Colorado Supreme Court
Honorable Monica M. Márquez
Retention Year: 2024
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards
Reports:
2024 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
2021 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
2017 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
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The State Commission on Judicial Performance finds that Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, by a vote of 10–0 with one recusal. The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, and service to the legal profession and the public.
The Commission found Chief Justice Márquez to be well prepared and articulate in oral argument, courteous, and respectful to attorneys appearing before the Court. The Commission reviewed several of Chief Justice Márquez’ opinions and found them to be clear, thoughtful, well-reasoned, and issued in a timely manner. The Commission found Chief Justice Marquez to be inquisitive, deeply thoughtful and asked insightful and detailed questions. Overall, the Commission believes that Chief Justice Márquez is an asset to the Colorado Supreme Court, while commending her thoughtful reflection and continuous activity in the community. Attorney survey responses indicate that Chief Justice Márquez’ performance is strong in the areas of being fair and impartial towards each side of the case and conducting hearings in a neutral manner. Numerous attorneys commented that Chief Justice Márquez is intelligent, thoughtful, and brings a new unbiased vision to the court, and her fairness and impartiality are unquestioned. The survey responses and comments of judges indicate that Chief Justice Márquez is dedicated to bettering the workplace culture of the entire judicial branch. She is methodical in her decision-making and embodies the best qualities of a judicial officer: fair, kind, and inclusive. She writes thoughtful opinions, is hard working, and deeply committed to improving the court system as the Chief Justice.
The Commission surveyed responses from attorneys and judges regarding Chief Justice Márquez’ performance, read opinions she authored, observed her in oral arguments, reviewed her self-evaluation, and conducted a personal interview. She received an overall score of 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. Among the survey questions was “Meets performance standards?”. Of attorneys responding to the survey, 95% stated Yes, with 5% rating as “No, does not meet,”. Of judges responding to the survey, 98% stated yes, with 2% rating as “No, does not meet,”. A total of 20 attorneys and 41 Judges responded to the survey.
Chief Justice Márquez was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court in 2010 and became Chief Justice on July 26, 2024. She received a bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1991 and earned her law degree from Yale Law School in 1997. Following graduation, Chief Justice Márquez served as a law clerk for two federal judges. She was in private law practice until 2002, and then worked in the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. In that Office she served as Assistant Solicitor General and Assistant Attorney General in the Public Officials Unit and Criminal Appellate Section, and as Deputy Attorney General in charge of the State Services Section. Prior to her appointment to the Court, Chief Justice Márquez served on the boards of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, the Colorado LGBT Bar Association, and the Latina Initiative, and chaired the Denver Mayor’s LGBT Commission.