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ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:40:47 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities Cecelia Tecu Mon, 04/27/2026 - 09:40

Widely recognized for its intellectual diversity and originality, the faculty at Colorado Law encompasses an array of prominent legal scholars who are widely cited, both in academia and throughout the national media landscape. We invite you to catch up on the latest faculty publications and media mentions with this weekly roundup.

Media Mentions

[Chris Winter, GWC], Caroline Llanes, Severe Colorado Drought Leads to Water Releases From Upper Basin Reservoirs and Reduced Flows From Lake Powell, KDNK Radio (April 22, 2026).

[Jeanne Segil, Korey Wise Innocence Project], Shelly Bradbury, A Denver Jury Convicted Him of Killing a Baby 26 Years Ago. Now the DA Agrees His Conviction Should be Erased, Denver Post (April 20, 2026).

Shelly Bradbury, Denver Judge Overturns Murder Conviction, Orders Man Freed After 27 Years in Prison, Denver Post (April 21, 2026).

Kiara DeMare, A Denver Man Convicted of Murder Had His Life Sentence Overturned After 28 Years in Prison, Denverite (April 21, 2026).

Matt Kyle, Denver Man Convicted of Baby's Murder Has Conviction Overturned After 27 Years, Denver Gazette (April 21, 2022).

Faculty and Staff Activities

Sloan Speck, TaxProf Blog posts available here.

[Sarah Matsumoto], Ka Yong Kleiner, From Insight to Impact: Meet �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder's Sesquicentennial Faculty Scholars, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder (April 20, 2026).

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog posts available here.

TSLA, How Activists Think (April 22, 2026), Shareholder Primacy (with Mike Levin, Apple podcasts link).

Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money, blog posts available here.

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�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder team competes in 2026 National Ethics Case Competition

Kellen Wilson — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:40:17 +0000

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder team competes in 2026 National Ethics Case Competition Kellen Wilson Mon, 04/27/2026 - 09:40

From left, Ben Shatz, Ayushi Sabnis, Baat Enosh and Amit Karin Rege traveled to Washington, D.C., to compete against 18 other university teams.

A team of law and computer science students from the �鶹��Ѱ�� traveled to Washington, D.C., in April for a competition requiring them to resolve complex business and ethical dilemmas before a panel of judges.

The �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder team, which included J.D. student Ben Shatz, Master of Studies in Laws student Baat Enosh, and computer science graduate students Amit Kiran Rege and Ayushi Sabnis, advanced to the semifinals of the National Ethics Case Competition, where they faced 18 other teams at the Bush School of Government and Public Service.

“It was nice to get to use my theater and business background to represent �鶹��Ѱ��Law in this competition,” Shatz said. “It was my first time in D.C., and I can honestly say I’ve never been anywhere else like it.”

The event included a formal presentation and question-and-answer session testing their abilities to defend principle-based solutions to complex ethical challenges.

“The competition was unique because there was no single ‘right’ answer,” said Rege, the team’s captain. “The primary challenge was synthetizing a wide range of perspectives into a cohesive conclusion that remained bold and opinionated without becoming generic.”

Although Cornell University left with the top prize, the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder team earned the “Most Innovative Solutions” award for its essay, which proposed a comprehensive governance framework for AI model companies.

The competition is led by Texas A&M University in partnership with the Denver-based Daniels Fund.

“This competition develops future leaders to make sound decisions under pressure when there isn’t a clear right answer,” said Hanna Skandera, president and CEO of the Daniels Fund. “The students advancing to Washington have demonstrated not only strong analytical ability, but the judgment and conviction required to lead ethically.”

The team was advised by Associate Professor Melanie Kay, director of the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at Colorado Law.

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Colorado Law student graduates with 573 public service hours

Kellen Wilson — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 20:23:56 +0000

Colorado Law student graduates with 573 public service hours Kellen Wilson Fri, 04/24/2026 - 14:23

Rae Franz-Gilmore and her cat, Obi.

Rae Franz-Gilmore didn’t necessarily intend to tally 573 public service hours in her three years as a Colorado Law student.

