Sydney Poppe is a legal intern with the ACLU of Colorado this summer. She is a rising third-year law student at the University of Colorado Law School with a deep passion for public interest work. Sydney is particularly interested in civil rights litigation focusing on criminal justice reform, prisoners’ rights, and the First Amendment.
Sydney previously worked as an appellate intern with the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Districts of Colorado and Wyoming. There, she assisted senior attorneys in researching, preparing, and drafting post-conviction motions and opening appellate briefs for indigent clients. Sydney also served as a judicial intern to the District of Colorado’s Chief Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak.
Sydney is the current Executive Editor of the University of Colorado Law Review and is thrilled to be publishing her student note on incarcerated journalism and the Bureau of Prison’s regulation of federal prisoners’ speech in Volume 97. She is also an executive board member of Colorado Law’s national mock trial team and former Legislation and Regulation teaching assistant. Before attending Colorado Law, Sydney graduated summa cum laude from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. During her time at Mizzou, she worked as an assistant city editor and reporter covering the courts and higher education for the Columbia Missourian newspaper. She also received a BA in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice/Criminology.
Outside of work, Sydney loves reading, going to the movies, long walks, thrifting, and trivia. Sydney is excited to contribute to the ACLU of Colorado's legacy of advancing and protecting the rights of all through legal advocacy.