G. Robert Witmer, Jr., concentrates his litigation practice in the governmental and regulatory fields, particularly in issues involving Indian land claims and sovereignty, land use, and free speech.
Mr. Witmer’s litigation practice includes actions brought by classes and individuals asserting citizen suit, Superfund, constitutional, and Native American land claims in federal courts. He has extensive New York State court experience at both the trial and appellate levels, including arguing ten appeals before the New York Court of Appeals. The Native American land claims in central New York State involve a wide range of sovereignty issues including the taxation and use of Indian land as well as its environmental regulation.
Mr. Witmer has also obtained injunctions on behalf of the National Wildlife Federation against the development of coal leases by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Watt, and on behalf of the New York State Bar Association against the prosecution of the “Granny’s Advisor Goes to Jail Act” by U.S. Attorney General Reno.
Mr. Witmer has appeared before governmental bodies, editorial boards, and various media programs to represent the New York State Bar Association on matters of national and state interest. He has also appeared several times as a panelist on environmental law programs sponsored by the Practising Law Institute and the New York State Bar Association, from whose Environmental Law Section he received the Distinguished Service Award. He is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Law, and was one of seven nominees found “well qualified” by the Commission on Judicial Nomination for appointment by the governor as associate judge of the New York Court of Appeals.