Colorado Court of Appeals
Honorable W. Eric Kuhn
Retention Year: 2024
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards
Reports:
2024 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
2023 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
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The State Commission on Judicial Performance finds that Judge W. Eric Kuhn MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, by a vote of 10–0 with one recusal. Colorado’s statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Judge Kuhn has been on the Colorado Court of Appeals since July 2021, and this is his first time standing for retention as a Court of Appeals Judge. The Commission finds that his opinions are timely, clear, and well-reasoned. At oral arguments, he is well-prepared, succinct in his questions, and respectful. The Commission commends Judge Kuhn for his collegiality and collaboration among his colleagues, for his work on a special division to help reduce the court’s COVID backlog, and also for his work as the Co-Chair of the Appellate Courts Technology Committee. In sum, the Commission finds Judge Kuhn is a valuable addition to the Court of Appeals.
To conduct our evaluation, the Commission interviewed Judge Kuhn, reviewed his self-evaluation, observed oral arguments, read a selection of his legal opinions, and considered survey responses from attorneys and judges. Survey respondents agreed Judge Kuhn meets judicial performance standards. 88% of attorneys and 100% of judges who responded to that question answered “yes.” He received an overall score of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale. Judge Kuhn received positive comments from lawyers for his preparation and temperament at oral argument, and comments from fellow judges for his collegiality and work ethic. A total of 18 attorneys and 24 judges responded to the survey.
Judge Kuhn joined the Colorado Court of Appeals in 2021. He earned his undergraduate degree from Colorado College and his law degree from the University of Denver. He started his career in private practice handling probate and estate planning matters. He moved to the Colorado Department of Law where he served as a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Health Care and Public Officials Units. In those roles, he handled all aspects of advice, litigation, and appeals, focusing on healthcare, public health, and complex constitutional and legal questions faced by elected officials and government agencies. He is an active member of the Minoru Yasui Inn of Court and is a trustee for a national foundation focused on innovations in aging.