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Professor Margot Kaminski Named Moses Lasky Professor of Law

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 16:06:22 +0000

Professor Margot Kaminski Named Moses Lasky Professor of Law Cecelia Tecu Mon, 11/17/2025 - 09:06

Emily Battaglia

Colorado Law Professor Margot Kaminski has been named Moses Lasky Professor of Law, one of the school’s highest faculty distinctions. With this honor, Professor Kaminski joins previously named Moses Lasky Professors including Suzette Malveaux, Sarah Krakoff, and Charles Wilkinson.

“It's a true honor to be awarded the Moses Lasky Professorship, and a responsibility I don't take lightly,” Kaminski said. “Lasky was one of our most distinguished alumni, who combined high intellectual achievement with a dedication to civic involvement and public service. I understand and value this legacy and am grateful for the recognition and support for my ongoing work."

Kaminski began her time at Colorado Law as Associate Professor and Director of Silicon Flatirons’ Privacy Initiative in fall 2017. She was granted tenure in 2020 and promoted to Professor of Law in 2023. Prior to joining Colorado Law, Professor Kaminski was an Assistant Professor at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (2014-17) and served for three years as the Executive Director of the Information Society Project at Yale Law School (2011-2014). She is a co-founder of the Media Freedom and Information Access (MFIA) Clinic at Yale Law School, and previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Andrew J. Kleinfeld of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Fairbanks, Alaska.

As a leading scholar in law and technology with a focus on information governance, privacy, and freedom of expression, it may be surprising to some that Kaminski's career began at a literary agency in New York, before she even began her law school career.

“I started getting interested in the intersection of the digital economy and copyright law, because we were doing a lot of contracts at a time that envisioned what eventually became the era of e-books,” Kaminski said. “There was also a Supreme Court case that came down [at that time] about author's rights and digital copies, and that is basically why I ended up applying to law school...that got me interested more generally in the pacing of regulation to technological and social change.”

Kaminski eventually delayed her entrance into Yale Law by a year, moving to San Francisco to work in publishing and for Larry Lessig’s Creative Commons nonprofit – further solidifying her interesting in law and technology.

Her plan to focus on copyright law gradually shifted, as many of the copyright conversations Kaminski witnessed in law school related to privacy online. The political and economic landscape also set the stage for this shift, as many of the major rights holders at the time were pushing for intermediaries, such as telecommunications companies, to monitor web and personal download traffic for copyright piracy. Additionally, many of Kaminski's friends and colleagues were wrestling with post-9/11 national security issues, repeatedly raising the topic of privacy.

“This led me to wonder, what exactly is happening with privacy on the internet?”

Kaminski’s shift to privacy law solidified after a summer internship with the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco, setting her on the path to becoming a leading legal scholar working at the intersection of privacy, AI, and freedom of expression.

“One of the reasons it is important to me to share my origins in publishing is because we have a lot of students that see some of these fields as inaccessible without a technology or engineering background,” Kaminski shared. “I had a humanities background and an interest in the history of science. You can really come at these careers with a wide variety of backgrounds. I encourage students to not get discouraged by some of the perceived barriers to working in law and technology.”

Kaminski’s work has received the 2025 Sandgrund Award for Best Consumer Rights Work; the 2022 Jules Milstein Scholarship Award for excellence in legal scholarship; the Future of Privacy Forum's 2020 Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award; the 2019 University of Colorado Provost's Faculty Achievement Award for Pre-Tenure Faculty; and the 2016 Junior Scholar Award at the Privacy Law Scholars Conference. Two particularly noteworthy moments in her career came when she was awarded two Fulbright scholarships – the first in 2018 and the second in 2024.

The 2018 grant—a 6-month Fulbright-Schuman Innovation Grant–provided Kaminski with the opportunity to conduct research on policies in the European Union (EU). The time at which she applied proved to be a critical moment for the EU, as they were in the middle of massively rehauling their data privacy laws. While her intention was to look at the EU framework regarding privacy law and drones, the resulting research took a different turn.

“Rather than producing a series of papers about drones, privacy, and free speech, I came out of that experience with a deep set of questions around regulating autonomous systems and artificial intelligence (AI). I then spent the next 5-6 years doing comparative work on that subject.”

During that time, several U.S. states passed data privacy laws. Consequently, for her sabbatical in 2023-24, Kaminski applied for and was granted a second Fulbright-Schuman Grant, and a Fernand Braudel Senior Fellowship at the European University Institute (EUI), allowing her to return to Europe to research the EU AI Act.

“Having the time to do that [research] and be around experts in European law gave me the ability to understand the law more from a European perspective, and to better explain it to people in the U.S.” Kaminski said.

Kaminski's Fulbright experiences have been foundational in positioning her as a leading legal scholar researching AI policy. In fact, over the past two years, she has been co-authoring a casebook on AI law with Paul Ohm (Georgetown Law Center) and Andrew Selbst (UCLA School of Law). The book is slated to be submitted to the publisher (Foundation Press/West) in early 2026, with the hope that it will be ready for new adopters in the coming academic year.

“It has been such a treat for me to work with Paul and Andrew, who are at the top of their game in their field and who bring different things to the table,” Kaminski said. “We have this shot to figure out how to understand the logic of these [AI] questions and to influence countless attorneys in practice and in policymaking roles and help them think about what questions matter in this emerging field.”

In addition to her research and scholarship, Kaminski has also supported policymaking efforts in a variety of capacities. She has served on Columbus, Ohio’s Body Cam Task Force Community Group, Colorado’s Task Force for the Consideration of Facial Recognition Services, and the Colorado AI Act Task Force.

“Throughout the entirety of my career, policy impact has really mattered to me. I might write stuff that is highly theoretical, but for me it all has the end goal of figuring out why the pieces fall into place the way they do. As a participant in policymaking, my job is to consistently offer what information I have gleaned from research and try to steer us a steady course as the waves of politics move around us.”

For one of her upcoming projects, Kaminski is working on a piece on data privacy and the First Amendment that aims to offer judges and litigants a workable and doctrinally defensible framework for how to think about First Amendment challenges to data privacy laws.

