Bill Hobbs

Of Counsel

PHONE 303-628-3631
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Biography
  • Biography
  • Legal Experience
  • Insights
  • Memberships
  • Community Involvement
  • Media

Bill Hobbs is a highly experienced attorney with over 40 years’ experience working with elected officials, the legislature, and election law. As an Of Counsel attorney with Ireland Stapleton, Bill draws from his experience in the Colorado Secretary of State’s office as both a Deputy Secretary of State and as a former State Elections Director to assist governments and citizen advocacy groups on election law issues. He served as a member of the bipartisan coalition that drafted and successfully campaigned for ballot issues to reform congressional and state legislative redistricting in Colorado (Amendments Y and Z), and he has represented groups advocating for other bipartisan ballot issues such as funding for preschool education, out-of-school learning and enrichment opportunities for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, and reform of state constitutional provisions concerning property taxation. He also serves as legal counsel to the State of Colorado’s Electronic Recording Technology Board, and from 2013 to 2020 he served as the Director of Special Projects for the Colorado Statewide Internet Portal Authority, where he helped to bring information technology services and solutions to state agencies and local governments.

 

Admissions

  • Colorado

Education

  • J.D., University of Colorado School of Law, 1976
  • B.S., in Mathematics, Emory University, 1971
  • Served as Hearing Officer, City and County of Denver. Conducted administrative hearings on behalf of city agencies and issued recommended decisions, 2012 – 2016
  • Served as Deputy Secretary of State, Office of the Secretary of State, Colorado Department of State. Bill was appointed by Secretary of State Donetta Davidson in 1999, and reappointed by Secretaries of State Gigi Dennis (2006), Mike Coffman (2007), Bernie Buescher (2009), and Scott Gessler (2011). His responsibilities included: hearing officer for administrative proceedings before the Secretary of State, including election and campaign finance rulemaking hearings; chairperson of the State Initiative Title Setting Board; legal and policy analysis; legislative liaison; litigation supervision and coordination of legal services with the Attorney General’s Office; and administrative supervision of Office budget and personnel matters, 1999 – 2012
  • Served as Senior Legislative Analyst, Joint Budget Committee Colorado General Assembly.  Here, Bill performed financial and program analysis relating to proposed legislation and state agency budget requests, including the Judicial Branch. He also presented program briefings and funding recommendations to the Joint Budget Committee, 1997 – 1999
  • Served as Senior Legal Editor, Shepard’s Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Bill served as an attorney and publications team leader for legal reference materials, 1995 – 1997
  • Served as State Elections Director, Office of the Secretary of State, Colorado Department of State. In this role, Bill was responsible for overseeing elections in Colorado, training and advising county clerk and recorders in the conduct of elections, administering campaign finance laws, and recommending changes to election laws and rules, 1994 – 1995
  • Served as Attorney, Office of Legislative Legal Services, Colorado General Assembly, 1978 – 1994 (Assistant Director 1984 to 1994). Bill drafted proposed legislation and provided legal analysis, opinions, and support for members and committees of the General Assembly, co-chaired review and comment hearings for proposed citizen initiatives, managed the Office’s hiring process, and served as team leader of one of the Office’s four teams of attorneys. He supervised the Office’s legal review of state agency administrative rules (1980-1990), and he served as lead legislative attorney assigned to advise the Joint Budget Committee (1980-1992)
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  • Colorado Bar Association
  • Government Counsel Section, Colorado Bar Association
  • Denver Bar Association
  • Colorado Lawyers Committee, Election Task Force
  • We the People High School Civics Program, serves as a judge for simulated congressional hearings in which students “testify” before a panel of judges acting as members of Congress. Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and history.
See all of Bill's Community Involvement