The History of William Lee Knous (1911)

In 2021, we honored:

William Lee Knous Award
Daniel A. Vigil ('82)


Distinguished Achievement鈥擯ublic Sector
Jacki Cooper Melmed ('03)


Distinguished Achievement鈥擯rivate Practice
Carolyn Fairless ('98)


Distinguished Achievement鈥擡ducation
Whiting Dimock ('96)



Distinguished Achievement鈥 Solo/Small Firm Practitioner
Tyrone Glover ('09)


Distinguished Achievement鈥擲pecial Recognition for Outstanding Leadership in Civil Rights
Ryan Haygood ('01)


Richard Schaden Adopted Alumnus Award
John Echohawk



Sonny Flowers Award
Hon. Gary M. Jackson ('70)

In 2020, we honored:

William Lee Knous Award
Hon. Nathan Coats ('77), Colorado Supreme Court

Distinguished Achievement鈥擯ublic Sector
Steve Zwick ('77), San Miguel County (retired)

Distinguished Achievement鈥擯rivate Practice
Mindy Sooter ('03), WilmerHale

Distinguished Achievement鈥 Solo/Small Firm Practitioner
W. Harold "Sonny" Flowers Jr. ('71), Hurth, Sisk & Blakemore LLP

Dean Edward C. King Making a Difference Award
Kristin Bronson ('97), City and County of Denver

Richard Schaden Adopted Alumnus Award
Gordon Gamm

In 2019, we honored:

William Lee Knous Award
William R. Gray ('66) and John A. Purvis ('67), Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP

Distinguished Achievement鈥擩udiciary
The Honorable Kristen L. Mix ('85), United States District Court for the District of Colorado

Distinguished Achievement鈥擯rivate Practice
Todd Fredrickson (鈥91), Fisher & Phillips LLP

Distinguished Achievement鈥擯ublic Sector
Jim Coyle (鈥85), Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel for the Colorado Supreme Court (Retired)

Dean鈥檚 Choice鈥擱ichard Schaden Adopted Alumnus Award
Korey Wise

Dean鈥檚 Choice鈥擠ean Edward C. King Making a Difference Award
Meshach Y. Rhoades ('04), Armstrong Teasdale LLP

In 2018, we honored:

William Lee Knous Award
Peter C. Dietze听(鈥62), Dietze and Davis, P.C. (retired)

Distinguished Achievement鈥擱ecent Alumnus
Javed M. Abbas听(鈥13), The Harris Law Firm P.C.

Distinguished Achievement鈥擟orporate Counsel
Sonny Cave听(鈥85), ON Semiconductor

Distinguished Achievement鈥擯ublic Sector
Timothy Monahan听(鈥87), Colorado Office of the Attorney General

Distinguished Achievement鈥擯rivate Practice
Niki Frangos Tuttle听(鈥84), Hogan Lovells

Dean鈥檚 Choice鈥擱ichard Schaden Adopted Alumna Award
Chief Justice Nancy E. Rice, Colorado Supreme Court

Dean鈥檚 Choice鈥擠ean Edward C. King Making a Difference Award
Mekela Goehring听(鈥02), Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network

In 2017, we honored:

  • William Lee Knous Award

    The Honorable Bill Ritter Jr. ('81), former governor of Colorado and founder and director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University.

  • Distinguished Achievement - Solo/Small Practice

    Gary B. Blum ('71), director and shareholder, Silver & DeBoskey, P.C.

  • Distinguished Achievement - Private Practice

    Hugh Q. Gottschalk ('79), partner and president, Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP


  • Distinguished Achievement - In-House Counsel

    Beverly E. Ledbetter ('72), vice president and general counsel, Brown University

  • Distinguished Achievement - Public Service

    The Honorable Pat Steadman ('91), senator, Colorado General Assembly

  • Dean's Choice Award - Adopted Alumna

    The Honorable Christine M. Arguello, judge, United States District Court, Colorado

In 2016, we honored:

  • William Lee Knous Award

    Norman Brownstein ('68) and Steven W. Farber ('68), Shareholders, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP

  • Distinguished Achievement - Public Sector

    The Honorable Cory Gardner ('01), United States Senator - Colorado

  • Distinguished Achievement - Judiciary

    The Honorable Marcia S. Krieger ('79), Chief Judge, United States District Court, Colorado

  • Distinguished Achievement - Corporate Counsel

    Michelle M. Lucero ('89), Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel, and Chief Flash Mob Officer, Children's Hospital Colorado

  • Richard Schaden "Adopted Alumni" Award

    Paul and Norma, and David and Jed Barash, parents and brothers of Daniel Barash ('02)

  • Dean Edward C. King "Pay it Forward" Award

    Fiona Arnold, Executive Director, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

In 2015, we honored:

  • Betty Carter Arkell ('75), Partner, Holland & Hart LLP,听for the William Lee Knous Award, Colorado Law's highest alumni honor

  • William R Buck (鈥83), General Counsel-Upstream Companies, Exxon Mobil Corporation, for Distinguished Achievement in Corporate Counsel
  • Michael L. Connor ('93), Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, for Distinguished Achievement in the Public Sector
  • David G. Palmer ('70), Denver Managing Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, for Distinguished Achievement in Private Practice
  • Brian L. Duffy ('91), Shareholder & Co-President, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, for Distinguished Achievement in Private Practice.

In addition, Dean Phil Weiser presented two听Dean's Choice awards, recognizing individuals who have made exceptional contributions to Colorado Law:

  • Roxanne Jensen ('85), Managing Director, Catapult Growth Partners, & Founder, EvolveLaw,听for the Dean Edward C. King 鈥淧ay it Forward鈥 Award
  • R. Stanton Dodge,听Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, DISH Network,for the Richard Schaden 鈥淎dopted Alumnus鈥 Award

In 2014, we honored:

  • The Honorable Roy R. Romer (鈥52), former Governor of Colorado, for the William Lee Knous Award, Colorado Law's highest alumni honor

  • The Honorable Claudia J. Jordan (鈥80), Denver County Judge, Second Judicial District, for Distinguished Achievement in the Judiciary
  • Thomas M. Ray (鈥86), President & CEO, CoreSite, for Distinguished Achievement in Industry
  • Thomas W. Fredericks (鈥72), Partner, Fredericks Peebles & Morgan LLP, for Distinguished Achievement in Private Practice
  • Douglas J. Friednash, Shareholder, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, and D. Scott Martinez, Denver City Attorney, for the Dean Edward C. King 鈥淧ay it Forward鈥 Award
  • Ann Marks Getches for the Richard Schaden 鈥淎dopted Alumna鈥 Award

The Honorable Michael L. Bender ('67) was the 2013 William Lee Knous Award recipient.

The 2012 William Lee Knous Award recipient was Bill Johnson ('58).