Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has named Durango resident Kim Shropshire as the next district judge for the 6th Judicial District, which includes La Plata, Archuleta and San Juan counties.
Shropshire, 53, will fill the vacancy created with the retirement of District Judge William Herringer.
She beat two other finalists – William Furse of Dolores and Anthony Edwards of Silverton – in her bid to become a judge.
Efforts to reach Shropshire for comment Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Shropshire has worked as a staff attorney with Colorado Legal Services, a general practice of civil law related to issues of poverty, since 2006, according to her application for the judgeship.
Areas of law practiced at Colorado Legal Services include family law; private, subsidized and mobile home park housing law; public benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Social Security; guardian ad litem for tribal courts; and community education.
Shropshire has been admitted to practice law in four courts: the state of Colorado in 2010, the Ute Mountain Ute CFR Court in 2002, the Southern Ute Tribal Court in 2002 and the U.S. District Court in the District of Colorado.
Her admittance remains active in each court, according to her application.
She indicated on her application that her sub-specialties in law practice include family law, housing and guardian ad litem, and respondent counsel for Ute Mountain Ute CFR Court and Southern Ute Tribe in Tribal Court.
She has worked in matters involving victims of domestic violence and protection of clients and their children; tenant rights in housing issues; and served as respondent-counsel for Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute tribal courts in dependency and neglect, domestic relations, and protection order cases.
Shropshire previously worked as a grant attorney for Colorado Legal Services from 2005 to 2006. From 2003 to 2006, she was a practitioner for her own office and served as a staff attorney again for Colorado Legal Services from 2001 to 2003, according to the governor’s office.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Georgia in 1992 and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Denver in 2001.
The two other finalists have more experience with criminal law.
Furse is a former public defender who became district attorney for the 22nd Judicial District, which includes the Cortez area. After becoming term-limited, he became the assistant district attorney in the 22nd Judicial District.
Edwards serves as the San Juan County judge in Silverton, a position he has held since 2014. He also maintains a part-time civil law practice in Silverton and serves as the town of Silverton’s municipal judge, according to a judicial performance evaluation done in 2020.
cburney@durangoherald.com
