From the latest “queer parents making a mark” files: The U.S. Senate voted at the end of May to confirm Charlotte Sweeney, a Colorado employee rights attorney and a lesbian mom, to the federal judiciary. She will be the first out LGBTQ federal judge in Colorado and the first out LGBTQ woman to serve as a federal district court judge in any state west of the Mississippi, according to the White House.
Sweeney is currently a founding partner of employment law firm Sweeney & Bechtold, LLC and treasurer of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Her professional work has centered on protecting workers’ rights in many industries and types of company. She assisted in drafting the 2019 Equal Pay for Equal Work Act in Colorado, repeatedly testified in support of equal pay at the Colorado Legislature, and has lectured and published extensively on the topic of equal pay, according to her bios.
She is also the former President of the Colorado Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association and served on its Board of Directors for more than 15 years. She is a former Co-Chair of the Colorado Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section and former President of the Faculty of Federal Advocates, who has repeatedly been recognized as one of the best lawyers in her field in the state and in the country.
In written responses (PDF) to senators after her confirmation hearing, Sweeney described her judicial philosophy:
My judicial philosophy is that judges owe a primary duty to the law and a secondary duty to the parties that appear before them. With respect to the former duty to the law, a judge must uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States. In any case involving constitutional or statutory interpretation, the text and binding precedent govern. With respect to the latter duty to the parties, I believe in absolute preparedness, thorough review of the record and legal authority, and concise but thorough decision-making and drafting. In addition, all parties must be treated fairly, impartially, and with an open mind.
Her bio at the Matthew Shepard Foundation also notes that she is “an avid world traveler, reader, hiker, and staunch believer in the concept that love always prevails over hate.” She has two daughters, and her bio notes, “She treasures time spent with her daughters, who are also committed to making this world a safer and better place for all.”