Dear Colorado Law alumni,
The communities we belong to are a defining feature of our lives. When we graduated from Colorado Law, we joined a community that has enormous meaning for all of us. Even if you鈥檙e not a particularly active alumnus, earning your Colorado Law degree was an important experience in your life that binds you to a community you can be proud of.
As Colorado Law alumni, we share not only a connection among ourselves, but a connection to all Colorado alums who have gone before us. Consider some of these notable alums: Justice Wiley Rutledge (1922) of the U.S. Supreme Court; Judges Alfred Arraj (1928) and Fred Winner (1936) of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado; Justices Alex Martinez '76 and Luis Rovira '50 of the Colorado Supreme Court; Governors Ralph Carr (1912), William Lee Knous (1911), and Roy Romer '52; and Brooke Wunnicke '45, celebrated trial lawyer, educator, and mentor. They helped clients and citizens, participated in the legal and political causes of their time, and in their capacity as lawyers tried to advance justice as they understood it.
In our time as the active cohort of Colorado Law alumni, we鈥檝e taken up that mantle. We should be proud of the efforts of our alma mater and alumni to improve our communities and citizens鈥� access to justice. In our cover story, we learn about the Natives Vote Initiative and Clinical Professor Christina Stanton鈥檚 '15 work to address the unique challenges faced by Native communities in exercising their right to vote. Professor Deborah Cantrell and the Community Collaboration Law Lab are helping sustainable development reflect commitments to social justice and to reducing poverty.
Alum Chris Reynolds '10, in his role as Boulder's chief deputy city attorney, helped establish Boulder鈥檚 Community Court, which uses an individual and trauma-informed approach to address underlying causes of homelessness instead of cycling people in between the streets and jail. And those are only three examples of the things our students, faculty, and alumni are doing to help advance justice and equity in society.
I encourage all of us to stay involved with the alumni community鈥攊t鈥檚 a useful and important investment of our time and resources. If it鈥檚 been a while since you participated, consider taking a step towards reengagement. There are lectures and events at the law school, opportunities to speak with and mentor students, happy hours to connect with alums who share your practice area, and ways you can help financially. If you鈥檙e not able to spare your time, consider donating to the Dean鈥檚 Fund, scholarships, and/or clinics.
A couple of years ago, my law partner and I worked with the school to start a scholarship awarded to an outstanding mock trial student because mock trial was a law school experience that shaped our careers as lawyers, and it was important to us to help students interested in doing trial work. You might consider whether there鈥檚 a similar experience you had in law school and cater your involvement to those things that have made a difference in your life.
And, of course, there are always Homecoming and Reunion events. Homecoming this year was held September 20-21, and we held class reunions for folks who graduated in years ending in 4 or 9. It was a terrific weekend! If you couldn鈥檛 make it, stay tuned for Homecoming announcements in 2025. It鈥檚 an exciting time to be a Law Buff, and I hope to see you at an upcoming event!
Sincerely,
Tim Galluzzi