After the appointment announcement by Governor Jared Polis, the Colorado Judicial Department has confirmed that the Honorable Susan Blanco will join the Colorado Supreme Court. Justice-designate Blanco will take over the seat left vacant by retiring Justice Melissa Hart.
Chief Justice Monica Márquez commented on the appointment, stating, “On behalf of the Judicial Department, we congratulate Justice-designate Blanco on her appointment to the Colorado Supreme Court. Justice-designate Blanco brings rich professional and life experience to our bench. She is known for her stellar leadership, compassion, and innovative ideas. We are delighted to welcome her as our newest colleague and look forward to her contributions to our court and to the State of Colorado.”
Justice-designate Blanco was appointed to the district bench in 2017 and became the first female Chief Judge of the 8th Judicial District, which covers Larimer and Jackson Counties. In this role, she handled a range of cases including criminal, civil, probate, domestic relations, adoption, and appeals. Before joining the bench, she worked as a Deputy District Attorney and spent ten years in private practice focusing on criminal defense and serving as a guardian ad litem for children and vulnerable adults.
Her initiatives include pioneering Colorado’s first Competency Court and launching the first Veterans’ Court in her district. She also created a Latinx Task Force for the 8th Judicial District and has served as a Commissioner on the Colorado Access to Justice Commission since 2020. Additionally, she sits on boards such as Bridges of Colorado and the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System.
Justice-designate Blanco is recognized as a Tedx Speaker and has received several awards: the 2025 Colorado Judicial Institute’s Judicial Excellence Award, 2024 Conrad Ball Award, 2023 CWBA Judicial Excellence Award, and 2022 Colorado Hispanic Bar Association Community Service Award. Under her leadership, Competency Court earned both Fort Collins’ Human Relations Award in 2022 and Visionary in Law Award in 2024.
Born in Colorado, she becomes the first Iranian American female justice on the state’s highest court. Her academic background includes an LLM from Duke University, a JD from University of Colorado School of Law, and a B.S. from Colorado State University. She teaches at University of Colorado School of Law as an adjunct professor and previously taught at CSU’s School of Social Work.
The seven-member Colorado Supreme Court is responsible for binding decisions across all state courts. It reviews lower court rulings, sets rules for civil and criminal procedure statewide, and manages judicial administration throughout Colorado. The Supreme Court operates within the broader mission of promoting public trust through accessible legal services and transparent processes.
The branch’s structure encompasses various courts—including specialized ones—and administrative offices that oversee judicial matters across all counties (source). Services provided include trial courts handling different types of cases, appellate review functions like those performed by the Supreme Court itself (source), public record access tools for residents (source), self-help resources online (source), and payment options available via its website (source). The Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center in Denver houses these appellate courts (source).
For more information about how these courts operate or details about their structure visit the official website.
