Sawyer Connelly

Sawyer focuses his practice on mining, energy and public lands matters, with particular attention to the complex intersection of these industries with Federal Indian Law, from resource development near or on tribal lands to consultation and trust responsibilities that shape project timelines and outcomes. He guides clients through permitting and regulatory compliance and represents them in litigation when disputes arise, bringing a comprehensive perspective to matters that span the full lifecycle of natural resource development, from securing initial approvals to defending contested outcomes. Sawyer’s background in environmental science and public lands policy sharpens this practice, giving him a grounded, technically informed perspective on the regulatory and natural-resource issues at stake. Sawyer also maintains a secondary practice in water rights, real property and construction litigation.

Before joining Parsons Behle & Latimer, Sawyer served as a law clerk for the Honorable Brian M. Morris, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.

Sawyer received his J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law, where he graduated with Honors. Sawyer served as editor-in-chief of the Public Land and Resources Law Review while in law school and served as a teaching assistant for constitutional law and legal research and writing. 

Before starting law school, Sawyer spent six years working in public lands policy for various NGOs, state government and the federal government. Prior to his work in public lands policy, he was a fly-fishing guide in Colorado and Norway. 

Sawyer enjoys spending time with his wife and friends exploring Montana’s forests and rivers and bird hunting with his two bird dogs.