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�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder helps produce video series for unrepresented parties in water court

Kellen Wilson — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 21:41:04 +0000

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder helps produce video series for unrepresented parties in water court Kellen Wilson Tue, 10/27/2026 - 15:41

The article originally appeared on the Colorado Judicial Branch website.

Gregor MacGregor

Colorado’s water courts are vital to using and protecting the state’s water, but their specialized procedures and laws present challenges to Coloradans who participate without an attorney.

Recognizing this challenge, the Water Court Committee of the Colorado Supreme Court developed a series of videos explaining the water court process in an easily accessible way. Committee academic representative and University of Colorado Teaching Professor Gregor MacGregor produced the series.

Hosted on the Getches-Wilkinson Center’s website, the video series introduces the water courts and features interviews with Judge Todd Taylor of Water Court Division 1, Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Monica Márquez, and Attorney General Phil Weiser, who explain how they work with unrepresented parties. Future videos will include interviews with a water referee and water clerk.

View the Video Series

“Because water in our state constitutionally belongs to the public, the ability to navigate Colorado’s water court system is a fundamental access-to-justice issue,” said Josh Boissevain, attorney with the Colorado Water Trust. "These videos will help reduce barriers for self-represented parties by clearly explaining key processes and expectations.”

The committee began the project following discussions of the 2019 University of Denver Water Law Review article “Understanding and Improving the Pro Se Litigant Experience in Water Court.” The authors, including the late Honorable Gregory J. Hobbs, Jr., the Honorable Susan Ryan, and water attorneys Boissevain and Lindsey Ratcliff, conducted a quantitative and qualitative assessment of pro se cases across the seven water court divisions. The authors found that providing more assistance to pro se parties would improve outcomes not only for them, but for all parties in water court.

“The water court process can be overwhelming, especially for parties without legal representation,” said Judge Ryan. “By providing an overview of the water court process and who is involved in that process, the video series gives meaningful insight and access to a complex legal process, ensuring that all parties have a fair and full opportunity to be heard by the court.”

Professor MacGregor was well suited to lead the video project as the former director of �鶹��Ѱ��Law’s Acequia Assistance Project, housed in the Getches-Wilkinson Center. The project brings together students and private practitioners to provide pro bono services related to land and water rights for Hispano farmers in southern Colorado.

“We’ve connected communities to the water courts for 14 years. That experience was crucial as we decided what information an unrepresented litigant would need and how that information could be presented in an easily understood and useful way,” said MacGregor.

For additional information on pro se resources and water cases, visit the water cases website.

Colorado’s water courts are vital to using and protecting the state’s water, but their specialized procedures and laws present challenges to Coloradans who participate without an attorney. Recognizing this challenge, the Water Court Committee of the Colorado Supreme Court and Colorado Law developed a series of videos explaining the water court process in an easily accessible way.

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Colorado Law students offer Election Day support on South Dakota reservations

Kellen Wilson — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 22:32:00 +0000

Colorado Law students offer Election Day support on South Dakota reservations Kellen Wilson Mon, 10/26/2026 - 16:32

Siena Kalina ’23 (Osage Nation) and Kate Newman ’24 assist with voting activity in North Dakota in 2022.

Election Day 2026 may be especially memorable for one group of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder students—and it has nothing to do with the results.

About 16 students from Colorado Law and other campus units will travel to South Dakota to volunteer as nonpartisan election monitors on the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations.

The law school has participated in the program for many years, but the changing legal landscape means each election offers slightly different circumstances, said Associate Professor Christina Stanton.

As director of the American Indian Law Clinic, Stanton inherited the project from former director Carla Fredericks and was excited to carry it forward.

“There are a lot of very unique issues facing Indigenous people in this country, and specifically Native peoples who live on reservations,” Stanton said. “We try to consider, what is the need this year and how can we be responsive?”

The program is held in partnership with Four Directions Native Vote-Indian Country, a nonprofit organization that works to advance equality at the ballot box.

Student volunteers—who join this year from the law school’s American Indian Law Program and clinics and �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s Masters of the Environment program—receive training from Four Directions about voting rights, what it takes to serve as election monitors, and specific election rules that apply to their sites.

Past participant Mariah Bowman ‘25 said it was comforting to witness community members voicing their differences through voting.