Kaminski’s impact on both the broader legal community and Colorado Law cannot be overstated. Her work has been published in publications such as the Yale Law Journal, Columbia Law Review, UCLA Law Review, Minnesota Law Review, and Boston University Law Review. Through it all, she remains incredibly grateful for the steadfast support she has received here at Colorado Law.

“I just love my colleagues. This community is a balance of incredibly intellectual, bright, driven, and kind people. We are super supportive of each other, and when my colleagues have career accomplishments, it feels like the whole team has won.”

Kaminski also noted the importance of work-life balance, remarking that her fellow faculty truly understand that life is bigger than a computer screen, and make room for each other’s families, quirks, and ongoing serious hobbies. She even shared one of her own – working as a PSIA-certified ski instructor for the past 20 years.

“I never thought I would be in a position in life where I could continue to have that secret identity and have this career.”

It is with great pride that we share the news of Professor Kaminski’s named professorship. Our heartiest congratulations go out to her, and we look forward to the continued impact of her exceptional teaching, scholarship, and vision.

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STUDENT ORG SPOTLIGHT - Sports and Entertainment Law Student Association

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 15:53:23 +0000

STUDENT ORG SPOTLIGHT - Sports and Entertainment Law Student Association Cecelia Tecu Mon, 11/17/2025 - 08:53

Cecelia Tecu

The Sports and Entertainment Law Student Association (SELSA) provides students with the chance to explore career opportunities and learn from lawyers actively working in sports and entertainment law.

In this interview, we hear from Katrina Chavez ’26, the President of SELSA.

What are the primary goals of SELSA?

SELSA at the Law School Student & Campus Organization Fair

KC: Our biggest goal is illuminating opportunities in the spaces of Sports and Entertainment law. They're both growing fields, and they're becoming their own fields of law, even though they're both just an amalgamation of every other type of law that exists. But, those laws from these other areas are applied to sports and entertainment differently. Specifically with things like antitrust. We’re trying to bring to light what exactly sports law means and how many different routes you can take just within those two large buckets.

How does this student organization help members to reach their career goals?

KC: All of the board members are part of the Sports Lawyers Association, which is national. Typically, the board members attend the conference at the end of the year in May. We find connections, and we stay up to date on the hot topics in sports law and entertainment law as much as we can. We're building more of the entertainment side, especially since Sundance is coming to Boulder. We're trying to work with the undergrad and any other connections in the Boulder area. Our sports side is more developed currently. If there are networking opportunities with the Colorado Bar Association, or any webinars that we think would be interesting that are free for students to attend, we'll send those opportunities out to our club members. We also bring in speakers for our lunch meetings. We directly connect our students with people who practice in those fields in the Colorado area.

What kinds of outreach does SELSA engage with?

KC: A couple days ago, we had two people from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee come and speak at lunch. And that was super cool. I think it was great for people to hear more about how the games are run, and how the Olympics run as a nonprofit organization. So I think the coolest thing, and the most rewarding part of outreach,is being in the position to bring these really, really cool and awesome speakers to all these 1Ls and 2Ls. Obviously, it's still exciting for the 3Ls, but we're more set in our immediate future. For the 1 and 2Ls, the opportunities are truly endless, and so to be able to bring in these speakers, it reinforces the idea of, “This is why I came to law school,” because that's how I felt when I was in those years. Being on the other end of it now is really cool.

How has SELSA impacted your law school experience?

KC: Well, I've gotten two free vacations out of SELSA. I got to go to Baltimore and Nashville for the conference, which is awesome. I don't think I have felt imposter syndrome as much as I have felt at those conferences. Being in the presence of these people who hold your dream job, it’s very humbling seeing that they're just normal people. I think being part of the organization has brought me imposter syndrome like no other, but also has shown me that lawyers are just people. As I stepped into the leadership position, I do a lot of outreach, and I have my board members do a lot of outreach - it's so scary at first. But then, the lawyers come speak to us, and they're just so helpful. You just realize they were in your shoes before.

It's also impacted my time here, because we're growing our sports program at Colorado Law, and it's just so cool to be on the forefront of that. We’re at the precipice of Colorado Law breaking into more sports related endeavors. Specifically, I'm also part of the Name Image Likeness (NIL) practicum. So huge shout out to that with Leigh Augustine, and that has been great. So a lot of our club kind of work, we're trying to teach people about the practicum as well to keep that going.

Alongside Chavez, the SELSA Executive Board includes Vice-President Sidney Lawless ’27, Treasurer Ethan Wheeler ’27, Secretary Caroline Montierth ’27, and Special Advisor Miles Gilbert.

To get involved with SELSA, students can email SELSA@colorado.edu.

Colorado Law is home to nearly 50 active student organizations. These organizations empower law students to increase their knowledge, gain leadership experience, network, and collaborate with the legal community—all while building connections with classmates that will last throughout their careers and beyond.
The Sports and Entertainment Law Student Association (SELSA) provides students with the chance to explore career opportunities and learn from lawyers actively working in sports and entertainment law.

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

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 15:45:16 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities Cecelia Tecu Mon, 11/17/2025 - 08:45

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 round up.

Media Mentions

[Chris Winter], Ishan Thakore, As Colorado River Deadline Looms, Here's What at Stake for Colorado, Colorado Public Radio (Nov. 10, 2025).

Ishan Thakore, States Blow Past Colorado River Deadline, Arizona Wants Feds to Order Water Cuts, Colorado Public Radio (Nov. 12, 2025).

[Blake Reid], Louise Newstead, Supreme Court Ruling Could Give White House "Unusual" Control Over Copyright Office, World Trademark Review (Nov. 12, 2025).

Scott Nover, Brendan Carr Should Ditch Speech-Chilling Policy, Former FCC Chairs Say, Washington Post (Nov. 13, 2025).

[Scott Moss], Seth Klamann, Colorado Lawmakers Face Ethics Complaints Over Vail Retreat- And How it Was Paid For, Denver Post (Nov. 5, 2025).

Shaun Boyd, 16 Colorado State Lawmakers Face Ethics Complaints After Political Organization Paid for Vail Hotel Rooms, CBS New (Nov. 5, 2025).

