Judge LaQunya Baker-McKay began her career as a public defender with the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office in Charlotte, then moved to Colorado to serve as a Deputy State Public Defender in Golden. After spending time in general civil litigation in state and federal courts nationwide, she returned to her roots in criminal defense with Colorado’s Office of Alternate Defense Counsel, working throughout the Denver metro area. Appointed by Governor Jared Polis, Judge Baker joined the Arapahoe County Court bench in 2022 and in 2023, became the first Black woman appointed to the Arapahoe County District Court. In this talk, she’ll share what it’s like to move from public defense to the bench and what law students should know about building a meaningful legal career.

Special thanks to the Byron White Center for sponsoring this event! Tokyo Joe's will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.