“If you’re someone who cares about America or democracy, the election protection trip is where you want to be,” Bowman said.

For many students, Election Day is their first visit to a reservation, so they also discuss how to respect the place and people they are visiting—topics like attire, eating, cultural expectations and specific reservation rules. As Election Day nears, they caravan from Boulder six to seven hours to their assigned sites.

It’s impossible to guess what Election Day will hold, Stanton said.

Past participants have provided information to uncertain voters that allowed them to cast a regular ballot rather than provisional. Students have held voters’ children so they could cast their ballot. One student read a ballot aloud to a person who was unable to read but wanted to vote for the first time, Stanton said.

In rare cases, students observe more serious matters. One year in North Dakota, the group observed several men open-carrying guns near an election site—an action permitted at some polling places in the state that could nevertheless raise concerns about access and voter intimidation.

“The best day is a day when nothing happens and you wonder, why am I even here?” Stanton said.

Haley Maher ‘25, Jessica Garcia ’26 and Emiliano Salazar ’23 supported polling place needs and saw the sights in South Dakota.

Although the election-day work has immediate, tangible impact, it also illuminates the need for year-round efforts in Colorado and beyond to support the numerous voting issues disproportionately affecting Native American voters, Stanton said.

As voter ID laws are considered or enacted across numerous states, complications can arise for Native people who hold only a Tribal ID, never received a birth certificate, or face transportation challenges to reach the DMV, Stanton said.

In parts of Colorado, Ute remains the primary language for some voters, and finding adequate translation services and materials can be a challenge for a language that is traditionally spoken, not written, and has a dwindling number of speakers, she said.

Recent federal actions also have raised alarms about the possibility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Native communities, where Indigenous people may be unable to quickly prove their citizenship, Stanton said.

“There are bigger pieces that can only be addressed through advocacy in the state,” she said.

Colorado Law students and faculty are answering the call, using their legal training to offer information and programs for Native voters along with on-the-ground Election Day support to share information that matters.

This year, on-site teams will be led by Associate Professor Sarah Matsumoto, former American Indian Law Program Fellow Hannah Ahders ‘25, Getches-Wilkinson Center Water Law Fellow Tyanne Benallie, and Assistant Professor Gregor MacGregor of the Masters of the Environment program.

The work is supported by grant funding from Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship in �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s Office for Outreach and Community Engagement.

Although the issues are complex, Stanton said, their message is simple: “Know your rights.”

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Jessica Garcia ’26 and Grant Lammers ’25 complete paperwork during an Election Day visit to South Dakota in 2024.

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Colorado Law named a "Best Value" school

Kellen Wilson — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:51:49 +0000

Colorado Law named a "Best Value" school Kellen Wilson Tue, 10/20/2026 - 10:51

Colorado Law has been named a “best value” law school by National Jurist, earning an A- grade and ranking No. 29 in the nation.

The rankings, released in September 2026, measure a variety of metrics beyond cost of attendance, including bar exam passage, employment rates, tuition and fees, cost of living, and indebtedness data from U.S. News and World Report. Read about the full methodology.

"Colorado Law offers an outstanding legal education with tremendous value to graduates, and the data shows it,” said Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss. “Even more, our students also benefit from a warm and welcoming cohort, top-tier professors who care about their success, and a wide alumni network that is ready to assist.”

In-state tuition for Colorado Law’s JD program is $38,680 for 2026-27, and graduates report a high bar passage rate and strong employment outcomes.

For the class of 2025, 93% of graduates reported full-time, long-term employment that required bar passage, setting a new benchmark for Colorado Law graduates.

Earlier this year, Denver was named the fastest-growing legal market in the nation for salary expansion, charting a 41.6% growth in law salaries after adjusting for inflation, according to the National Association for Law Placement.

"Students at Colorado Law launch outstanding careers at a manageable cost while also enjoying a supportive cohort and great quality of life in Colorado’s Front Range,” said Admissions Director Alan Schieve. “It’s an unmatched value for those who expect a high-quality education with a reasonable price tag.”