Rebecca Ciota, How a Colorado Law School Dug Into its History to Celebrate its Unsung Black Graduates, The Conversation (Nov. 14, 2025).

[Jonathon Booth], Brandon Lowrey, Can States Prosecute ICE Agents? It Depends, Law360 (Nov. 7, 2025).

Faculty and Staff Activities

Sloan Speck, TaxProf Blog posts available here.

Brad Bernthal, Dean Inniss, Blake Reid, 21 Back, 21 Forward, Silicon Flatirons (upcoming, Nov. 19, 2025).

Govind Persad (speaker), Fairly Allocating Scarce Medical Resources: Should We Consider Age and Health Status, University of Houston Law Center, Health Law & Policy Institute (upcoming, Nov. 17, 2025, 11am MST), Zoom option available here.

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog, blog posts available here.

Legal and Financial Questions of Pfizer-Novo-Metsara, Shareholder Primacy (Nov. 12, 2025)(with Mike Levin, Apple podcasts link).

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

Rabea Benhalim (speaker), Jewish and Islamic Law and the Relations of Jewish and Islamic Scholars, Greater Washington Coalition for Jewish Life (upcoming Nov. 23, 2025).

GWC Works with Law Professors Across the West to Weigh in on Public Lands Rule, GWC (Nov. 12, 2025).

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Honoring our Student Veterans

Emily Battaglia — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 19:40:47 +0000

Honoring our Student Veterans Emily Battaglia Tue, 11/11/2025 - 12:40

Cecelia Tecu

Kelly O’Neill ’27, Tracey Elder ’27, and William Ostlund ’27 are just three of our students who have spent time in service. Learn more about their journey from the military to law school in the Q&A below.

What inspired you to pursue a law degree?

KO: I was originally an Air Traffic Control officer in the Marines. After I had completed some time in that billet, I was temporarily assigned to be my squadron’s legal officer. That was the first time in my life I enjoyed my job and enjoyed reading. Being presented a legal problem, either by a Marine or by my Commanding Officer, and then having to figure out how to adjudicate that problem gave me a sense of purpose I hadn’t felt in awhile. In one instance, a Marine’s appeal process had not been honored and he was about to get kicked out of the service. I was able to advocate for him and his situation which actually led to him staying in the service. When he asked me to be his promoting officer, that’s what really solidified my decision to go to law school.

Kelly O'Neill

TE: For me, pursuing a law degree is a career pivot. I have served in the Army Reserve for over 20 years and have had various jobs including FEMA liaison, intelligence officer, paralegal, and a “travel agent” for munitions. Prior to law school, I was a stay-at-home mom for ten years (while also serving as a Reservist and volunteer ski patroller at Eldora). I began pursuing a law degree as a career pivot. I see law as a versatile field that will provide new opportunities and help me transition into a different career path with more growth potential than what's available with my current credentials.

WO: I served in the Army for a little over 5 years as an Engineer Officer. Most of that time was spent in various roles across 299 Brigade Engineer Battalion down at Fort Carson, Colorado, with some of the most rewarding experiences coming from my time as a Route Clearance Platoon Leader and Ground Movement Team Leader in Iraq. The Army introduced me to phenomenal people who helped mold me into who I am today, and I remain grateful for the opportunity I had to serve this country.

When I graduated from West Point, I never thought I would be back in school – let alone back in school pursuing a law degree. I planned to stay in the Army for a career. However, when I was nearing the end of my Lieutenant years, I understood that I was at a critical career juncture. My favorite part of the military was working with soldiers, and after an officer’s Lieutenant years, routine opportunities to work with and lead soldiers start to fade. With that in mind, I started looking for career paths where I could continue serving others in some capacity while continuing to challenge myself.

During that time, I deployed to Iraq. While deployed, I regularly interacted with not only American JAGs but also with legal experts from across the international team to solve complex problems. Impressed with their critical thinking skills and their insane work ethic, I sought their mentorship on how to become an attorney. Soon after, I ordered a few LSAT study books to start studying in Iraq, and the rest is history.

How has serving in the military impacted your preparedness and experience as a law student?

KO: Nothing here ever feels as bad as some of my worst days in the Marines, and that makes me appreciate being a law student. I felt more than prepared for cold calls and the work load because of how the Marines trained. When school does get really busy and stressful, I trust that all my past effort and learning thus far will get me through it—that’s what always helped me succeed in the military. And knowing the situation could always be way more miserable helps put law school into perspective at the end of the day.

TE: Serving in the military exposed me to a variety of personal, professional, physical, and mental challenges. While law school is the most difficult academic challenge I have faced, I reassure myself that I have done difficult things before and therefore, I can do the difficult things that law school puts before me.

Tracey Elder

WO: The military thoroughly prepared me for law school in several ways, but a few key experiences stand out. First, the military prioritizes establishing a routine and doing “routine things routinely.” As soon as I arrived at Colorado Law, I organized my classes and my reading windows to fit a typical work week. I also deliberately blocked off time to go to the gym and time to cater to administrative tasks. All of that allowed and continues to allow me to maximize my time off on the weekends. On that note though, two other critical skills from the military are flexibility and resilience. Sometimes, those time blocks are infringed upon by competing priorities, but in remaining flexible, it is easy to shift blocks of time around to other available free spaces.

Another important ideal that carried me through the Army was the idea that nothing is possible without the people around you. During my time in service, soldiers, NCOs, peers, supervisors, and close friends pushed me and pulled me every step of the way. Similarly, some of the highlights of my time here have been conversations with friends, professors, and mentors who have pushed and pulled me through the first three semesters of this experience. Law school can be an isolating experience, but having the right people in your corner can and will pay dividends.

Lastly, I benefitted from an excellent mentor who emphasized that we “get to” have opportunities in life. Those opportunities range from awesome and exciting opportunities like going skiing with friends at a slope that is within driving distance of the law school to less awesome and exciting opportunities like reading case law. Regardless of the excitement in each opportunity, we all get to be in law school here in Boulder. That little mantra serves as a healthy reminder of how much there is to be thankful for at any given time during these law school years.

What are your plans/goals for after graduating from Colorado Law?

KO: I plan to work in IP/patent law. My goal is to be the best I can be at my job, and to help contribute to a good life with my soon-to-be husband and dog.