But one opportunity led to another, and another, and another—and now, to a career in public service with the Colorado Office of the State Public Defender after she graduates May 8.

“It’s not for the faint of heart, for sure,” Franz-Gilmore said of her decision to advocate for the accused. “But every single person I’ve met has been so encouraging, and the attorneys around me are inspiring me constantly.”

As a child, Franz-Gilmore, now 26, witnessed the legal system firsthand when her mother was incarcerated.

“Growing up, ‘the law’ was something that happened to you, not something you participated in under positive circumstances,” she said. “You didn’t have agency or a sense of hope, even. It was always talked about really negatively.”

So it wasn’t until she started college at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, double majoring in classics and political science, that she began to consider a career in the legal field to advocate for underrepresented communities like the ones she grew up in.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in 2022, Franz-Gilmore worked in Boulder for a year before returning to campus as a law student.

“My freshman dorm is right across the street from the law school, so I was familiar with the area,” she said. “I knew I loved Boulder and that our law school is exceptional."

Despite her familiarity with the community, Franz-Gilmore’s law school years offered no shortage of opportunities to explore new and challenging facets of the law.

She accepted an internship the summer after her 1L year with the Public Defender’s office in Colorado, learning to write legal memos and motions and inspired by the impact her professional colleagues were making. She returned to the Public Defender’s office for the summer after her 2L year, where she represented indigent clients in misdemeanor and juvenile cases under the Student Practice Act.

Alexa Schwartzman, Rae Franz-Gilmore and Megan Mooney stand in front of the Byron White Courthouse in Denver in March 2026 after completing oral arguments for the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

She also volunteered starting her first year with the Korey Wise Innocence Project at Colorado Law, which provides free investigative and legal services to individuals serving time in Colorado prisons for crimes they did not commit. She continued serving with KWIP her second year while simultaneously working as a student attorney with the Criminal Defense Clinic and served as co-president of the Public Interest Student Association.

For the last year, she has worked with Legislation Inside, an innovative program within KWIP that allows incarcerated people in Colorado to propose legislation, give testimony and provide feedback on state law that impacts those in custody—“a voice and perspective that we rarely get to see,” she noted.

Her time at Colorado Law also unlocked an interest in appellate work. She interned with the Public Defender’s appellate division and became part of the winning team at the Rothgerber Moot Court Competition in 2025, a prestigious challenge judged by members of the federal and state appellate benches.

She also worked with Assistant Teaching Professor Matthew Cushing and only five other students in the Appellate Advocacy Practicum course, where they spent eight months working on an actual employment discrimination case. She wrote an opening brief, reply brief and had the “career-defining experience” of arguing before the United States Court of Appeals for the 10^th Circuit in March.

“Rae is so dedicated to public service,” Cushing said. “She worked extremely hard for her client and gave him the best possible shot of winning.”

Several more steps lie between Franz-Gilmore and her professional career—final exams, Commencement, a honeymoon in England with her husband of nine months, Nathan Franz, and preparing for the Colorado Bar Exam.

But to a student who has already accomplished so much, what’s a few more hours?

Public Service Pledge

Although Rae Franz-Gilmore tracked the most hours of any student in the Class of 2026, she wasn’t alone in her commitment to public service. More than 30 students qualified for the Public Service Pledge for completing at least 50 hours of public service while earning their J.D. (or 25 hours while earning their LL.M.)

“As lawyers we are called to use our knowledge of the law for the betterment of society and the improvement of the legal system, regardless of recognition or reward,” said Gabrielle Daley, director of the Schaden Experiential Learning Program. “Each of our students who have done so in any way, big or little, while they have been here have our gratitude and are part of what makes Colorado Law not just an academic institution but a community that I am proud to be a member of.”

Patricia Alquiza
Camryn Anderson
Iuliana Blakely
Grace Burchett
Sofia Carrillo
Madeline Rose Clark
Madison Dobson
Nick Floyd
Liv Hymowitz
Emily Jiminez
Adam Lior-Coll

Hannah Loiselle
Camila Vieira Marinho
Corinne Migliazza
Megan Mooney
Machia Mullens
Samuel Nagle
Olivia Nasatir
Julia O’Rourke
Olivia Palizzi
Bella Pantoja
Hunter Parnell

Haley Rimmer
Olivia Sharp
JJ Slatkin
Zach Thompson
Mac Villagomez-Tapia
McKale Walker
Matt Wilkinson
Tamiris Wollenweber
Mathew Yaeger

Rae Franz-Gilmore will continue her commitment to public service when she takes a position with the Colorado Office of the State Public Defender.