Additional National Jurist Distinctions for Colorado Law

Family Law: A- (August 2026)
Technology Law: A+ (August 2026)
Environmental Law: A+ (May 2026)
Intellectual Property Law: A (May 2026)
Business Law: A- (October 2025)
Public Service-Criminal category: #39 (August 2025)
Best Law School Buildings: A/#16 (April 2026)
Best Law Schools for Practical Training: A/#21 (April 2026)
Best LLM Programs for Foreign Attorneys (May 2026):
- Intellectual Property, Technology, and Telecommunications Law: A
- U.S. Law for Foreign Lawyers: A+
- Entrepreneurship and Business Law: A+
- Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law: A-
- International Law and Human Rights: A-
- Indigenous Peoples Law: A-

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

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 15:09:48 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities Cecelia Tecu Mon, 10/19/2026 - 09:09

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.

Faculty Publications

Justin Murray, Brady's Shadow, 112 Virginia L. Rev. 1429 (2026).

Helen Norton, Nonhuman Speakers and the Constitution (SSRN.com, forthcoming 95 Fordham L. Rev. 525 (2026)).

Media Mentions

[Bryan Choi], Editorial Board, AI Companies Say They Aren't Responsible for Their Unpredictable Products. Don't Believe Them. NY Times (Oct. 10, 2026).

Scott Skinner-Thompson, Colorado Shed its 'Hate State' Reputation. Will Voters Bring it Back?, Boulder Reporting Lab (Oct. 11, 2026)(on Propositions 134 and 135.)

Faculty and Staff Activities

[James Anaya], Wenona Singel, The Tribal Supreme Court Project: A 25-Year Story in Three Videos, Turtle Talk (Oct. 11, 2026).

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

Kristen Carpenter (panelist), Plenary Power and Indigenous Futurisms, Michigan Law School Indian Law Symposium: "Form, Function, and Federal Indian Law (upcoming, Oct. 29-30, 2026).

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog posts available here.

[Staci Pratt], Colorado Courts Announce Free Resources For Tenants Facing Eviction, Colorado Judicial Branch (Oct. 13, 2026).

[Scott Skinner-Thompson], Scott Skinner-Thompson Elected to American Law Institute, Colorado Law (Oct. 13, 2026).

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Constitution Day lessons reach 1,900 students

Kellen Wilson — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 21:30:00 +0000

Constitution Day lessons reach 1,900 students Kellen Wilson Fri, 10/16/2026 - 15:30

Law student Meryl Compton leads a Constitution Day class at Fairview High School in Boulder. The lessons encouraged high schoolers to evaluate and share their own views on the Fourth Amendment.

Colorado Law’s 2026 Constitution Day project drew dozens of volunteer law students, alumni, and attorneys from the community to explore challenging questions about Constitutional topics on Sept. 17-25, reaching an estimated 1,900 students at 17 high schools across the Front Range.

Additionally, Fort Lewis College in Durango participated in the Constitution Day project for the first time.

Law student Meryl Compton leads a Constitution Day class at Fairview High School in Boulder. The lessons encouraged high schoolers to evaluate and share their own views on the Fourth Amendment.

This annual project, first launched in September 2011, allows trained volunteers visit classrooms across Colorado, offering interactive lesson plans that raise tough questions. The intent is to help students build Constitutional literacy and to spark interest in the field of law.

The work is supported by grant funding from Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship in �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s Office for Outreach and Community Engagement.

This year's Constitution Day lesson focused on the Fourth Amendment and the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures—a right that touches students' daily lives, from backpacks and lockers to the phones nearly every student carries. In a world where so much of a student's life lives on a screen, the program helped students to explore what the right protects, where its limits lie, and why it matters.

Volunteer Andrew Nosler ’27 said the program benefitted both high school and law students alike.

“The Fourth Amendment curriculum was highly engaging, and it inspired so many student questions about the law more broadly,” Nosler said. “I loved watching high schoolers connect their own stories to the living, breathing world of civil rights law. What a great opportunity to talk and think about the law outside of law school. I never would have guessed how creative and thoughtful the high school students would be.”

Chris O’Grady, a teacher at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, said the lesson vastly improved his students’ grasp of the issues.

“The lesson was perfect for their level of understanding and set them up remarkably well to be prepared for these types of issues moving forward. I was very impressed,” he said.

Students discussed real legal cases dealing with searches and seizures.

Professor Christina Stanton, who has directed the program since 2023, said it held special significance this year following the death of Justice Melissa Hart, who developed and led Constitutional literacy initiatives during her time on the Colorado Law faculty.

