustainability. His work addresses global challenges in water governance, emphasizing collaborative frameworks across legal, institutional, and technological domains.
Scientific Awards & Honors include:
- Senior Fellow, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
- Senior Fellow (by courtesy), Stanford Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Studies
- Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution
