LLM Student Recognized for Scholastic Excellence

Ana Maria Gutierrez M. is a Master of Laws (LLM) in American Law Practice student at the Sturm College of Law.

Last fall, Sturm College of Law student Ana Maria Gutierrez M. received a Scholastic Excellence Award for her academic achievement in Provost's Professor Tim Holbrook’s Civil Procedure course. While this would be a remarkable accomplishment for any student, what made it even more impressive, according to Associate Dean of Graduate and International Legal Programs Annecoos Wiersema, is that "while Scholastic Excellence Awards are almost always given to the highest scoring JD student, they are not always given to the best master’s student — that is in the discretion of the faculty member. Ana Maria’s receipt of the award given that she is a master’s student enrolled in the LLM in American Legal Practice program is therefore an incredible testament to her."

Along with taking advantage of sessions provided by the Academic Achievement Program and good class preparation, Gutierrez attributes her success to “asking plenty of questions in class to make sure [she] was following Professor Holbrook’s lectures.” And as a licensed lawyer in her home country of Colombia with five years of litigation experience and two years as a corporate legal counsel, Gutierrez is no stranger to asking questions. But she notes the contrast with American law can be significant: “while some fundamental principles align, other aspects of the two systems are entirely different.”

When Gutierrez and her family moved from her hometown of Medellín to the United States seven years ago, she took some time off from her legal career to care for her two young sons. Once she felt ready to resume her legal career, Gutierrez joined the program at the Sturm College of Law with the intent to work as a licensed American attorney. “Pursuing the American Law Practice LLM enables me to sit for the bar exam and provides the foundational skills and knowledge to transition into corporate law here in the United States. The LLM program has been instrumental in achieving my goal of establishing a successful legal career in Colorado.”

Taking advantage of Denver Law’s Legal Externship Program, Gutierrez is already off to a running start. She is working as a legal intern at Empower, which is the second-largest retirement plan provider in the United States (and as Coloradans know, namesake of the stadium where the Denver Broncos play). Empower has nearly 250,000 employees, and Gutierrez says that “being part of such a large organization allows me to gain exposure to various areas of law — such as contracts, corporate, finance and transactional, compliance, and regulatory law — which has been incredibly valuable for my professional growth.”

Moreover, Gutierrez says, this corporate externship opportunity at Empower has connected her with “exceptional” legal professionals whose “kindness, generosity in sharing their knowledge, and willingness to teach have made this experience truly enriching.”

Going forward, Gutierrez will bring with her a wealth of experience not only from Empower, but also her time at the Sturm College of Law. She credits her experience as a research assistant on an article by Lauren Valastro, a former visiting professor at Denver Law, with being particularly beneficial, along with her legal research and writing class. The topic of that article was ERISA, the federal law that regulates employee retirement plans, which is relevant to her work at Empower.

As for her future, Gutierrez expects to graduate this December, sit for the Colorado bar next February, and then “pursue a role as in-house counsel or join a law firm in Denver specializing in business and corporate law.” 

She will take with her the memories she has made with the Denver Law community — fellow LLM and also JD program students, along with professors: “I truly enjoy and appreciate learning from their diverse perspectives, experiences, and career aspirations. Whether through class discussions, group projects, or casual conversations, I have gained valuable insights that have helped me grow both academically and professionally. I look forward to continuing to expand my network and enriching my life with meaningful, long-lasting relationships.”