"I volunteered for Constitution Day all three years of law school, and I took Melissa Hart's Marshall Brennan constitutional literacy course, which put me in a high school classroom and took me to Washington, D.C., with students from across the Front Range for the national competition,” said Stanton.

“Justice Hart led with a public service mind. She understood that the law touches everyone and that educating young people and working beyond the walls of the law school matter. The program she started is still making an impact today. That's how I try to practice law and teach, and leading Constitution Day now is my way of carrying her example forward."

Dozens of volunteer law students, alumni, and attorneys from the community helped students explore challenging questions about Constitutional topics at 17 high schools across the Front Range.

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Scott Skinner-Thompson elected to American Law Institute

Kellen Wilson — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 16:30:28 +0000

Scott Skinner-Thompson elected to American Law Institute Kellen Wilson Tue, 10/13/2026 - 10:30

ALI Members from Colorado Law

Skinner-Thompson joins several other current and retired Colorado Law faculty members elected to ALI, including:

S. James Anaya
Kristen A. Carpenter
Ted James Fiflis
Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss
Mark J. Loewenstein
Christopher B. Mueller
Daría Roithmayr
Wadie Edward Said
Andrew Schwartz
Marianne Wesson

“I’m truly honored by this recognition and excited to join so many colleagues that I respect on ALI, including many of my colleagues at Colorado Law School who are already members,” Skinner-Thompson said.

Colorado Law Professor Scott Skinner-Thompson has been elected to the American Law Institute, one of the nation’s most prestigious legal organizations.

Skinner-Thompson, who also serves as associate dean for academic affairs, is among a distinguished group of 38 legal scholars and practitioners selected to join the organization in October 2026.

His election recognizes his influential scholarship, professional accomplishments and contributions to advancing civil rights and constitutional law.

“Professor Skinner-Thompson has made tremendous contributions to the legal academy via his scholarship, teaching and service. It is gratifying to see his outstanding work recognized by election to the American Law Institute,” said Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss. “His perspectives and expertise will be valuable assets as ALI works to enhance and clarify the law.”

Founded in 1923, ALI is an independent organization dedicated to modernizing and improving the law. Its members include judges, attorneys and legal scholars whose expertise helps shape American law.

The organization produces Restatements of the Law, Model Codes and Principles of Law that influence courts, legislatures and legal education nationwide.

“I’m truly excited to join to help further the ALI’s mission, particularly as it relates to civil rights,” Skinner-Thompson said. “More specifically, the ALI is currently drafting a Restatement of Constitutional Torts on the use of Section 1983 to enforce constitutional civil rights, and I hope to help with that important project.”

Skinner-Thompson joined Colorado Law in 2017. His research and teaching focus on constitutional law, civil rights and privacy law, particularly LGBTQ+ rights and gender-related legal issues. He is also an affiliate faculty member in �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s Queer & Trans Studies Program and a senior fellow with the Silicon Flatirons Privacy Initiative.

Skinner-Thompson is the author of Privacy at the Margins, published in 2021, which explores how privacy can serve as a tool of resistance to surveillance and discrimination, particularly for historically marginalized communities.

His scholarship has appeared in leading legal journals, including the Georgetown Law Journal, Michigan Law Review and Northwestern University Law Review. His article “Identity by Committee” received a 2024 Dukeminier Award recognizing outstanding scholarship on LGBTQ+ legal issues.

Skinner-Thompson has also earned numerous honors for his scholarship, teaching and service. At Colorado Law, he received the Jules Milstein Scholarship Award and Clifford Calhoun Public Service Award in 2023, the Gordon J. Gamm Justice Award in 2020 and the student-selected Excellence in Teaching Award in 2025.

Before joining Colorado Law, Skinner-Thompson served as an acting assistant professor of lawyering at New York University School of Law.

He earned his J.D. and LL.M. from Duke University School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Whitman College. He previously clerked for the Hon. Dolores K. Sloviter on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Hon. Robert N. Chatigny of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

Colorado Law Professor Scott Skinner-Thompson has been elected to the American Law Institute, one of the nation’s most prestigious legal organizations.