TE: I entered law school wanting to pursue work in the federal government. Considering the federal government is currently firing instead of hiring, I am exploring other options like state government or areas of law that I find interesting such as employment law and intellectual property. Who knows where I’ll end up- that’s part of the adventure!

William Ostlund

WO: After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in patent law. Although that route does not necessarily involve working as a JAG, I hope to find alternative ways to continue to serve the veteran community.

Colorado Law students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, bringing their unique perspectives to our legal community. This Veterans Day, we are proud to highlight just a few of our incredible students who have served in the military. Kelly O’Neill ’27, Tracey Elder ’27, and William Ostlund ’27 are just three of our students who have spent time in service. Learn more about their journey from the military to law school in the Q&A below.

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

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:50:14 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities Cecelia Tecu Mon, 11/10/2025 - 08:50

Faculty Publications

Jonathon Booth, Stop Cop City's Deep Roots, Inquest (Nov. 6, 2025)

Media Mentions

[Chris Winter], Hank Lacey, The Unlikely Culprits Behind Population Collapse in a Colorado National Park, SF Gate (Oct. 30, 2025).

[Helen Norton], Jesse Barron, A Teen in Love with a Chatbot Killed Himself. Can the Chatbot be Held Responsible?, NY Times (Oct. 24, 2025).

[Ann Lipton], Lucy Hooker, Tesla Plans to Pay Musk $1tn- Do They Really Need Him That Much?, BBC News (Nov. 7, 2025).

Lily Jamali, Liv McMahon, Osmond Chia, Elon Musk's $1tn Pay Deal Approved by Tesla Shareholders, BBC News (Nov. 7, 2025).

Faculty and Staff Activities

[Sloan Speck], TaxProf Blog posts available here.

[Matt Schmit, SFC], Matt Schmit Joins Silicon Flatirons as New Executive Director, Colorado Law (Nov. 3, 2025).

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog, blog posts available here.

Relationship of Federal and State Corporation Law, Shareholder Primacy (Nov. 5, 2025) (with Mike Levin, Apple podcasts link).

Charlie Duffield, Will Elon Musk Become the World's First Trillionare? The Standard Podcast (Nov. 7, 2025).

[Kristen Carpenter], CU Designates Seven New Distinguished Professors, CU Connections (Nov. 6, 2025).

Indigenous Approaches to International Law, Peoples Places Planet Podcast (Oct. 2025)(Youtube link).

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

[Byron White Center], Colorado Law 3L M.R. Dickey, Byron White Center Hosts Annual Constitution Day Project, Colorado Law (Nov. 3, 2025)

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LLM Spotlight: Ruth Fahy

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 17:15:19 +0000

LLM Spotlight: Ruth Fahy Cecelia Tecu Mon, 11/03/2025 - 10:15

Colorado Law is proud to highlight some of our new Master of Laws (LLM) students. The LLM program fully immerses students in Colorado Law and offers inclusive access to programming, courses/modules, and the greater �� campus. LLM students have unique and diverse backgrounds and experiences that enrich our community of scholars and students, while advancing Colorado Law’s intellectual leadership across the globe. In this edition, meet the LLM class of 2026’s Ruth Fahy!

Where are you from?

RF: I’m from Galway in the west of Ireland. Best place in the world! Although I will admit that Boulder is fast becoming a home for us; it’s truly an incredible place to live.

What inspired you to pursue an LLM degree?

RF: A couple of reasons. I work in sporting compliance with the Colorado Rapids (Major League Soccer Club) in Denver and know that a more rounded education in international law will add value to our Club. I’m also keen to sit the Bar Exam and am using this course to prepare myself appropriately. A key piece for me is meeting like-minded folks in the legal industry in Boulder and Colorado. Enrolling in CU Boulder’s LLM degree has already proven to be one of the best decisions I've made since moving to the United States in early 2023.

What is your educational background and/or what was your career prior to coming to Colorado Law?

RF: After graduating with an LLB in Law from the University of Limerick, I spent some time working in different areas, and traveling, before formally entering the legal field. At the time I wanted to feel out a potential career in business, and so sampled roles in project management and business operations. I always tried to stay connected to sport, whether that was through playing League of Ireland soccer, or working in sports broadcasting as a pundit and analyst. I was lucky to work in some fantastic roles during that time, like co-commentating on the FIFA Women’s World Cup and UEFA Champions Leagues games. I feel those experiences have always really stood to me.

I have a genuine passion for learning which took me to the UK to study a post grad in sports law, and later a brief non-humanities diversion into dietetics and nutritional science in Dublin, before making the decision to commit to law. I worked in a general practice firm in Dublin and in the legal department of the Football Association of Ireland, before qualifying as an attorney with William Fry in Dublin. I think the training and mentorship received at William Fry, and later at Ogier Leman LLP as a sports attorney, prepared me effectively for the transition to the United States. What has stood to me the most though is adaptability. Being nimble and seeking sound judgment is a solid combination when working in the ever changing arena of professional sport. No day is ever the same. And I love that!

Why did you choose to attend Colorado Law?

RF: Colorado Law has an incredible reputation both domestically and abroad. I am three months into the LLM course and can understand why. Our professors are truly excellent, and I can see why this program produces such high-quality attorneys. I won't pretend it is easy trying to balance an LLM and work, but I know that the challenge will be worth it.

Also, Boulder is absolutely stunning, as is the Colorado Law campus. My wife and I have just moved out here from downtown Denver and we are literally walking around wide-eyed most days at the beautiful Boulder mountain backdrop.

What are your hobbies outside of work/school?

RF: Hobbies would generally include any pick of sports, but I’m recovering from a sports-related knee surgery right now so that has unfortunately been put on hold. Thankfully I'm at a point now post-op where I can hike, so I have been out exploring the Boulder trails. I would swim in the sea year-round in Ireland and really miss it but am planning to substitute those Irish sea endorphins with that of the Boulder Reservoir once swimming season is back open!

What are you most looking forward to this upcoming academic year?

RF: I’m really excited to study sports law at CU Boulder during the Spring 2026 semester. I’ve studied sports law in Ireland and the UK before, but can’t wait to experience a university program in the United States. Completing formal study in US sports law has always been a goal of mine.

