Alumni in Government

From Boulder to Washington, D.C., across the nation and around the world, Colorado Law graduates working in government are making a difference in their communities. On the following pages, we shine a spotlight on just a few of the many Colorado Law alumni who have chosen this highly rewarding career path. We selected these graduates to show a range of roles across local, state, and federal government.

As you will read, the alumni we spoke to report a deep sense of satisfaction from serving their communities. And Colorado Law, where they each began their legal journey, offers a plethora of opportunities for students interested in pursuing government work. The school’s proximity to Denver, Colorado’s capital and the largest city in the Rocky Mountain region, offers students unmatched opportunities with the Office of the Attorney General and dozens of state and federal government agencies headquartered in the Denver/Boulder metropolitan area.

Colorado Law participates in a regional government and public interest career fair that annually hosts 40–50 government employers, including federal, state, county, and municipal law opportunities for students to explore internships and jobs with government agencies. The law school supports unpaid government internships with a robust Public Service Summer Fellowship program and one-year postgraduate fellowships in partnership with the Denver City Attorney’s Office and Colorado District Attorney’s Counsel.

“The most meaningful aspect of government work for me is the gratifying feeling one gets from serving the public and the satisfaction knowing my work contributed to the betterment of the community I was serving,” said John McKee, director for government and public interest in Colorado Law’s Career Development Office, who has worked for federal, county, and city employers. “I am proud that Colorado Law is so uniquely well-positioned to help aspiring lawyers achieve their dreams of positive change through public service.”

For law students interested in pursuing government work, McKee advises building a strong public interest record of internships and volunteer experiences that serve government or nonprofit legal employers, as well as taking courses such as Administrative Law that offer transferable skills applicable to many government roles.

“Exploring the many different levels of government work can be invaluable in helping guide students towards fulfilling public interest careers,” he said. “Networking with attorneys from different levels of government to learn more about the details of government attorney work among the many different federal, state, county, and city settings is an ideal tool to help students navigate a fulfilling government career.”