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

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 15:12:20 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities Cecelia Tecu Mon, 10/12/2026 - 09:12

Faculty Publications

Maryam Jamshidi, Zionism, Gaza, and Proving Genocidal Intent, in Palestine in a Time of Genocide (Pietro Stefanini ed., forthcoming, 2026).

Media Mentions

[Ann Lipton], Harriet Clarfelt, Brooke Masters, & Sujeet Indap, SEC Warns Asset Managers Against Collaborating on Activist Campaigns, Financial Times (Oct. 7, 2026).

[Gregor MacGregor, AAP], Emily Payne, A Colorado Water Trial Could Decide the Future of an Agricultural Valley, Inside Climate News (Oct 4, 2026).

[Michael Pappas], Karen Zraick, A Supreme Court Battle Over Climate Change Begins, New York Times (Oct 4, 2026).

[Scott Skinner-Thompson], James Romoser, How Colorado Became a Springboard for Culture-War Clashes at the Supreme Court, Wall Street Journal (Oct. 3, 2026).

[Adam Sopko], Sarah Fuhrey Huber, Does SCOTUS Have Jurisdiction in Suncor Climate Case?, Law Week Colorado (Oct. 6, 2026).

Ali Longwell, Should Colorado Establish a Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish? Amendment 83 Asks Voters to Decide, Summit Daily (Oct. 7, 2026).

[Adam Sopko & Chris Winter, GWC], Noelle Phillips, The U.S. Supreme Court Will Open its Term with the Boulder Climate Lawsuit. Here's How it Could Affect Other Similar Complaints, Denver Post (Oct. 4, 2026).

[Doug Spencer], Katie Langford, After Unprecedented Colorado Ballot Error, What's Next for Front Range Rail Measure?, Denver Post (Oct. 9, 2026).

[Mark Squillace], Caitlyn Kim & Stina Sieg, As Pitkin County Looks Toward Management of the Maroon Bells, What Does it Mean for the Iconic Place?, Colorado Public Radio (Oct. 6, 2026).

Story Hinckley, Low Water Levels, High Demand Force a Reckoning for the Colorado River, Christian Science Monitor (Oct. 5, 2026).

[Harry Surden], Abigail Ankeney, Here's How Boulder Police are Using Drones, Real Time Camera Feeds in the Field, Boulder Daily Camera (Oct. 8, 2026)(reprints include the Denver Post).

[Chris Winter, GWC], Lindsay Whitehurst and Brittany Peterson, The Supreme Court will Hear a Major Climate Change Case Involving a Devastating Wildfire, Associated Press (Oct. 3, 2026)(reprints include Bloomberg Law, PSB Newshour, ABC News).

Marilyn Moore, U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear Arguments that Could Set a Precedent for Future Climate Change Cases, KUSA (Oct. 3, 2026).

Boulder's Climate Case Gets its Most Consequential Audience Yet: The Supreme Court, CPR News (Oct. 6, 2026).

Chase Woodruff, Boulder, Fossil-Fuel Companies Face Off in Supreme Court in High-Stakes Climate Case; Oral Arguments are to be Heard in Suncor v. Boulder Today, Colorado Newsline (Oct. 5, 2026).

Austin Corona, Supreme Court Wrestles with Who Should Pay for Climate Change, Grist (Oct. 6, 2026).

Can States Hold Oil Companies Responsible for Climate Deception?, MSN (Oct. 8, 2026).

Faculty and Staff Activities

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

Sarah Krakoff (panelist), Vanessa Racehorse (moderator & panelist), Christina Stanton (moderator), & Chris Winter (moderator), 2026 Martz Symposium on Public Lands (upcoming, Oct. 21-22, 2026).

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog posts available here.

Appraisal Rights, Kinds of Activists (Oct. 7, 2026) & Stavros Gadinis, University of California-Berkeley, "Corporate Ordering" (Oct. 2, 2026), Shareholder Primacy (with Mike Levin, Apple podcasts link).

[Gregor MacGregor],Colorado Supreme Court Pro Se Water Court Video Series, GWC (Oct. 5, 2026).

[Scott Skinner-Thompson], Kevin R. Johnson, U.S. Law Professors Elected to the American Law Institute, TaxProf Blog (Oct. 7, 2026).

Eric Kuhn, Anne Castle, Jack Schmidt, Kathryn Sorensen, & Katherine Tara, The Colorado River Upper Initial Units Takes Center Stage, GWC (Oct. 7, 2026).