I’m also generally just looking forward to enjoying Thanksgiving and winter in Boulder and witnessing the snow begin to fall in the backdrop of the Boulder flatirons. I haven't had a chance to truly enjoy ski season in Colorado just yet so hopefully (knee permitting) I can experience some winter sports in early 2026 here too.

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Byron White Center Hosts Annual Constitution Day Project

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 17:10:48 +0000

Byron White Center Hosts Annual Constitution Day Project Cecelia Tecu Mon, 11/03/2025 - 10:10

M.R. Dickey '26

For fourteen years, the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law (BWC) has hosted the Constitution Day Project to provide law students and attorney volunteers the opportunity to teach thought-provoking and current constitutional questions to Colorado high school students. Law students went to high schools across the state to teach nearly 2,000 students about freedom of speech. Their questions covered the First Amendment and its protections, how schools limit their speech rights, Jimmy Kimmel, and AI. The discussions were lively, and the discussion facilitators encouraged opinions and thoughts from young minds to see what Colorado’s future holds.

The Constitution Day Project seeks to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution, introduce critical thinking and legal analysis to high school students, and foster an ongoing conversation between these students and the legal community. The impression law students leave on high schoolers is a significant reason the Constitution Day Project continues to be a popular tradition every year.

Colorado law student volunteers expressed the value of connecting with younger students. Gianni Magnini ’27 shared, “I think getting to teach people about their civil rights, especially in times like these, can be extremely fulfilling. It helped me feel like I could actually do something to perform my civic duty beyond being one of millions of voters in an election. Also, it was fun to be the cold caller for once.”

Magnini had the opportunity to teach Noah Zeppelin’s history class at Cherry Creek High School. “I have had [Colorado Law’s] Constitution Day speakers in my US History classes for a number of years now, and I am always impressed by the way that the lesson directly applies to my students’ lives,” Zeppelin said. “It is always a fun, worthwhile day for both the students and me.”

“From my own personal experience, this is a great way for us law students to give back and stay connected to the community we serve; it is the reason I did it every year in law school and will continue to do so as a practicing attorney,” M.R. Dickey ’26 said. “Having students reach out to me after to ask about my experience and even to satiate their own curiosity on what we discussed is so meaningful.”

Judie Sievers, a teacher at Nederland Middle-Senior High School, remarked on how much the student-to-student engagement meant to her class. Specifically, in discussions during the “hypothetical case” activity. “The activity culminated in a lively classroom debate where students presented and defended their arguments just like real lawyers,” Sievers said. “Madeline [Clark] and Olivia’s [Sharp] enthusiasm and energy kept everyone engaged—and by the end, many students were inspired to consider careers in law themselves.”

Hannah Loiselle ’26, another student volunteer, remarked that she overheard one ninth grader ask her teacher whether their government class “would have debates ‘like this one’ because she really liked it.” Another student spoke to Loiselle and asked about her law school experience.

At the time of Constitution Day, there was increased national dialogue on exercise of freedom of speech. One volunteer shared that navigating this experience with high school students was worrying at first. However, once the volunteer met the students and realized how welcoming and excited they were, she breathed a sigh of relief. She said this was especially relevant considering that “Jimmy Kimmel happened on Wednesday night! Luckily there was just enough news Thursday morning so that I could draw a dotted line between ABC/Disney and the FTC, in response to questions about the state versus private actors’ part of the lesson.” The students wrestled with these difficult questions during the class, but worked to share their ideas while engaging with curriculum.

Andrew Nosler ’27 taught a group of upperclassmen at Rocky Mountain High School, “[T]he students attacked [the lesson] with such amazing engagement and liveliness. My favorite part was when we held ‘fake court’ to resolve a hypothetical free speech issue. The students completely knocked it out of the park. I could tell that they understood some of the First Amendment principles which impact their daily lives, and they were eager to criticize or defend those principles. Once we had started investigating scenarios that could be reflected by their lived experience at school, the students enthusiastically jumped into conversation and debate. I think the Constitution Day program was a wild success, and I should expect that many of those students move past our lesson with some newfound interest in their own civil rights and the Constitution more broadly.”

The BWC is grateful to all volunteers and high school participants who took part in this year’s Constitution Day Project. If you’re interested in being involved next year, please sign up here.

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Matt Schmit Joins Silicon Flatirons as New Executive Director

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:32:38 +0000

Matt Schmit Joins Silicon Flatirons as New Executive Director Cecelia Tecu Mon, 11/03/2025 - 09:32

The University of Colorado Law School and the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship are pleased to announce that Matt Schmit has been named the new Executive Director of Silicon Flatirons.

Schmit joined the Silicon Flatirons team on September 29 and began his work as Director on November 1.

"I've long followed the work of the Silicon Flatirons Center and appreciated its impact on tech policy creation, its support of start-ups and innovation, and its commitment to students and their careers,” Schmit said. “Wherever possible, I've tried to replicate this approach elsewhere. I'm beyond honored to join the dynamic Silicon Flatirons team and carry its impactful legacy forward."

For the past 20 years, Matt has enjoyed consulting, research, policymaking, and program administration primarily in the areas of technology and innovation, infrastructure, and economic competitiveness.

He has worn various hats in pursuit of forward-thinking technology policy, applied research and innovation, and results-driven partnership: as a consultant engaging a wide variety of stakeholders, state legislatures, and policy issues; as academic researcher, published author, and active member of several national policy organizations; as a former state Senator, known for working with colleagues from diverse political and geographic backgrounds; and as a state official and higher education leader, focused on leveraging the full complement of higher education assets to promote technology expansion, foster strategic cross-sector collaboration, and inspire student and institutional interest and engagement.

Between 2013 and 2016 Matt represented his hometown of Red Wing, Minnesota, and surrounding areas in the Minnesota state Senate – where he championed creation of the country’s first dedicated office of broadband development and matching grant program. In this capacity, he served as chair of the Game & Fish Subcommittee; vice chair of the Jobs, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee; and active member on the Transportation Policy & Finance Conference Committee, Energy & Environment, Capital Investment, and Environment, Economic Development & Agriculture Finance committees.

