Susan Blanco, COBALT Committee Co-Chair/Whisperer Chief Judge Susan Blanco is the first female to serve as the Chief Judge of the 8th Judicial District of Colorado (Larimer and Jackson Counties). She was appointed to the bench in January 2017 where she has presided over criminal, civil, probate, domestic relations, adoptions, and appeals. She also presides over specialty and problem-solving court dockets including the Competency Court, Wellness Court, and Veteran’s Court. Prior to the bench, she served as a Deputy District Attorney followed by a decade in private practice in criminal defense and as a guardian ad litem for children and vulnerable adults.
Chief Judge Blanco has earned an LLM from Duke, JD from the University of Colorado School of Law, and B.S. from Colorado State University. She currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado School of Law and previously taught for the School of Social Work at Colorado State University.
Chief Judge Blanco is dedicated to the advancement of access and inclusivity for those served by the courts. Through her community engagement and leadership, she pioneered the first Competency Court in Colorado. Chief Judge Blanco also developed the 8th Judicial District’s Latinx Task Force and has served as a Commissioner on the Colorado Access to Justice Commission since 2020. Chief Judge Blanco currently serves on the board for Bridges of Colorado as well as the Institute for the Advancement for the American Legal System.
For the judicial branch, Chief Judge Blanco serves as Co-Chair of the Chief Judge's Council, chairs two standing committees to the Colorado Supreme Court: The Pathways to Access Committee and The Information Technology Committee. In addition, she chairs the Digital Courts and Records Committee and the Advisory Committee on Language Access. Chief Judge Blanco serves on the Executive Council for Peer 2 Peer Coaching and the Criminal Model Jury Instruction Committee.
Outside of her work for the Judicial Branch, Chief Judge Blanco has served on the Colorado Women’s Bar Association’s Board of Directors and helped create their “Lawyer’s Teaching for Change” program. She has served on the Colorado Bar Association’s Executive Council, Judicial Section, and Criminal Law Executive Council. She was a founding board member of the Colorado Bar Association’s Diverse Attorney Community Circle and serves as a co-chair of the Colorado Bar Association’s leadership training program, COBALT. She is a founding member of Colorado’s Middle Eastern North African Bar Association.
Chief Judge Blanco is a Tedx Speaker and the recipient of the 2025 Colorado Judicial Institute’s Judicial Excellence Award, 2024 Conrad Ball Award, 2023 CWBA Judicial Excellence Award, and 2022 Colorado Hispanic Bar Association Community Service Award. Under her leadership the Competency Court has earned the City of Fort Collins Human Relations Award in 2022 and the Visionary in Law Award in 2024.
Mariana Vielma, COBALT Committee Co-Chair/Whisperer is a judge of the Adams County Court in Colorado. She assumed office on July 17, 2020. She is a native of Denver and earned her J.D. from the University of St. Thomas School of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at El Paso. Prior to becoming a magistrate, she was an Assistant County Attorney and a Sr. Deputy District Attorney in the 17th Judicial District.
Niceta Bradburn Working with children takes special skill and sensitivity, two things that Niceta Bradburn possesses in abundance. As a CASA Barry Glasgow Award-winner for GAL (Guardian Ad Litem) of the Year, Attorney Bradburn is known for her advocacy for children in the court system. For context, a Guardian Ad Litem/ Counsel for Youth is a court-appointed figure who represents the legal interests of the child exclusively. GALs specialize in ensuring that a child’s voice is heard—especially when that child lacks the knowledge to voice their needs on their own.
Her current practice at Ciancio Ciancio Brown focuses on divorce, parental rights allocation, adoption, probate, and juvenile matters, among other concerns. As a result, Ms. Bradburn is deeply experienced in Colorado law pertaining to children, which is particularly relevant to modern family law. She has also worked as a Child/Family Investigator for the court—this means that she is professionally skilled at uncovering factors and details relevant to a child’s needs in a family situation. She even has spent her time volunteering for adjudicated children, working as a therapist in a wilderness camp designed for juveniles in the system prior to law school.
Ms. Bradburn received her B.A. from the University of Dayton, where she played Division I basketball, volleyball, and ran cross-country. After undergrad she worked with children in wilderness therapeutic programs, as a teacher in outdoor education, and as a barn manager. She then moved to Colorado to earn her Juris Doctorate from Sturm College at the University of Denver. During her time at law school, she interned for the Attorney General; in addition, she was a law clerk for Judge Rappaport, familiarizing herself with the processes and practices of the court system. In this time, she also completed her clinic work with the Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center, establishing her focus on children early on.
Ms. Bradburn is currently on the board for Raise the Future and Sportswomen of Colorado. She is a past board member for Reaching Hope and for the foundation for her children’s school. She is the current President of the Irving P. Andrews Inn of Court.
Codi Cox A strategic litigator and skilled negotiator, Codi Cox’s practice centers on the construction industry and the unique law surrounding it. She represents general contractors, subcontractors and design professionals throughout Colorado and nationally.
Codi advises and supports clients throughout the entire litigation process, from contract preparation, risk management and claims review to alternative dispute resolution and ultimately trial. She uses her expertise in construction law and contract review and negotiation strategies to help clients ensure compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, mitigate risks and enhance project outcomes. She also has a background in finance that deepens her understanding of risk mitigation and compliance protocols.
