Katie Steefel

Katie Steefel (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of the Practice of Law in the Sturm College of Law's Legal Externship Program. She teaches seminars in the Externship Program and Appellate Criminal Law.  Her research focuses on the intersection of criminal and civil procedure and constitutional law. Her first doctrinal article Unconstitutional But Not Unconstitutional Enough is forthcoming in the Cornell Law Review. She has previously published in the area of professional identity formation.

Before joining Denver Law, Steefel worked as a public defender in the appellate division of the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender. She represented indigent defendants convicted of felonies throughout Colorado. Prior to her time as a public defender, Steefel worked as an attorney at the criminal defense and civil rights firm Johnson & Klein, PLLC, where she represented clients in federal and state court in trial and appellate proceedings. Steefel also served as a law clerk for Justice William Hood on the Colorado Supreme Court.

Steefel is a graduate of the Sturm College of Law, where she was a Chancellor's Scholarship recipient. As a student, she received numerous academic and leadership awards and was selected by National Jurist magazine as one of the Law Students of the Year. Steefel received a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She studied international politics with a focus on Latin American Studies.

Before attending law school, Steefel lived and worked in Santiago, Chile. In her free time, Steefel enjoys playing soccer, running, and spending time with her family.

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