More recently, Matt launched the Illinois Office of Broadband, chaired the Illinois Broadband Advisory Council, and oversaw creation of the Illinois Broadband Lab – a collaborative effort between the state and university system to build capacity, support local engagement, and meet critical federal funding deadlines.

Over his career, Matt has served on various boards and commissions, including but not limited to: the Cook County Council on Digital Equity (CODE), the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) board, the Blandin Broadband Strategies board, the St John's University Board of Regents, and the Minnesota Legislative Water Commission. He represented Minnesota on the National Conference of State Legislatures Nuclear Energy Work Group and Commerce Committee, and he was an active member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators and State Agriculture and Rural Leaders.

Integration of 21st century infrastructure and service delivery has been a primary focus of his work – and his research. For over a decade, Matt maintained active membership on a standing committee of the Transportation Research Board, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences.

Matt received a masters in public policy from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a bachelors in political science from Saint John’s University (Minnesota).

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

Cecelia Tecu — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 15:43:48 +0000

ICYMI: Faculty Publications, Media Mentions, and Faculty & Staff Activities Cecelia Tecu Mon, 11/03/2025 - 08:43

Faculty Publications

Adam B. Sopko, The Supervisory Powers of State Supreme Courts, 98 S. Cal. L. Rev. 1543 (2025)

Jonathon J. Booth, A New Satanic Panic, 36 Yale J.L. & Feminism 102 (2025) (Westlaw login required).

Media Mentions

[Chris Winter], Bobby Magill, USDA to Scrap Biden Draft That Saved Imperiled Owl for New Plan, Bloomberg Law (Oct. 27, 2025).

Bobby Magill, Trump's Power to Abolish Monuments Hangs on Prolonged Ruling, Bloomberg Law (Oct. 30, 2025).

[Mark Squillace], Heather Sackett, Boaters, Anglers, Want Clarity Around Public Access to Colorado's Streams, Aspen Journalism (Oct. 27, 2025).

[Vanessa Racehorse], Amanda Pampuro, Indigenous Scholars Advocate for the Land Back Movement, Courthouse News Service (Oct. 23, 2025).

[Michael Pappas], Saqib Rahim, Insurers Flee Wildfire-Prone California Despite State Assistance, E&E News (Oct. 28, 2025).

[Ann Lipton], Maria Aspan, US Chamber of Commerce Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1BVisa Fees, NPR Weekend Edition (Oct. 25, 2025).

Ross Kerber, Elon Musk's $1 Trillion Pay Deal Draws Ire of Labor Unions, Others, as Shareholder Vote Nears, Reuters (Oct. 29, 2025).

[S. James Anaya], Eve Thomas, Mining's Forgotten 'S': Has Decarbonisation Obscured the Social Angle of ESG?, Mining Technology (Oct. 30, 2025).

Faculty and Staff Activities

Sloan Speck, TaxProf Blog posts available here.

Professor Sloan Speck Joins TaxProf Blog Team of Editors, Colorado Law (Oct. 29, 2025).

Blake Reid (panelist), Other Government Challenges, Connecticut Law Review Symposium: The Fourth Estate in a Time of Crisis (Oct. 22, 2025).

Amanda Parsons (panelist), Teaching Taxation Section, Taxation of Digital Assets After Loper Bright, ABA Virtual Fall Meeting (Oct. 22, 2025).

Amanda Parsons (presenter), University of Florida’s 21st Annual International Tax Symposium (upcoming, Oct. 31, 2025).

Ann Lipton, Business Law Prof Blog, blog posts available here.

Universal Proxy After Three Years, Shareholder Primacy (Oct. 29, 2025)(with Mike Levin, Apple podcasts link).

Violeta Chapin, AllSTARS Workshop with Violeta Chapin: Immigration Law and Policy, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (Oct. 27, 2025).

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

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Honorees Announced for 45th Annual Colorado Law Alumni Awards Banquet

Cecelia Tecu — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:55:42 +0000

Honorees Announced for 45th Annual Colorado Law Alumni Awards Banquet Cecelia Tecu Thu, 10/30/2025 - 09:55

From every corner of the globe, graduates of Colorado Law are making a profound impact in their communities, embodying the highest values of our institution. At the Law Alumni Awards Banquet, our signature alumni event, the Law Alumni Board has the privilege to honor these exceptional individuals for their lasting contributions to the legal profession, service to their communities, and dedication to the law school.

The honorees for the 2026 Alumni Awards are: David Stark ’73, Hon. Robert Bob E. Blackburn ’75, Kyriaki (Kiki) Council ’17, David W. Douglas ’75, Gloria Jean Garland ’82, Richard M. Murray ’07, and Stephen Hillard ’76. These outstanding alumni will be celebrated at the 45th annual Colorado Law Alumni Awards Banquet on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at the Sheraton Downtown Denver.

The Law Alumni Board nominations committee accepts nominations for awards year-round with a deadline of July 31 each year. The board votes on award recipients in the fall. Read more about this year’s extraordinary awardees below.

David Stark ’73 - William Lee Knous Award

David W. Stark is a Retired Partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. Before his retirement he was Senior Counsel at Faegre Drinker where he served as Professional Responsibility Counsel for the firm and in that role advised the firm and its lawyers on Ethics, Professional Responsibility matters, and claims against the firm. He has practiced law in Colorado for 52 years. As a partner at his firm, he tried scores of complex commercial jury and court trials with an emphasis on professional responsibility, energy, banking, securities fraud, intellectual property, and probate and trust. He also represented clients in numerous appeals, including briefing and oral argument, in state and federal courts.

He is currently chair of the Colorado Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Practice of Law, which oversees the Colorado Attorney Regulation System on behalf of the Colorado Supreme Court (2001 to present). And he is a long-time member of the Colorado Supreme Court Standing Committee on the Rules of Professional Conduct, the CBA/DBA Professionalism Coordinating Council, the Colorado Bar Foundation, the Colorado Supreme Court Task Force on Lawyer Well-being, and the chair of the Executive Committee of the Colorado Lawyers Committee.

