Stephanie Dunn

Judge Dunn was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals in June 2012.  Before joining the bench, she was a partner at the Denver office of Perkins Coie LLP, where she practiced in state and federal courts.  Her practice focused on complex business litigation, appellate litigation, and white-collar investigations and defense.  She was a member of the firm’s securities and corporate governance litigation practice group, the appellate practice group, and the investigations and white-collar defense practice group.  While there, Judge Dunn chaired both the Denver Diversity Committee and the Denver Pro Bono Committee and served on several firmwide committees.  She also actively represented clients on pro bono matters, in particular assisting military veterans on a pro bono basis.  Before joining Perkins Coie, Judge Dunn was a litigation associate in the Denver office of a large New York-based law firm, focusing on commercial and securities litigation.  Judge Dunn began her career as a law clerk for Chief Justice Luis Rovira of the Colorado Supreme Court.

Judge Dunn currently serves on multiple working committees within the Colorado Court of Appeals, including the court’s Governance Group and the Strategic Five-Year Planning Committee. She also serves on several committees in the Judicial Branch and Colorado legal community, including the Rules of Evidence Committee, the Pattern Civil Jury Instructions Committee, the Civil Rules Committee, Our Courts Colorado Executive Committee, and the Colorado Lawyers Committee Hate Crimes Education Task Force.  Judge Dunn enjoys speaking on a wide range of legal topics but particularly enjoys speaking with students about law and the judiciary.  She has also volunteered with several community organizations over the years, especially those serving individuals facing food insecurity.

Judge Dunn is a graduate of the Judicial Branch’s Executive Leadership Development Program and is a Colorado Bar Foundation Fellow.  She is also a member of the American, Colorado, Denver, and Women’s Bar Associations, as well as the National Association of Women Judges. 

Judge Dunn is admitted to practice in Colorado and several federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Before joining the bench, she was recognized as one of Law Week Colorado’s Lawyers of the Year, Big Verdict Case list.

Judge Dunn received her Bachelor of Arts, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Colorado and her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver, where she graduated Order of St. Ives and served on the Law Review and the Honor Board.