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ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:41:02 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities Cecelia Tecu Mon, 04/20/2026 - 09:41

Media Mentions

[Harry Surden], Akul Saxena, U.S. Courts Navigate Internal AI Adoption as Caseloads Surge, Broadband Breakfast (April 17, 2026).

[Mark Squillace], Jennifer Yachnin, Could The Chavez Monument Be the First to Be Abolished in 50 Years?, E&E News (April 14, 2026).

[Scott Skinner-Thompson], John Ingold, Colorado Supreme Court Appears Split in Lawsuit Against Children's Hospital Over Gender Affirming Care, Colorado Sun (April 15, 2026).

Jonathon E. Sawyer, Why the Supreme Court's Ruling on Conversion Therapy Matters for Schools, EdWeek (April 17, 2026)(discussing Skinner-Thompson's forthcoming Denver L. Rev. essay Gender Therapy False Equivalency).

[Ann Lipton], Stephen Morris, George Hammond, & Sujeet Indap, Elon Musk Hits Legal Losing Streak Ahead of Showdown with OpenAI's Sam Altman, Financial Times (April 12, 2026). (Register for a free direct Financial Times subscription here).

Maryam Jamshidi, Only One Side Has Clearly Broken the Law in the Strait of Hormuz, The Nation (April 17, 2026).

[David Carrillo, Korey Wise Innocence Project], Taylor Dolven, Jared Polis Says Colorado Needs a New Prison ASAP, Even as Crime Has Fallen. How Did We Get Here?, Colorado Sun (April 13, 2026).

Faculty and Staff Activities

Scott Skinner-Thompson (panelist), Whose History and Tradition? The Roberts Court on Privacy Rights and Personal Autonomy, Cardozo Law Review Symposium (upcoming, April 24, 2026).

Sloan Speck, TaxProf Blog posts available here.

Gregor MacGregor (AAP)(moderator), �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder 150th: The University of Colorado’s Forgotten Land-grant Origins and the Future of Public Impact, Conference of World Affairs (April 13, 2026).

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog posts available here.

How Proxy Votes Worked at SBUX (April 15, 2026), Shareholder Primacy (with Mike Levin, Apple podcasts link).

Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money, blog posts available here.

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ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:54:18 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities Cecelia Tecu Mon, 04/13/2026 - 09:54

Media Mentions

[Mark Squillace], Jason Blevins, River Access in Colorado Has Been Contentious For a Half a Century. Legislators are Still Stymied, Colorado Sun (April 7, 2026).

Scott Skinner-Thompson, The Court's Conversion Therapy Decision Endangers LGBTQ+ Youth, ACS Expert Forum (April 6, 2026)

[Vivek Krishnamurthy], Anja Karadeglija, Verdicts Against Meta, Google in U.S. Could Boost Canadian Big Tech Lawsuits, The Canadian Press (April 9, 2026).

[Anne Castle, GWC], Brooke Larsen, Lake Powell's Water Forecast Was Bad. A Record-Hot March Made it Worse, Salt Lake Tribune (April 9, 2026).

Faculty and Staff Activities

Harry Surden (panelist), Beyond Efficiency: Building Reliability into Courtroom Use of Artificial Intelligence, Stanford Law School Codex Future Law 2026 (upcoming, April 16, 2026).

Sloan Speck, TaxProf Blog posts available here, including Speck Reviews Mann and Roberts's The Long and Winding Road.

Helen Norton (panelist), 34th Annual Rothgerber Conference, Byron White Center (April 10, 2026).

Professor Helen Norton to Deliver 2026 Commencement Remarks, Colorado Law (April 8, 2026).