He has also taught Legal Ethics at the University of Colorado School of Law as an adjunct. He also served on the CU Law Alumni Board as a member and as the chair. Mr. Stark was the Board Chair of Legal Entrepreneurs for Justice (2018-2021); a legal incubator helping to teach and mentor socially conscious lawyers wanting to serve modest means clients. He has promoted and helped create many access-to-justice programs including the Licensed Legal Paraprofessional Program, Succession to Service, and the proposed Virtual Proceedings initiative, now the subject of a Chief Justice Directive.

Mr. Stark currently serves on the Colorado Access to Justice Commission and is the chair of its Delivery Committee. The committee promotes the delivery of legal services from multiple angles. These include Pro Bono Representation, Alternate Providers, Affordable Representation, Local ATJ Committees, and Rural Legal Services. He is a Denver native and a graduate of the University of Colorado, receiving his B.A. in Sociology in 1969 and his J.D. in 1973.

Hon. Robert E. Blackburn ’75 - Distinguished Achievement - Judiciary

Born at an early age as Robert Edward Blackburn on April 12, 1950, in Denver, Colorado, as the first of three children to Harry E. (Ed) Blackburn, Jr., and Charlotte Jane Raser-Blackburn. I was named for my hellraising, hard drinking, gun toting, Pony Express riding, mule skinning great grandfather Bob Blackburn.

After my father graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 1952 with a degree in geophysical engineering, he took a job with Mobil Oil Company, and we began to chase oil and gas from Willows to Stockton, California, to Salt Lake City, Utah, to Durango,

Colorado. In March 1961, my life changed dramatically: we moved from idyllic Durango to Las Animas, Colorado, to life on an irrigated farm and cattle ranch.

Overnight, I went from the fifth grade in a brand-new elementary school to a rustic, paint starved, two-room country schoolhouse – grades one through four in one room and grades five through eight in the other – with no running water or indoor plumbing.

I graduated with honors with 83 condisciples from Las Animas High School in 1968. I was a good student and athlete. My senior year I was all-state in football and all- conference in football, basketball, and baseball.

I spurned a full-ride baseball scholarship to DU in favor of a combined academic and football scholarship to Western State College in Gunnison. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. While at Western, I was a member of the debate team, student body vice-president and then president, and I was introduced to handball – the greatest sport ever devised.

After graduating with honors in May 1972, I began my legal education in August at my favorite law school – CU Law. While attending law school, I worked full-time managing apartment complexes in Boulder for Van Schaack and Company. I graduated in two and one-half years in December 1974, took the bar in February 1975, was admitted to the bar on May 19, 1975, and returned to Las Animas to go to work for the rest of my life.

From May 1975, until roughly May 1980, I was extremely fortunate to be a partner with Oakley Wade in Wade & Blackburn. Thereafter, I was a sole practitioner until July 28, 1988, when then Governor Roy Romer appointed me to the district court bench in the Sixteenth Judicial District, consisting of Bent, Crowley, and Otero counties.

On March 25, 1977, I married Connie, my beautiful and loving wife of 49 years -- and still counting. We have been blessed with three children and eight grandchildren.

I was nominated by President George W. Bush to a position on the District Court for the District of Colorado on September 10, 2001. I was confirmed by the U. S, Senate, by a vote of 98 to 0, on February 26, 2002, and my commission was executed March 6, 2002. It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve as a federal district judge ever since.

Kyriaki (Kiki) Council ’17 - Distinguished Achievement - Recent Alumna

Kiki strives to secure every human’s legal and social rights to autonomy over their choices for their bodies. She was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Aurora, Colorado, where she attended Smoky Hill High School. Kiki received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Chicago and her Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado.

For the past decade, Kiki has volunteered and worked in the abortion movement, from abortion clinic escorting in college, to abortion fund board service during her years of private practice, to full-time employment as an abortion rights attorney. Kiki’s pro bono practice is dedicated solely to representing young people in judicial bypass petitions in Colorado so they can access their healthcare without interference. Kiki and the Lawyering Project recently filed a lawsuit in Colorado to enjoin the Parental Notification Act. Before fully dedicating her practice to reproductive rights, health, and justice, Kiki clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit and practiced labor and employment defense at private law firms.

In 2022, Kiki helped to draft and pass the Reproductive Health Equity Act, which articulated for the first time, every Coloradoan’s right to reproductive healthcare without governmental interference. RHEA laid the groundwork for Amendment 79, which amends the Colorado Constitution to include the right to reproductive healthcare. Over the years, Kiki has continued to consult and work with advocacy groups like Cobalt, COLOR, and Colorado Doula Project to further secure and fight for reproductive rights in Colorado.

In addition to her passion for reproductive rights, health, and justice, Kiki also cares deeply about creative pursuits, which lately include pottery and ceramics. Kiki currently lives in Denver with her husband, Jack, and their rambunctious toddler, Landon, who was born with the use of assistive reproductive technology. Kiki is extremely grateful for this award and would like to thank her friends and family. This award is dedicated to all the young people she has helped obtain abortions in Colorado and elsewhere.

David W. Douglas ’75 - Distinguished Achievement - Special Recognition

For more than 40 years David Douglas has headed organizations dedicated to providing clean drinking water worldwide. He currently works with international organizations and faith-based entities to ensure adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in hospitals and clinics in developing countries. For 35 years he headed the Santa Fe-based non-profit, Waterlines, which provided technical help and funding for drinking water projects in over 1,000 rural communities, schools and healthcare facilities. Between 2005 and 2022 he led three Washington DC-based advocacy organizations (Water Advocates, Advocates for Development Assistance, and Global Water 2020) designed to increase public and private American support for WASH projects and poverty-focused foreign aid. The initiatives enabled the passage of ground-breaking Congressional legislation and appropriations to bolster international water and sanitation programs.

Earlier in his career he worked as an environmental lawyer and wrote extensively for periodicals on U.S. and international environmental issues. He is the author of Wilderness Sojourn: Notes in the Desert Silence, Letters of Faith, and co-author with his wife, Deborah, of Pilgrims in the Kingdom: Travels in Christian Britain. He is a director of the Wallace Genetic Foundation.

