GOV. RITTER APPOINTS 3 COURT OF APPEALS JUDGES

 

Gov. Bill Ritter today appointed three new judges to the Colorado Court of Appeals: Sean Connelly of Centennial and Richard Lance Gabriel and David Jay Richman of Denver.

 

Connelly is currently a partner at Reilly, Pozner & Connelly, where he has been a civil and criminal litigator since 1994. He previously worked in private practice from 1984 to 1990, and as a judicial law clerk to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit from 1983 to 1984. He is involved in numerous community organizations and has received many awards, including Individual of the Year from the Colorado Lawyers Committee in 2007 and the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service in 1998. He received his bachelor's degree from Fairfield University in 1980 and his law degree from Catholic University Law School in 1983.

 

Gabriel has been a partner at Holme Roberts & Owen since 1994 and was an associate at the firm from 1990-1994. His practice includes intellectual property and complex and commercial litigation. He previously has worked for Shea & Gould (1988-90) and as a law clerk for the Hon. Frederick Motz of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (1987-1988). He also has served as city prosecutor for the city of Lafayette. He is involved in many community and legal organizations. He received his bachelor's degree from YaleUniversity in 1984 and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 1987.

 

Richman is currently a career law clerk with the U.S. District Court in Colorado, a position he has held since 2003. He most recently served the Hon. Phillip S. Figa. Prior to joining the court, he was in private practice, specializing in civil commercial litigation and arbitration and criminal defense. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Congregation Hebrew Educational Alliance and cooperating attorney for the ACLU of Colorado. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in 1972 and his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1975.

 

All three appointments take effect July 1. The positions were created pursuant to House Bill 07-1054. The appointments are for a provisional term of two years, and then until the second Tuesday in January following the next general election. Thereafter, if retained by the voters, the term is for eight years. The current salary is $124,092.