About Colleen
Colleen Kelley entered the University of Denver law school in 2007 and earned her J.D. in 2010. Her time in law school marked the formal start of a career oriented around criminal justice. The degree provided the credential she would use to build courtroom experience in the years that followed.
After law school, Kelley took a path common to many trial lawyers: she joined the Colorado State Public Defender's Office as a lawyer. In that role she handled a steady docket of criminal matters across different stages of case processing. She appeared in hearings, negotiated pleas, and represented clients at trial. The work required quick legal analysis and regular courtroom time. It also exposed her to the practical mechanics of criminal cases in Colorado courts.
Kelley maintained professional ties to the defense community. She held membership in the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar from 2015 through 2018. That affiliation put her in contact with other defense attorneys and offered access to continuing legal education and resources aimed at trial practice. Her career has remained within the criminal defense landscape rather than shifting to civil litigation or other practice areas.
Her training includes completion of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Standard Field Sobriety Testing student course. That course covers the field tests commonly administered during DUI stops and helps attorneys understand how those tests are performed and the typical issues that arise from them. The certification sits alongside courtroom experience, contributing to practical knowledge of traffic and impaired driving cases.
Today Kelley continues to practice in Colorado. Her background as a public defender informs how she approaches cases and clients. She handles criminal defense matters and has applied both trial experience and the sobriety testing coursework in representing people charged with a range of offenses. Her current practice centers on criminal defense work in Colorado.
