Richard L. Gabriel

Career

Appointed by Governor John Hickenlooper to the Colorado Supreme Court June 23, 2015.  Judge, Colorado Court of Appeals (2008-2015). Private practice (1988-2008): Partner (1994-2008) and Associate (1990-94), Holme Roberts & Owen LLP, Denver, CO; Associate, Shea & Gould LLC, New York, NY (1988-90). Practice focused on commercial, intellectual property, probate, and products liability litigation, all including appeals. Also served as City Prosecutor for Lafayette, Colorado.  Judicial clerkship (1987-88): Law clerk, Hon. J. Frederick Motz, U.S. District Court, District of Maryland, Baltimore, MD.

Education

B.A. cum laude in American Studies from Yale University (1984); J.D. from University of Pennsylvania School of Law (1987). Articles editor, University of Pennsylvania Law Review (1986-87). Winner, Keedy Cup Moot Court Competition (1987).

Professional

Admitted to state bars of New York (1987) and Colorado (1990) and to numerous federal district and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Member: American, Colorado, Denver, and New York Bar Associations. Honors: Champion for Children, Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center (1997); Forty Under 40, Denver Business Journal (2002); Richard Marden Davis Award, Denver Bar Foundation (2002); Colorado Super Lawyer (2007-08); Chambers’ Leading Lawyers for Business (2007-08); Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year, Law Week Colorado (2007); Named as a Lawyer of the Year, Lawyers USA (2007); Denver Bar Association Award of Merit (2014); In the Pursuit of Justice Lifetime Achievement Award, Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center (2019); DeMuth Volunteer of the Year Award, Colorado Judicial Institute (2022); Judicial Excellence Award, American Board of Trial Advocates Colorado Chapter (2023); Honorary Life Fellow, American Board of Trial Advocates Foundation (2024); American Inns of Court Professionalism Award in the Tenth Circuit (2024).

Civic

Chief Justice's Commission on Professional Development (member, 2011-19; chair, professionalism working group, 2014-15); CBA Board of Governors (DBA representative, 2010-12, 2014-16; vice president, 2012-13); DBA Board of Trustees (2013-16), CBA/DBA Professionalism Coordinating Council (member, 2009-present); CBA Judicial Liaison Section (member, 2008-present; secretary, 2013-15; vice chair 2016-present); American Bar Foundation (fellow, 2013-present); Colorado Bar Foundation (fellow, 2003-present); Colorado Judicial Institute (director, 1999-present, vice chair, 2001-02, chair, 2004-06); Our Courts (executive committee, 2008-present, federal courts committee, 2007-08, content committee chair, 2009-present, chair, 2015-present); Minoru Yasui Inn of Court (member, 2009-present, vice president, 2012-13, president, 2013-2014); Colorado Wind Ensemble (trumpeter, 1990-present, director, 1993-2008, president, 1994-2008); Colorado Lawyer (Civil Evidence column editor, 1992-96, Civil Litigator column editor, 1996-2005).

Publications

"The Strickland Standard for Claims of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel: Emasculating the Sixth Amendment in the Guise of Due Process," 134 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1259 (1986); "Rule 702: Admissibility of Expert Testimony Regarding Eyewitness Identification," 21 Colo. Law. 927 (May 1992); "Rule 1006: Admissibility of Summary Evidence," 22 Colo. Law. 35 (Jan. 1993); "Rule 501: The Privilege of Self-Critical Analysis," 23 Colo. Law. 1291 (June 1994); "Rule 615: Exclusion of Witnesses," 24 Colo. Law. 1299 (June 1995); Book Review, "Modern Evidence: Doctrine and Practice," 25 Colo. Law. 48 (Feb.1996); Co-author, "Chapter on Rule 26," Colorado Civil Procedure Forms and Commentary (Debra Knapp ed. 1996 & 2019); "Rule 606(b): Competency of Jurors as Witnesses," 25 Colo. Law 47 (Mar. 1996); "Professionalism in Today's Competitive Legal Market," 39 Colo. Law. 65 (June 2010); Co-author, "The Mentoring Relationship: How to Make it Work and Why it Matters," 42 Colo. Law. 53 (Oct. 2013); Co-author, "Caveat Advocatus:  Some Traps for the Unwary in the Colorado Court of Appeals,"  44 Colo. Law. 51 (Jan. 2015); "Six of the Greatest:  James E. Bye," 44 Colo. Law. 41 (July 2015); "Reflections on Colorado's State Appellate Courts," 45 Colo. Law. 81 (July 2016); "One of the Greatest:  Daniel S. Hoffman," 46 Colo. Law. 54 (July 2017); "Our Courts:  A Model for Adult Education," 47 Colo. Law. 10 (July 2018); Co-author, "Friending, Following, and Liking:  Social Media and the Courts," 48 Colo. Law. 9 (July 2019); Our Courts Colorado:  A Model for Adult Civics Education, 106 Judicature 23 (Spring 2022); Co-author, "The Recent Amendments to C.A.R. 21," 53 Colo. Law. 36 (Sept./Oct. 2024); numerous continuing legal education papers (1990-present).

Personal

Justice Gabriel was born in Brooklyn, NY. He and his wife have two adult children.