Ann Lipton's Every Billionaire is a Policy Failure, 18 V. L. & Bus. Rev. 327 has been selected as one of the Top 10 Corporate and Securities Articles of 2025 by Corporate Practice Commentator's annual poll of academic teachers in corporate and securities law.

Business Law Prof Blog posts available here.

Precatory Proposal at BJ, Activism at SNAP (April 8, 2026), Shareholder Primacy (with Mike Levin, Apple podcasts link).

Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss (panelist), Higher Education and Democracy: Past, Present and Future, Council on World Affairs (upcoming April 13, 2026 at 1pm at Limelight Flatiron). Register via CWA to Attend

Deep Gulasekaram (moderator), 34th Annual Rothgerber Conference, Byron White Center (April 10, 2026)

Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money, blog posts available here.

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Aden Choate and Leah Dory Named 2026 David Harrison Innovations in Water and Energy Law & Policy Fellows

Cecelia Tecu — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:09:04 +0000

Aden Choate and Leah Dory Named 2026 David Harrison Innovations in Water and Energy Law & Policy Fellows Cecelia Tecu Wed, 04/08/2026 - 11:09

This story was originally published on the Getches-Wilkinson Center Blog on 03/20. Click here to view the original post.

Aden Choate ('28)

University of Colorado Law School students Aden Choate ('28) and Leah Dory ('28) are this year’s David Harrison Innovations in Water and Energy Law & Policy Fellows. The Fellowship, initiated in 2010 by partners of the law firm of Moses, Wittemyer, Harrison and Woodruff, P.C. in honor David L. Harrison (Law ‘71), is awarded each year to a Colorado Law student on the basis of academic performance, commitment to public service, and interest in the study of water and energy law and policy. This year, for the first time, we are thrilled to support two Harrison Fellows.

Aden Choate is a first-year law student from Charleston, IL, with a keen interest in environmental governance and water law. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service in 2021, where she majored in Culture & Politics with a focus on political ecology in the Andean region. While studying abroad in Ecuador, she first encountered rights-of-nature frameworks, which the country codified in its 2008 constitution to grant legal rights to natural bodies. Before law school, Aden worked for three years as a journalist, most recently as a staff reporter in Provincetown, MA, covering local government. Her reporting on water-related conflicts sparked her interest in water law and its role in community governance. Through the Harrison Fellowship, she looks forward to advancing her understanding of rights-of-nature frameworks and comparative water law, and to building a foundation to further explore their applications for water security in the United States.

Leah Dory ('28)

Leah Dory is a first-year law student interested in water law and policy. Inspired by growing up on a farm in Colorado, interning with a U.S. senator, and studying water policy in China, Leah is interested in the ways law shapes our relationship to water, land, and one another. Through the Harrison Fellowship, Leah seeks to engage more deeply at the intersection of law and environmental systems while learning new ways to advance the sustainable management of water. Leah is a Student Deputy Director of the Acequia Assistance Project, the incoming Vice President of NALSA, and ELS Bar Association Liaison and Coordinator for the �鶹��Ѱ��Undergraduate Colorado Water Fellows. When not reading for class, Leah climbs rocks, makes stained glass art, and plays in the snow.

University of Colorado Law School students Aden Choate ('28) and Leah Dory ('28) are this year’s David Harrison Innovations in Water and Energy Law & Policy Fellows. The Fellowship, initiated in 2010 by partners of the law firm of Moses, Wittemyer, Harrison and Woodruff, P.C. in honor David L. Harrison (Law ‘71), is awarded each year to a Colorado Law student on the basis of academic performance, commitment to public service, and interest in the study of water and energy law and policy. This year, for the first time, we are thrilled to support two Harrison Fellows.

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Piper Lacy ('27) and Lex Padilla ('27) Named 2026-27 Colorado Law Wyss Scholars

Cecelia Tecu — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:01:53 +0000

Piper Lacy ('27) and Lex Padilla ('27) Named 2026-27 Colorado Law Wyss Scholars Cecelia Tecu Wed, 04/08/2026 - 11:01

This story was originally published on the Getches-Wilkinson Center Blog on 03/22. Click here to view the original post.

