Gilbert M. Román

Date of Judicial Appointment: August 1, 2005

Career

Partner, Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP, Denver, Colo. (now known as Lewis Roca); Associate General Counsel, Kaiser-Hill Corporation LLC, Broomfield, Colo.; Partner, Román, Benezra & Culver, LLC, Lakewood, Colo.; Partner, Feiger, Collison & Killmer, LLC, Denver, Colo.; Associate, Sherman & Howard, Denver, Colo.; Adjunct Faculty, University of Denver College of Law; Arbitrator and Mediator, American Arbitration Association; and Arbitrator, National Association of Securities Dealers. Practice focused on complex civil litigation with an emphasis on employment law, commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

Professional

Named Chief Judge of the Colorado Court of Appeals by Chief Justice Brian Boatright. Prior to that served as Deputy Chief Judge under Chief Judge Steven Bernard. Member and former trustee of the Denver Bar Association; Board Member of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association and the Hispanic National Bar Association. Recipient of Appellate Judicial Skills and General Jurisdiction Certificates awarded by the National Judicial College; recipient of the Richard Marden Davis Award, Denver Bar Foundation; Outstanding Lawyer Award, Hispanic National Bar Association; Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, Colorado Hispanic Bar Association; and Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, Denver Bar Association.

At the Colorado Court of Appeals: 

-Chairs the Executive and Management Committees;
-Chairs the Court’s Governance Group;
-Serves as the Court’s Lorenzo Márquez Appellate Externship Liaison to the local law schools;
-Chaired the Court of Appeals Strategic Five-Year Planning Committee;
-Served on the Collegiality Committee; Wellness Committee; and the Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism Committee;
-Developed the Court of Appeals Goldilocks Mock Trial presentation for fourth and fifth graders; and
-Developed the Court of Appeals Law Clerk and Staff Attorney Peer to Peer Coaching Program.

At the Colorado Judicial Branch:

-Chairs the Rules of Appellate Procedure Committee;
-Chairs the Criminal Law Work Group;
-Serves on the:
   -Court Services Committee;
   -HR Compensation Subcommittee;
   -Culture Workplace Initiative Steering Committee;
   -Culture Workplace Initiative Training Group and leads its Intra-District Leadership Training Sub-Group;
   -Colorado Chief Judges Council and its Training Subcommittee;
   -Civil Rules Committee;
   -Rules of Evidence Committee;
   -Child Welfare Appeals Workgroup;
   -Pledge to Diversity Committee;
   -Judicial Well-Being Committee and its Education Subcommittee;
   -Judicial Performance 2.0 Convening Core Work Group;
   -Colorado Institute for Faculty Excellence-Judicial Education (COIFE-JE); as a faculty member and mentor; and
   -Colorado New Judge Orientation Training.
-Developed the Peer to Peer Coaching for Colorado Judicial Officers Program; serves on its Executive Committee and as a Peer Coach;
-Served on the Branch-wide Childcare Initiative Work Group;
-Participated in the Java with Judges Program;
-Served as a "Dream Team Anchor" on the Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence and the Dream Team Coffee Brigade;
-Served on the State Task Force on Attorney Well-Being.

At the National Level,

-Serves on the Council of Chief Judges of the State Courts of Appeal and its Education Committee; and
-Instructs at the National Judicial College.

Civic

Judged the state finals of the We the People competition, the finals of the HNBA's National Moot Court Competition, the regional competition of the Thomas Tang International Moot Court Competition and the regional competition of the American Constitution Society. Has spoken at C.S.U. Rams, J.D.; The Office of the Child’s Representative and Respondent Parents’ Counsel Conference; the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO), the Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session, the Colorado Bar Association's Appellate Section, and the Colorado Judicial Institute. Authored The Colorado Appellate Court’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion (The Colorado Lawyer, July 2020) (co-author); Coming to a Community Near You: The Court of Appeals Extended Outreach Program (The Colorado Lawyer, April 2017). Through the Courts in the Community program for high school students, heard oral arguments and spoke to students in Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Denver, Longmont, Lakewood, Limon, Glenwood Springs, Steamboat Springs and Durango. Has presented to local bar associations in Denver, Golden, Sterling, Lamar, La Junta, Glenwood Springs, Steamboat Springs, Montrose, Trinidad and Vail.

Personal

Born 1962, in Wichita, Kan. Colorado State University (Political Science, 1984); University of Michigan Law School (Juris Doctor, 1987). Served as a Little League baseball and basketball coach. Married and has three adult children.