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In Memoriam: Justice Melissa Hart

Kellen Wilson — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:40:01 +0000

In Memoriam: Justice Melissa Hart Kellen Wilson Mon, 10/05/2026 - 12:40

Share Your Remembrances

Colleagues, students and friends are invited to leave their remembrances on Colorado Law’s digital memory book. Feel free to share a story, photo, memory, or expression of sympathy to be shared among Justice Hart’s family and friends.

View the memory book

Colorado Law mourns the loss of a stalwart in legal education and practice.

Former Colorado Supreme Court Justice Melissa Hart—a longtime faculty member whose work influenced scores of students at the University of Colorado Law School—passed away Oct. 1, 2026, at age 57.

Colleagues in the law school and broader legal community are remembering a scholar, educator, and judge whose career reflected intellectual rigor, deep reverence for the rule of law, and a tireless devotion to serving underrepresented communities.

“Melissa Hart’s legacy of service was substantial, both during her time as a professor at the University of Colorado Law School and later as a justice of the Colorado Supreme Court,” said Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss. “She will long be remembered for her engagements in support of access to justice.”

Hart grew up in Denver and graduated from East High School before earning a bachelor’s degree from Harvard-Radcliffe College. A 1995 graduate of Harvard Law School, Hart clerked for Judge Guido Calabresi of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court. Hart practiced law for several years in Washington, D.C., including as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, before becoming an educator.

She began teaching at Colorado Law in 2000 and was named associate professor in 2001, beginning a lengthy faculty career that touched hundreds of students whom she taught and mentored in civil procedure, ethics, family law and more.

She was the first to hold the Schaden Chair in Experiential Learning and served as director of the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law from 2010-2017. Hart established and led the Colorado Law chapter of the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, a national program that sends law students into high schools to teach constitutional law, even leading high school participants to Washington, D.C., to participate in the program’s national moot court.

During her career, she authored amicus briefs in employment discrimination cases under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court and in other cases before courts of appeals. She also represented clients through Metro Volunteer Lawyers—just a sample of the numerous pro bono activities where she lent her time.

In 2011, the law school presented Hart with the Clifford Calhoun Public Service Award, granted annually to a faculty or staff member who makes notable contributions to the school’s public service mission. The following year, the University of Colorado awarded her the Chase Faculty Community Service Award.

After her appointment to the Colorado Supreme Court in 2017, Hart continued educating students, teaching courses in Legal Ethics and Professionalism and Employment Discrimination as an adjunct until 2025.

Hart was also a leader in legal education nationwide, holding several leadership roles in several organizations, and was serving as chair of the Council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar at the time of her passing.

A grandchild of Archibald Cox, a renowned legal scholar who served as U.S. Solicitor General under President John F. Kennedy and special prosecutor during the Watergate scandal, Hart remained closely connected to state and federal courts. She was involved in bringing numerous Supreme Court justices to the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder campus to speak, including Justice John Paul Stevens in 2011 and Justice Elena Kagan in 2019.

Although her career allowed her to rub elbows with some of the biggest names in the American legal system, those who knew her well say she was most at home as an advocate for the “underdog.” Much of her legal writing and practice was focused on issues tied to discrimination, bias, equity and access to justice.

“Lawyers are problem-solvers,” Hart said in a 2017 Q&A for Colorado Law. “When you can work on solving problems that are the largest social problems, or the problems of people whose needs are the most significant, it feels like you are using the special skills and knowledge for the greatest good. There is nothing more satisfying.”

Colorado Law and Dean Inniss extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends and colleagues, who will continue to celebrate her prodigious impact and lasting legacy.

View Justice Hart’s scholarly work

The William A. Wise Law Library at Colorado Law has compiled pieces of Justice Hart’s work in the display case on the second floor of the library. It features a selection of her law review articles on a variety of topics from employment discrimination to gender discrimination to an exploration of the invisible labor of internships, as well as Colorado CLE material on employment law.

Her articles are also available in full on our institutional repository of faculty work.

Colleagues in the law school and broader legal community are remembering a scholar, educator, and judge whose career reflected intellectual rigor, deep reverence for the rule of law, and a tireless devotion to serving underrepresented communities.