University of Colorado Law School students Piper Lacy (’27) and Lex Padilla (’27) have been named the 2026-2027 Colorado Law Wyss Scholars in U.S. Lands Conservation. The Wyss Scholars Program, funded by the Wyss Foundation, is awarded to two Colorado Law students each year. The scholars program supports graduate-level education for promising leaders in United States land conservation. Recipients receive generous financial assistance to cover the full cost of one year of law school, as well as funds for internship opportunities, research assistance, and postgraduate support. Wyss Scholars learn the latest in conservation law and policy and apply that knowledge in careers at land management agencies and nonprofit conservation groups.

Piper Lacy (’27)

Piper Lacy’s connection to the land and commitment to environmental conservation developed while she was growing up on her family’s farm in Western Massachusetts. As an undergraduate at Mount Holyoke College, Piper leaned into her passion for environmental stewardship and created a Sustainable Agriculture and Food Justice Fellowship with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts at its Hadley Farm. This led her to study sustainable agriculture as an avenue for promoting land conservation and combating climate change.

Before law school, Piper worked as a soil ecology and cropping systems lab technician at Montana State University and the University of Massachusetts. Conducting research on farmland in rural Montana highlighted the environmental harms caused by mainstream agricultural practices and the vulnerability of rural communities. Inspired by this experience, Piper decided to pursue a legal career focused on promoting sustainable agriculture, land conservation, and community resilience.

Piper’s background in soil science and sustainable agriculture has influenced her to pursue a legal career that involves range management and restoration of native grasslands and forests. Because so much public and private land in the United States is used for agricultural purposes, Piper hopes to engage in work that reduces the negative impacts of agriculture on biodiversity, water quality, and soil health.

As a student at Colorado Law, Piper has taken advantage of opportunities to become a part of and contribute to Colorado Law’s environmental law community as a member of the board of the Colorado Environmental Law Society and as Lead Notes Editor for the Colorado Environmental Law Journal. Piper has also pursued experiential learning opportunities to establish a well-rounded foundation in environmental law and conservation. She has externed with Earthjustice’s Sustainable Food and Farming Program and participated in Colorado Law’s Getches-Green Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law Clinic.

Piper is also very passionate about the conservation of public lands for recreational and cultural purposes. In her free time, Piper escapes to the mountains to go backcountry skiing, trail running, mountain biking, and rock climbing. Informed by her own experiences in the outdoors, Piper believes that people are far more likely to be motivated to protect wild places if they have had the opportunity to experience those places and all they have to offer. She hopes to pursue a career with a focus on protecting and improving access to public lands, while also advocating for sustainable and responsible use of public lands to conserve essential ecosystems and wildlife habitat. She looks forward to gaining insight into local conservation efforts and land use planning as a Law Clerk with the Boulder County Attorney’s office this summer.

Lex Padilla (’27)

Lex Padilla’s interest in public land conservation started with noticing how little nature remained in the suburban landscape where she grew up. Moments like watching her grandmother look for birds outside her window made her aware of how fragile those everyday connections to land and wildlife had become. Seeing events like the Flint water crisis unfold reinforced her sense that environmental issues are closely tied to fairness, community health, and access.
She lives by this quote, attributed to Dr. Lilla Watson, “If you have come to help, you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is bound together with mine, let us walk together.” If the land is not free, the air is not clean, and the birds are dying, then are we really, truly liberated? For these very reasons, Lex has developed a lifelong commitment to environmental law and conservation.

Through college and law school, that early awareness turned into a clear academic and professional
direction. She studied political science with a strong focus on environmental ethics and justice, worked in environmental education and climate policy, and supported CEQA compliance. In law school, she deepened her focus through the Environmental Law Journal, the Natural Resources Clinic, and research roles with the Getches-Wilkinson Center and Professor Mark Squillace. Her internships with Earthjustice and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office gave her practical experience with the legal frameworks that govern land, water, and air.

She now hopes to build a career as a public interest attorney in the American West, working on public lands, resource management, and conservation. Her goal is to join the Colorado Attorney General’s Natural Resource Fellowship Program and continue serving the state through work that supports both ecological health and community needs.

