Chris is an experienced appellate advocate and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Appellate Practice Group. In his litigation practice, Chris offers a rare perspective: an appellate attorney who’s tried more than a dozen cases, including first chairing both jury and bench trials. He’s handled matters at the US Supreme Court, most of the federal circuit courts, and in other state and federal courts across the country. He regularly writes and comments about the Tenth Circuit, the Colorado Supreme Court, and the Colorado Court of Appeals.
In early July, the Colorado Supreme Court will reach an unusual milestone: going 2.5 years without a new justice. While 30 months may not seem like a long stretch, it is, in fact, the largest interval any of the court's current members have gone without a seat turning over, beginning with Justice Monica M. Márquez's appointment in 2010 and ending with the addition of Justice Maria E. Berkenkotter in 2021.
For court watchers like me, it’s certainly easier when you don’t have to learn the legal views of a new judge. There will be a little more predictability in terms of where the court is going, but it also means there won’t be any 'fresh blood' to shake things up for quite a while.