About Ryan
Ryan Coward built a legal identity that moves between military courtrooms and state criminal dockets. He studied music and international studies as an undergraduate at DePaul University, graduating in 2004, then earned his J.D. from the University of Illinois - Chicago John Marshall Law School in 2007. Early in his legal education he helped establish a clinic to serve veterans, a theme that has threaded through his career.
After law school Coward entered the U.S. Army JAG Corps in 2008. He tried cases, advised commanders, and handled matters that ranged from administrative actions to courts-martial. That period gave him practical courtroom experience under unique procedural rules and exposed him to issues that recur for service members and veterans. He later maintained connections to legal education by serving on the advisory board of the John Marshall Law School Veterans Legal Center and Clinic.
In 2007 he was part of a team that launched the Veterans Legal Support Clinic at UIC John Marshall Law School. He served as director and co-founder, helping to create a space where law students could work on real cases for former service members. The clinic work reinforced his interest in military-related legal issues and in the overlap between civil benefits and criminal law.
Coward left the military-path for private practice and in 2015 became a founding partner of Aviso Law, LLC. At Aviso he moved into an active trial practice in Colorado and in federal courts that hear military appeals. His admissions include the state of Colorado, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals.
He maintains memberships in several professional associations, including the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, the Colorado Bar Association, and the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association. He also continues a formal role with the John Marshall Law School Veterans Legal Center and Clinic, serving on its advisory board. Those ties reflect ongoing involvement in both community and professional spheres.
Coward’s background combines courtroom experience from military service with private criminal defense practice. He handles matters that require familiarity with military appellate procedure and federal trial practice as well as state criminal law in Colorado. He currently focuses his practice on criminal defense, military law, and legal matters affecting veterans.