University of Colorado Law School students Piper Lacy (’27) and Lex Padilla (’27) have been named the 2026-2027 Colorado Law Wyss Scholars in U.S. Lands Conservation. The Wyss Scholars Program, funded by the Wyss Foundation, is awarded to two Colorado Law students each year.

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Samantha Crosby (Colorado Law '28) Named 2026 Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow

Cecelia Tecu — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:56:01 +0000

Samantha Crosby (Colorado Law '28) Named 2026 Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow Cecelia Tecu Wed, 04/08/2026 - 10:56

This story was originally published on the Getches-Wilkinson Center Blog on 03/18. Click here to view the original post.

University of Colorado Law School student Samantha Crosby ('28) is this year’s Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow. The Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellowship, initiated in 2023 by leaders of the Conscience Bay Company, is awarded each year to a Colorado Law student on the basis of academic performance, commitment to public service, and interest in the study of Western water law and policy. To the extent practicable, each Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow will focus on a specific project in advancing innovative solutions for sustainable management of water in the Western United States.

Samantha Crosby is a 1L student at the University of Colorado Law School. She grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona and spent a lot of her childhood on the water in Arizona — Bartlett Lake, Lake Powell, etc. Watching the Phoenix area expand despite water shortages led to her interest in water law. She hopes to explore the water policy issues impacting her new community in Colorado and her community back home in Arizona. She's hopeful that her research through the Fellowship will supplement her learning in the environmental classes she plans to take throughout her time at Colorado Law and give her an interesting perspective on the legal issues that impact Western water policy.

University of Colorado Law School student Samantha Crosby ('28) is this year’s Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow.

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GWC Welcomes New Water Law Fellow Tyanne Benallie

Cecelia Tecu — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:49:55 +0000

GWC Welcomes New Water Law Fellow Tyanne Benallie Cecelia Tecu Wed, 04/08/2026 - 10:49

This story was originally published on the Getches-Wilkinson Center Blog on 04/01. Click here to view the original post.

Colorado Law is ranked seventh in the nation for environmental law with the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment (GWC) advancing its commitment to educating young leaders through the Water Law Fellows Program. Now in its fifth year, the program addresses the rising demand for thoughtful policy initiatives at all levels of government by training the next generation of outstanding leaders in sustainable water management, water law, and policy.

With the accelerated need to address extraordinary circumstances in an unprecedented era, Colorado Law and the GWC are uniquely situated as a premier pipeline of diverse future leaders in environmental and natural resources matters.

The Water Law Fellows Program is not just an educational experience — it’s a career accelerator. This intensive multidisciplinary program equips Fellows with the skills and knowledge to produce high-quality work that influences law reform in the public interest, setting them up for successful careers in environmental law and policy.

Fellows conduct reform-oriented research on the most pressing issues in their field and interact with public and private sector leaders to inform policymaking, all while under the mentorship of leading researchers. Colorado Law and the GWC are known for distinguished faculty, a long record of public service, an extraordinary body of research and an interdisciplinary curriculum that includes unique on-the-ground learning.

The Getches-Wilkinson Center is thrilled to announce that Tyanne Benallie will be joining the team as a Water Law Fellow in August 2026. Tyanne Benallie (Ty) is a member of the Diné Nation, born for the Tó’ahaní (Near the Water Clan) and born into Naashashí (Bear Clan), with family roots in the Bisti region (Checkerboard) of northwest New Mexico. Raised in Albuquerque, she developed an early appreciation for diverse cultures, which has led her to travel to 43 countries.

Ty holds a B.A. in Political Science from Fort Lewis College, with a minor in Spanish, and an M.A. in International Development and Social Change from Clark University. She has dedicated her career to working with resilient populations, bringing expertise in Indigenous capacity-building initiatives and policy across environmental, social, education, and health sectors. Her experience includes work in tribal communities, roles in Washington, D.C., and volunteer service in developing countries.

She will graduate with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of New Mexico School of Law in May 2026, along with dual certificates in Indian Law and Natural Resources and Environmental Law. Outside her studies and work, Ty enjoys traveling, running, hiking, skiing, ice skating, yoga, photography, writing, film, reading, music, and time with family. Ahé’héé.

