Neeti V. Pawar

The Hon. Neeti Pawar was appointed to the Court of Appeals in March, 2019. Before her appointment, Judge Pawar ran her own solo law firm for twelve years, and prior to that, she was a partner with a small boutique law firm. In her private practice, Judge Pawar practiced in the areas of family law, employment law, and criminal defense. She also served as a mediator for over a decade. Early in her career, Judge Pawar worked as a public defender for the City of Denver.

Professional Involvement

During her 25-year career before joining the bench, Judge Pawar was actively involved in the Colorado legal community. She served as 1st Vice President, representing Denver, with the Colorado Bar Association; an Executive Council member for the Colorado Bar Association; 2nd Vice President for the Denver Bar Association; and a member of the Board of Governors of the Colorado Bar Association. She is also a Fellow with the Colorado Bar Foundation. Judge Pawar is a past president of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the founder of the South Asian Bar Association of Colorado. She was a member of the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, and a board member of the Colorado Lawyer’s Committee and Colorado Legal Services. Her service to the legal profession also included pro bono representation and assistance to individuals in need through Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Denver, Project Homeless Connect, and various community legal aid nights. She graduated in the inaugural class of the Colorado Bar Association’s Leadership Training Program. She currently serves on multiple working committees within the Colorado Court of Appeals and continues to volunteer her time speaking on legal matters, leadership, and community service.

Professional Recognitions

Judge Pawar has been recognized by her peers through her inclusion the SuperLawyer list for over ten years, including “Top 50 Women Lawyers” for three of those years, and 5280 Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” list for three years. She was selected by the Denver Business Journal as a “Forty Under 40” in 2007, and received the Minoru Yasui Community Service Award from the Asian Pacific American Bar Association in 2018. After her first year on the bench, Judge Pawar was selected as “Barrister’s Choice” for Best Court of Appeals Judge in Law Week Colorado’s Barrister’s Best 2020.

Public Service

Public service outside of the legal profession has also been a cornerstone for Judge Pawar. She volunteered for fifteen years with the Colorado Heritage Camps, guided young leaders through Colorado Dragon Boat Festival’s Emerging Leadership Program, mentors countless young people, and teaches dance to children at an Indian dance studio in Aurora, Colorado.

Personal

Judge Pawar grew up in a small, rural, farm community in central western Illinois, which she credits with having instilled down-to-earth values. She left the Midwest in 1994 to launch her career in Colorado, which, she believes, provides an ideal balance of city energy and mountain life, and reminds her of her midwestern roots. In her free time, Judge Pawar enjoys dancing, skiing, cooking, and playing Scrabble with her husband whether at their dining room table or various spots throughout the world.