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

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:10:47 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities Cecelia Tecu Mon, 10/05/2026 - 09:10

Faculty Publications

Andrew Schwartz, Time, Trusts, & Termination: The Rise of Finite Foundations in Canada, 45 Est. & Tr. J. 308 (2026).

Scott Skinner-Thompson, The Court's Queer Erasure, (SSRN, forthcoming Cardozo L. Rev. 2027).

Media Mentions

[Violeta Chapin], Seth Klamann, Pepper Spray, Health Crises and Rotten Food: Inside Colorado's Only Immigrant Detention Center, Denver Post (Sept. 27, 2026).

[Deep Gulasekaram], Abene Clayton, Trump and His Allies Credit Deportations with Record Low Crime. Experts Disagree, The Guardian (Oct. 1, 2026).

[Ann Lipton], Mike Leonard, Silver Lake Suit Against Icahn Looks to End Appraisal Arbitrage, Bloomberg Law (Sept. 28, 2026).

[Sarah Matsumoto, Jonathan Skinner-Thompson, Adam Sopko, & Chris Winter], Amy Bounds, �鶹��Ѱ��Law Professors Preview Suncor Climate Liability Supreme Court Case, Boulder Daily Camera (Sept .28, 2026).

[Scott Skinner-Thompson], Marco Poggio, A2J at the High Court: Gun Bans, Voting and Civil Remedies, Law360 (Sept. 25, 2026).

[Mark Squillace], Zoe Rom, The Forest Service is Poised to Hand Off One of the West's Most Visited Landscapes, High Country News (Sept. 29, 2026).

[Chris Winter, GWC], Marilyn Moore, SCOTUS to Hear Boulder's Case Against Suncor, Setting a Precedent for Climate Change Cases, 9News (Sept. 30, 2026).

Faculty and Staff Activities
Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money, blog posts available here.

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog posts available here.

Vanessa Racehorse (moderator), "Land Back: Comparative Hemispheric Perspectives," Center for Native American & Indigenous Studies (upcoming, Oct. 14, 2026).

Scott Skinner-Thompson elected as a member of the American Law Institute (Oct. 2026).

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

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:06:17 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities Cecelia Tecu Mon, 09/28/2026 - 09:06

Media Mentions

[Mark Squillace], Elizabeth Stewart-Severy, Groups Call for Greater Public Input on Proposed Maroon Bells Outsourcing, Aspen Daily News (Sept. 21, 2026).

[Silicon Flatirons Center], Jane Rooney, West Slope Startup Week Will be Hosted for its Fourth Year in Durango, Durango Herald (Sept. 23, 2026).

Faculty and Staff Activities

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

[Maryam Jamshidi], Brett Wilkins, 'Do I Drive Them Into Hell?' Trump Again Threatens to 'Annihilate' Iran in Genocidal UN Speech (Sept. 22, 2026).

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog posts available here.

The New SEC Rules (Sept. 23, 2026), Shareholder Primacy (with Mike Levin, Apple podcasts link).

Sarah Matusmoto, Jonathon Skinner-Thompson, Adam Sopko, Chris Winter (panelists), "Climate Change at the Court: Suncor Energy Inc. v. Boulder County," Byron White Center, Getches-Wilkinson Center, & Natural Resource & Environmental Law Clinic (upcoming, Sept. 30, 2026).

Scott Skinner-Thompson, "The Constitutionality of Trans People," Mini Law School (upcoming, Sept. 30).

[Chris Winter], Yvaine Ye, A Landmark Boulder Climate Case is Headed to SCOTUS. What's at Stake?, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Today (Sept. 24, 2026).

[GWC], Donor Generosity Powers Another Record-Breaking Fundraising Year at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Office of Advancement (Sept. 15, 2026).

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Colorado Law students offer Election Day support on South Dakota reservations

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Colorado Law named a "Best Value" school

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

Faculty Publications

Media Mentions

Faculty and Staff Activities

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Constitution Day lessons reach 1,900 students

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Scott Skinner-Thompson elected to American Law Institute

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

Faculty Publications

Media Mentions

Faculty and Staff Activities

Off

In Memoriam: Justice Melissa Hart

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

Faculty Publications

Media Mentions

Off

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

Media Mentions

Faculty and Staff Activities

Off

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder helps produce video series for unrepresented parties in water court