About John Walsh

Experienced Leader.

John moved to Denver with his family at the age of 12, and he has dedicated his life to service here. John and his wife have spent decades in Denver, raising their three children, graduates of the Denver Public Schools. John has an accomplished legal record, having won national level cases against big banks, Wall Street, and major pharmaceutical companies.

John has long been a staunch advocate for sentencing reforms. He worked on President Obama's clemency project, working to reduce long, nonviolent drug offenses. He is a fervent believer in democracy, and his legal expertise was showcased when he successfully represented the Biden campaign and protected our democracy by fighting the post-2020 election cases in Michigan that challenged President-elect Joe Biden’s win. John served as Vice-Chair of the Denver Public Safety Review Commission – Denver’s original civilian oversight board for police and public safety agencies. He has worked tirelessly advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive rights in the federal courts and before the U.S. Supreme Court. John has helped found and lead community nonprofits focused on early childhood education, and advises schools that offer dual language education. His lifetime of community and public service reflects his unwavering dedication to justice and to making our city, state and country a better place.

Walsh for Denver Experienced Leader

Public Service.

President Barack Obama appointed John as the top federal prosecutor for Colorado – U.S. Attorney – from 2010 to 2016. In this role he held national leadership positions for the Department of Justice, most prominently as the chair of the U.S. Attorney General's Advisory Committee of US Attorneys. His influence and impact had a global reach, with expertise in addressing fraud and white-collar crime. He also co-chaired national efforts to combat securities fraud, helped lead the nationwide effort to hold big financial institutions responsible for their actions leading to the 2008 financial crisis, and worked tirelessly with Colorado state and local officials to improve the quality of public safety in our state. John made community outreach and cooperation a centerpiece of his work as U.S. Attorney, founding and championing programs to keep religious institutions of all faiths safe against hate crimes. 

John’s entire career has reflected his commitment to public service. After law school, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles. Over eight years, he rose to the position of Chief of the Major Frauds Section, focusing on white-collar crime and frauds. When he returned to Denver in 1995, he dedicated over 15 years at two of Denver's most prestigious law firms, Hill & Robbins and Holland & Hart, where he specialized in business litigation, securities, and conducting critical internal investigations. 

As a fluent Spanish speaker, Walsh has broken down linguistic barriers to increase impact and outreach. He is deeply involved in the Denver community, including serving on the American Bar Association's Mexico Committee and the board of Denver’s Escuela de Guadalupe. Walsh helped found (and now serves on the board of directors) Invest in Kids, a Colorado nonprofit focused on early childhood healthcare and education.

John Walsh for Denver District Attorney
Walsh for Denver Distinguished Career

Distinguished Career

John has a long and distinguished law career, serving as partner in several prominent Denver law firms as well, Holland & Hart, Hill & Robbins, and WilmerHale. In 2023, Law Week Colorado honored him with the title "Lawyer of the Year," and in 2021, he was recognized as both Colorado’s "Best Litigator" and "Best Overall Litigator.”

John has experienced the U.S. justice system as both a prosecutor and as a defense attorney. This experience has helped him to be a more effective prosecutor, as well as a leader who fundamentally understands the central importance of ensuring justice in every case.

John Walsh Denver DA

Community & Engagement

John has spent decades working with Denver’s diverse communities. He speaks Spanish fluently, having been an exchange student in Mexico in middle school. That fluency in Spanish has enabled John to further his impact and outreach, breaking down linguistic barriers. His engagement stretches far beyond the legal field, as he actively participates in numerous community boards and committees. His involvement ranges from serving as chair of the board of Denver’s Escuela de Guadalupe, to active engagement with the Colorado Hispanic Bar. Walsh founded and now serves on the board of directors of Invest in Kids, a Colorado nonprofit focused on early childhood healthcare and education.

Walsh for Denver DA

Family

John places family at the heart of everything he does. He and his wife of 30 years have lived in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood since 1995, where they raised their three children, graduates of Denver’s East High School.

Timeline of Career Highlights

  • Clerked for Judge Skelly Wright of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

    • Joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

    • Focused on white-collar crime and fraud, eventually became chief of the office’s unit.

    • Involved in high-profile fraud cases:

      • Prosecution of Charles Keating related to the savings and loan crisis.

      • Led a grand jury investigation into former Arizona Governor John Fife Symington, which led to a conviction.

  • Returned to Denver to join the law firm Holland & Hart, LLP, and became a partner in 1997.

  • Left the firm to join Hill & Robbins, P.C., where he was a member until 2010, when he became U.S. Attorney.

  • Extensive community work with the Democratic party as precinct committee person, District 7B co-captain and chair of the Colorado Democratic Party’s 2008 Platform Committee.

    • Appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado by former President Barack Obama.

    • Led several high-profile investigations:

      • Citigroup's $7 billion settlement for misconduct that contributed to the Great Recession.

      • Helped win a $3 billion settlement with a pharmaceutical company for misconduct in marketing its products.

      • Co-chaired DOJ’s Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group.

    • Focused on combating gun violence:

      • was present at the scene of the Aurora Theater shooting, as well as the scene of the Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado Springs.

      • testified before the US Senate judiciary committee in support of Pres. Obama’s 2013 package of gun crime bills, including an assault weapons ban.

      • worked closely with state and local law enforcement and District Attorneys in Denver, Lakewood, Aurora and Pueblo to combat gun crime through innovative strategies.

  • Was named by the Attorney General to serve as one of five national co‐chairs of the Attorney General’s Residential Mortgage‐Backed Securities (“RMBS”) Fraud Working Group. Co‐chaired the AGAC’s White Collar/Fraud committee.

  • Led the U.S. Attorney General’s national advisory committee of US Attorneys.

  • John ran for U.S. Senate to represent Colorado in 2019, but ultimately dropped out and endorsed our current U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper when he got into the race.

    • Joined WilmerHale, emphasizing public service.

    • Successfully represented the Colorado General Assembly in 2020 before the Colorado Supreme Court seeking authority to adjourn the legislative session “clock” during the health care emergency created by the COVID 19 pandemic.

    • Successfully defended Denver-based dialysis company DaVita and its former CEO Kent Thiry in April 2022.

    • Secured a victory on behalf of the University of Colorado Foundation in April 2022.