A historic transition in leadership occurred last week at the Colorado Supreme Court as a new chief justice took the reins of the state's judicial branch.

Justice Monica M. Márquez was sworn in on Friday as Colorado's first Latina and first openly LGBTQ chief justice in the state's history, according to local media outlet KDVR.

Historic leadership change

A press release from the Colorado Judicial Branch announced that Justice Marquez succeeded Justice Brian Boatright in the role of chief justice following the conclusion of Boatright's term-limited tenure in that position.

In 2020, the Colorado Supreme Court justices voted unanimously to implement a three-year rotation for the chief justice spot.

Born in Austin, Texas, but raised in Grand Junction, Colorado, Marquez became the third female chief justice and the second chief justice to hail from the state's Western Slope in history. Her family is no stranger to historic milestones either, as her father, Jose Marquez, was the first Latino judge in Mesa County and the first Latino judge on the state's appellate court.

She also holds the distinction of being the longest-tenured of around a dozen openly LGBTQ Supreme Court justices in the nation.

Honored to accept chief justice role

In a statement, Marquez said, "I am deeply grateful to Chief Justice Boatright for his leadership. He has overseen significant changes to the administration of the branch in recent years, and his humble leadership has been a model for all of us."

"As he now hands me the baton, I am ready to carry forward the momentum his leadership has created," the new chief justice continued. "Our highest mission remains serving the people of Colorado and upholding the integrity of the judicial system."

"I am also committed to strengthening our relationships with government and community partners and making the Judicial Branch an exceptional workplace," she added.

Prior experience

Marquez was first appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court in 2010 by then-Gov. Bill Ritter to fill a vacancy left by the retirement of former Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey.

Before joining the high court, she held various positions within the Colorado Attorney General's Office and rose to the level of Deputy Attorney General, a position in which she led the office's State Services section and represented several different executive branch officers and agencies.

Previously, she had engaged in private practice with a focus on commercial litigation and employment law, and also served as a clerk for a federal judge in Massachusetts and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals based in Denver.

She now heads the entirety of Colorado's judicial branch and its roughly 4,200 employees across the state, including approximately 410 justices, judges, and magistrates.

According to Colorado Public Radio, Marquez is also a prominent member of several affinity groups, including the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association and the Colorado LGBT Bar Association, and serves as the chair of the Denver Mayor’s LGBTQ Commission.