DENVER — ACLU of Colorado proudly announces Tim Macdonald as its new Legal Director. Macdonald is a nationally recognized litigator who most recently served as Managing Partner at Arnold & Porter’s (A&P) Denver office. Macdonald has far-ranging appellate experience and has tried cases across the country in various state and federal courts and before arbitration panels. Macdonald succeeds Mark Silverstein who will become Legal Director Emeritus after 31 years at the ACLU.
Macdonald served as a Cooperating Attorney on numerous ACLU of Colorado cases, including Epps v. Denver where Macdonald lead the trial team in a case on behalf of George Floyd protestors injured by Denver police resulting in a $14 million jury verdict. Macdonald also participated as Cooperating Counsel in LaRue v. Colorado Board of Education hich challenged the Douglas County School District voucher program, and Archuleta v. Wagner, a case against Jefferson County for a strip search and wrongful arrest of woman following a traffic stop.
“I am deeply honored to be joining the extraordinary team at the ACLU of Colorado, the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the state,” said Tim Macdonald. “I can’t wait to wake up every day working to protect, defend, and extend civil rights across our state. I have partnered on cases with the ACLU for many years and realized that it was time to follow my heart and join the organization full-time.”
During Tim Macdonald’s time at A&P, he was a member of the Global Policy Committee which oversaw strategy for the 1,000 lawyers in A&P’s 14 offices. He also managed the Denver office of more than 50 partners, associates, counsel, paralegals, and staff, and implemented programs to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion as chair of the Denver DEI Committee.
Additionally, Macdonald served as a mentor in the Black Attorney Mentoring program, identified and approved opportunities to serve the larger community as a member of the Global Pro Bono Committee.
Macdonald has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work including the Estrella Award from Centro San Juan Diego & Archdiocese of Denver; a Social Work Advocate Award from the Society for Clinical Social Work; and the ACLU of Colorado Edward Sherman Award. He was named Top 50 Lawyers in Colorado by Colorado Super Lawyers, and in 2020 was selected as "Denver Lawyer of the Year" for appellate practice by Best Lawyers in America.
Macdonald graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of Michigan Law School and earned a master's degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan School of Public Policy.
“For 70 years, ACLU of Colorado has remained steadfast as the guardian of liberty for all Coloradans,” said Deborah Richardson, ACLU of Colorado Executive Director. “With the addition of Tim Macdonald to our team, and his integrity, experience and leadership, we will continue to be that guardian.”