Born in Washington D.C., he and Deborah have lived in Santa Fe for fifty years. Their two daughters, Katie and Emily, son-in-law Jeff, and five grandchildren live in the Boston area.

He is a graduate of Colorado Rocky Mountain School (1967), Ohio’s College of Wooster (1971), and the University of Colorado Law School (1975).

Gloria Jean Garland ’82 - Distinguished Achievement - Public Service

Gloria Jean Garland is a graduate of the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder and subsequently earned an LL.M. in international and comparative law from the Free University of Brussels. She is a human rights lawyer and a retired Foreign Service Officer.

After a decade as a trial lawyer in the San Francisco Bay area, Jean was the first liaison for the American Bar Association’s Central and East European Law Initiative program (CEELI) to the newly independent country of Slovakia. She then worked as a rule of law advisor for USAID in Slovakia and later headed up a USAID-funded project based in Budapest (International Center for Not-for-Profit Law) that focused on developing legal frameworks for civil society organizations in the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe. Following that, Jean became the Legal Director for the European Roma Rights Center, an international human rights organization based in Budapest focusing on the rights of Europe’s extended Roma (Gypsy) population, where she litigated numerous human rights cases before the European Court of Human Rights and various UN bodies. She was also an adjunct professor in the Human Rights Division of the Legal Studies Department at Central European University in Budapest.

Jean returned to USAID in 2006 as a Democracy Fellow, later becoming a Foreign Service Officer and serving at USAID headquarters in Washington DC and U.S. Embassies in Haiti, Afghanistan, Colombia, Rwanda, and Mexico. In Haiti, she monitored projects to provide emergency court services after the 2010 earthquake. In Afghanistan, she oversaw projects to develop the capacity of the Afghan judiciary, where the number of women judges increased from 10% to 20% in one year. In Colombia, she directed the Office of Vulnerable Populations focusing on reintegrating child soldiers into the civilian population and on developing the self-governance capacities of the Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations. In Rwanda, she was the Director of USAID’s Office of Governance, Human Rights and Democracy, with programs addressing human trafficking, justice reforms, and post-genocide reconciliation. She and her husband Bruce Byers currently live in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Richard M. Murray ’07 - Distinguished Achievement - Private Practice

Richard is a shareholder in the Denver office of the national law firm Polsinelli. His practice focuses on complex litigation matters in the commercial and health care space. Before private practice, he was a law clerk for Colorado Supreme Court Justice Nathan B. Coats.

Richard currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Denver Bar Association, and previously served as the DBA’s Treasurer, First Vice President (twice), and Second Vice President. He previously served as Chair of the Colorado Access to Justice Commission (ATJC), President of Continuing Legal Education in Colorado, Inc. (CBA-CLE), and Chair of CU’s Law Alumni Board.

As Chair of the ATJC, Richard worked to have the 20-year-old Commission codified and established as a Colorado state commission with the passage of the Colorado Access to Justice Commission Act. The Act codified the ATJC into state law, created an annual reporting requirement for the ATJC to present policy and legislative recommendations to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees and the Governor, and established the Access to Justice Cash Fund in the state budget.

Richard is a past recipient of the Denver Bar Association’s Volunteer of the Year Award (2024) and Young Lawyer of the Year Award (2018). In 2020, he received the prestigious Richard Marden Davis Award from the Denver Bar Foundation. He has been honored as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Young Professionals in Colorado by ColoradoBiz magazine, named in The Best Lawyers in America®, a ten-time “Rising Star” in Colorado Super Lawyers, and featured as a “Compleat Lawyer” by Law Week Colorado.

While an undergraduate at CU, Richard served as a student body president (Tri-Executive). One of his lasting legacies on the Boulder campus was his leading a capital construction funding initiative that secured funds for the construction of the Wolf Law Building, ATLAS Building, Visual Arts Complex, and addition to the Leeds School of Business.

He resides in Highlands Ranch with his wife, Elizabeth (CU Boulder ’07, B.A. Psychology), and their two children. In their free time, you can find them cheering on the Buffs at Folsom Field and the CU Events Center.

Stephen Hillard ’76 - Dean’s Choice- Sonny Flowers Award

Mr. Hillard graduated from high school and attended Mesa Junior College in Grand Junction, CO. His mother was a waitress at Woolworth’s. His father was a deputy sheriff. He spent summers picking fruit with braceros in California.

At Colorado State University he graduated with honors, oversaw all campus media, and won awards in film-making. He received the CSU Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006.

He went to Columbia University as a National Woodrow Wilson Fellow and tutored inmates at Riker’s Island Prison.

At CU Law, Mr. Hillard was Managing Editor of the Law Review, received the Brophy Award as Best Writer, and represented the school in the National Trial Court Competition.

He was honored to serve as law clerk to Justice William H. Erickson on the Colorado Supreme Court.

During his legal career in Alaska, he became a partner in the highly-regarded Los Angeles firm of Munger, Tolles and Olson. He worked extensively with Alaska Natives, ran the largest minority-owned broadcast group in the United States, and pioneered minority participation in the ownership and operation of national wireless businesses.

Mr. Hillard founded Council Tree Communications, a private equity fund, with a commitment to enhance diversity of ownership on a national scale. That work has included substantial participation by Native American, Hispanic, and African-American groups. Examples are control of the Telemundo Network (then the fastest-growing network in the U.S.), and Alaska Native Wireless (then the largest minority-controlled FCC licensee) with 40,000 Native American beneficiaries. He created the Spanish-language television station KMAS in Denver.

In 2015, Mr. Hillard received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

He was an effective supporter for bringing the Sundance Film Festival to Boulder. His first novel, “Mirkwood,” was an Amazon Best Seller. His first movie, “Glowzies,” was filmed in Colorado and premiered at the prestigious Sitges International Film Festival in Spain.

His extensive philanthropy includes CU Law (Indian Law Clinic and Council Tree Endowment), CSU (Philosophy and Agriculture Departments), the Colorado Hispanic Chamber, the Denver University Center for Women, and Escuela Tlatalolco (a charter school for at-risk Hispanic and Indigenous children).

Mr. Hillard resides in Mesa County with his wife, Sharmaine, a native of St. Kitts. Between them, they have seven children and four grandchildren.

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