DENVER — After an earlier announcement today of the appointment by Governor Jared Polis, the Colorado Judicial Department welcomes the appointment of the Honorable Susan Blanco to the Colorado Supreme Court. Justice-designate Blanco will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Melissa Hart.

“On behalf of the Judicial Department, we congratulate Justice-designate Blanco on her appointment to the Colorado Supreme Court,” said Chief Justice Monica Márquez. “Justice-designate Blanco brings rich professional and life experience to our bench. She is known for her stellar leadership, compassion, and innovative ideas. We are delighted to welcome her as our newest colleague and look forward to her contributions to our court and to the State of Colorado.”

Appointed to the district bench in 2017, Justice-designate Blanco has served as the first female Chief Judge of the 8th Judicial District (Larimer and Jackson Counties), where she presided over criminal, civil, probate, domestic relations, adoption, and appeals cases. 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.

Justice-designate Blanco pioneered Colorado's first Competency Court and launched the first Veterans’ Court in the 8th Judicial District. She 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. She currently serves on the boards of Bridges of Colorado and the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System.

Justice-designate 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 earned the City of Fort Collins Human Relations Award in 2022 and the Visionary in Law Award in 2024.

Born and raised in Colorado, Justice-designate Blanco is the first Iranian American female to serve on the Colorado Supreme Court. She earned an LLM from Duke, a JD from the University of Colorado School of Law, and a 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.

The Colorado Supreme Court, comprising seven members, is the state’s highest court, whose decisions are binding on all Colorado state courts. The Supreme Court has the authority to review lower court decisions, exclusive jurisdiction to promulgate rules governing practice and procedure in civil and criminal actions, and oversees the administration of the state’s judicial system. For more information about the Supreme Court, visit coloradojudicial.gov/supreme-court.