The Getches-Wilkinson Center is thrilled to announce that Tyanne Benallie will be joining the team as a Water Law Fellow in August 2026. Tyanne Benallie (Ty) is a member of the Diné Nation, born for the Tó’ahaní (Near the Water Clan) and born into Naashashí (Bear Clan), with family roots in the Bisti region (Checkerboard) of northwest New Mexico.

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Professor Helen Norton to Deliver 2026 Commencement Remarks

Cecelia Tecu — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:38:53 +0000

Professor Helen Norton to Deliver 2026 Commencement Remarks Cecelia Tecu Wed, 04/08/2026 - 10:38

The University of Colorado Law School is pleased to announce that Professor Helen Norton will be the speaker for the Colorado Law Class of 2026 commencement recognition ceremony.

Helen Norton is University Distinguished Professor and Rothgerber Chair in Constitutional Law at the University of Colorado School of Law. Her scholarly and teaching interests include constitutional law (especially First Amendment and equal protection law), and antidiscrimination law. Before entering academia, Professor Norton served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, on President-elect Barack Obama's transition team, and as Director of Legal and Public Policy at the National Partnership for Women & Families. She currently also serves as Deputy Solicitor General on Constitutional and Civil Rights for Colorado's Attorney General.

She has been honored with the Excellence in Teaching Award on multiple occasions and appointed as a University of Colorado Presidential Teaching Scholar. Her work has been published by Cambridge University Press, Duke Law Journal, Northwestern University Law Review, Stanford Law Review Online, and the Supreme Court Review, among others.

In addition to Professor Norton’s remarks, Colorado Law will also present an Honorary Order of the Coif to a member of the legal community. The English Order of the Coif, an ancient and honored institution of the Common Law, was an association of distinguished lawyers appointed by the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas. For centuries, they had the exclusive right to be barristers in that Court. The American Order was formed in 1911 for the purpose of promoting scholarship among law students.

The University of Colorado Law School, one of the 87 member law schools, became a member of the American Order of the Coif in 1942. Under the Order’s constitution, only the top 10% of the school’s graduating class is eligible for membership. Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss has selected Chief Justice Monica Marquez as the 2026 Honorary Order of the Coif Recipient.

Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court in 2010 by Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. She began her term as Chief Justice in July 2024. Before joining the Court, Chief Justice Márquez served as Deputy Attorney General at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, where she led the State Services section in representing several state executive branch agencies and Colorado’s statewide elected public officials. Chief Justice Márquez also served as Assistant Solicitor General and as Assistant Attorney General in both the Public Officials Unit and the Criminal Appellate Section. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Chier Justice Márquez practiced general commercial litigation and employment law at Holme Roberts & Owen, LLP.

Chief Justice Márquez is a member of the American Law Institute, the American Bar Association, the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations, the Colorado LGBT Bar Association, the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, and the Colorado Women’s Bar Association. She has also served as chair of the Colorado Supreme Court’s Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being. Before joining the Court, Chief Justice Márquez served on the boards of multiple bar associations and the Latina Initiative, as well as Chair of the Denver Mayor’s LGBT Commission.

The University of Colorado Law School is pleased to announce that Professor Helen Norton will be the speaker for the Colorado Law Class of 2026 commencement recognition ceremony.

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ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities

Media Mentions

Faculty and Staff Activities

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�鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder team competes in 2026 National Ethics Case Competition

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Colorado Law student graduates with 573 public service hours

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ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities

Media Mentions

Faculty and Staff Activities

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ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities

Media Mentions

Faculty and Staff Activities

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Aden Choate and Leah Dory Named 2026 David Harrison Innovations in Water and Energy Law & Policy Fellows

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Piper Lacy ('27) and Lex Padilla ('27) Named 2026-27 Colorado Law Wyss Scholars

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Samantha Crosby (Colorado Law '28) Named 2026 Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow

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GWC Welcomes New Water Law Fellow Tyanne Benallie

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Professor Helen Norton to Deliver 2026 Commencement Remarks

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�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder team competes in 2026 National Ethics Case Competition