Ari Krichiver After a brief stint doing class action disability law and other plaintiff’s civil rights work, I landed in the appellate division of the Colorado State Public Defender in 2008. In 2010, I transferred to the Brighton Trial Office and handled misdemeanors and felonies, as well as becoming the County Court Supervisor in 2016. In that office, I handled every type of criminal case, including DUIs, domestic violence, sex assaults, homicides, and some death penalty work. I also argued two cases in front of the Colorado Supreme Court. In 2021, looking for a change, I accepted a position as the Deputy Chief Municipal Public Defender in the Denver Municipal Public Defender’s Office.
Chris Harbison (she/her) is a Deputy District Attorney in the Seventeenth Judicial District. She currently works in the child victim unit, which she considers her dream job. She obtained her B.A. in Psychology from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH) and her Master’s in Social Science Administration from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University. Chris spent roughly 25 years working as a licensed clinical social worker. When her youngest child began college, Chris entered the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. Chris enjoys combining social work with her work as a Deputy District Attorney and considers the transition to law one of the best decisions she has ever made. Chris and her spouse have two grown children. In her free time, Chris enjoys mentoring students, reading, knitting and cycling.
Alex Leach (she/her) is the Nondiscrimination Coordinator at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment where she works to ensure compliance with civil rights laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Alex is also an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Denver and MSU Denver where she teaches classes on the intersection of social work and law. She obtained her B.A. in Anthropology from Dartmouth College and then pursued a dual Master’s program in Social Work and Public Health at the University of Michigan. Alex received her J.D. from the University of Denver. In her spare time, Alex enjoys hanging out with her dogs Penelope and Graham, writing, and exploring new hobbies.
Aaron Hockman joined the Colorado Office of Administrative Courts in January 2023 and was appointed Supervising Administrative Law Judge for the General Services Unit beginning July 2024. He is also a part-time Magistrate for Denver County Court.
Judge Hockman was formerly an Administrative Law Judge for the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings, Chief Trial and Appellate Counsel for the Wyoming Office of the Guardian ad Litem, and began his legal career began as an Assistant Public Defender in Northeast Wyoming. He is a member of the Colorado LGBT+ Bar Association, Denver Bar Association, and 2024 CODACC class.
Education: University of Wyoming – Bachelor of Art in History; Bachelor of Art in Criminal Justice; and Juris Doctor.
Megan Bishop Megan is a performing arts major who discovered her passion for trial law after reluctantly agreeing to play a witness in college mock trial. She began her legal career as an investigator with the D.C. Public Defender Service before attending The University of Texas School of Law. At Texas Law, she served as a member of the Criminal Defense Clinic, Actual Innocence Clinic, and Mock Trial Team, as well as a Research Assistant for Texas Law Review publications. After graduation, Megan joined the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, where she tried cases at all levels and quickly rose to the rank of Senior Deputy Public Defender. In this role, she trained, mentored, and taught colleagues advanced DUI defense and trial advocacy skills while developing a leadership approach centered on equity and empathy.
Megan transitioned to private criminal defense in 2022 but continues to accept some indigent defense appointments through the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel and the CJA Panel for the U.S. District Court of Colorado. A devoted advocate, she has provided multiple legislative testimonies on pending bills and appeared as a legal commentator on Denver9's Next with Kyle Clark regarding public schools' rights to display Pride flags.
Megan regularly presents trainings to the Criminal Defense Bar, and recently, has brought her teaching and leadership skills to CU Boulder as faculty for the law school's Trial Advocacy Clinic and coach for the undergraduate Mock Trial Team.
Today, Megan's practice focuses on complex DUIs, appellate advocacy, and other novel litigation. Although rare, the Colorado Supreme Court has granted review on three of her original proceeding petitions within the span of a year. Megan looks forward to further refining her written advocacy skills under the leadership of the esteemed attorneys at 2ndChair, the Denver-based firm she is privileged to be a part of.
When not working, Megan enjoys dance, design, music editing, and giving pen recommendations that no one asked for.
Shana Beggan grew up outside of Chicago Illinois, raised in a large family filled with public servants. Shana moved to Colorado for law school. Throughout law school, while starting a family, Shana interned in numerous legal venues from the Office of Attorney Regulation, to the District Attorney's Appellate Division, to private highly respected litigation firms, to corporate in-house counsel litigation groups. Upon graduating with honors from law school, Shana clerked at the Colorado Supreme Court. After her clerkship, Shana returned to working at the Denver District Attorneys' office where she specialized in appellate work, and in prosecuting violent juvenile offenses, felony crimes against children, felony domestic violence and homicide cases, and gang cases. Shana also taught at the police academies and with the Courtrooms to Classrooms programs. Upon leaving the District Attorney's office, Shana went into private practice as a partner at Alonzi Pellow Beggan, LLC, with Mike Pellow and Steve Alonzi. Shana, Mike, and Steve have earned exceptional reputations as criminal defense litigators, civil litigators, and litigators and practitioners in the area of administrative law. Shana and Mike also have spent over a decade working as independent contractors for the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel where they provide defense work for indigent defendants. Shana is a pro tem Judge for the City of Westminster, Town of Hudson, and Town of Lyons and aspires to be on the bench full time one day. Outside of work, Shana volunteers with numerous organizations. Shana is married to a bi-lingual first responder and, true to the values at Shana's core, Shana and her husband have raised three daughters all devoted to public service and all also working as first responders. Shana is devoted to giving back to her community and her country. When she is not working or volunteering, her time is spent reading, enjoying time with her family, her dog, enjoying sports, or doing any form of outdoor activity that allows her to play in Colorado's amazing natural playground!