Emily J. Powell

Emily Powell is a special districts attorney at Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, P.C. She is deeply involved in all aspects of special district representation, including intergovernmental agreement and contract negotiation and drafting, special district taxation matters such as TABOR and revenue stabilization and Gallagher Amendment issues, board member training, and guidance on regular and special board meeting procedures. Emily advises clients on statutory compliance, regular and special elections, employment and volunteer law, and a wide range of governance related matters.

Emily also regularly provides legal counsel on issues involving the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act, the Colorado Open Records Act, the Colorado Open Meetings Law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, budget and audit requirements, and real property inclusions, exclusions, and other boundary realignments.

In addition, Emily has played a significant role in the formation of special district organizations and authorities, as well as in the consolidation and merger of special districts. She takes a preventative approach to her practice, helping clients understand applicable legal requirements while identifying and addressing potential areas of risk before issues arise.

Emily is a frequent speaker at industry conferences, including those hosted by the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association, the Special District Association, and the Colorado State Fire Chiefs. She is also actively involved in shaping Colorado law affecting special districts. Emily serves on the Special Districts Association Legislative Committee and has assisted in drafting legislation impacting special districts.

Emily joined Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, P.C. in 2009 after graduating with highest honors from the College of William and Mary School of Law.

Education 

• College of William & Mary, J.D., 2009, First in Class, Order of the Coif
• Colorado State University, B.S., Psychology and Foreign Languages and Literatures, 2006, summa cum laude

• Selected to Law Week Colorado’s® “Up-&-Coming Lawyers” of 2014
• Recipient of the College of William & Mary 2009 Lawrence W. I’anson Award for professional promise through scholarship, character, and leadership

Involvement

• Special District Association
• Special District Association, Policy Committee
• Colorado State Fire Chiefs
• Colorado State Fire Chiefs, Legislative Committee
• Colorado Parks & Recreation District

Publications

• Lecturer, “Five W’s of Mandatory and Voluntary Child Abuse Reporting,” Colorado Parks & Recreation Association, Annual Conference, October 2022
• Lecturer, “Understanding SB21-088: The Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act,” Colorado Bar Association, September 2022
• Lecturer, “Five W’s of Mandatory and Voluntary Child Abuse Reporting,” Special District Association Annual Conference, September 2022
• Co-Lecturer, “#BePrepared: Current Headlines Affecting Your District,” Special District Association Annual Conference, September 2018
• Lecturer, “10 Laws You Never Knew Existed – But Apply To You,” Colorado Parks & Recreation Annual Conference, September 2017
• Lecturer, “10 Laws You Never Knew Existed – But Apply To You,” Special District Association Annual Conference, September 2017
• Lecturer, “FLSA 101: Your Guide to Minimum Wage, Overtime, Exemptions, and the Department of Labor’s New Rules,” Colorado Parks & Recreation Annual Conference, September 2016
• Author, “The Tree Did It,” Colorado Parks & Recreation Association, Byline, Fall 2015 Co-Author, “New Laws Impacting Park and Recreation Departments,” July 2014
• Co-Lecturer, Partners in the Outdoors: Liabilities and Legalities, Colorado Parks & Wildlife Partners in the Outdoors Conference, February 2014
• Lecturer, Marijuana and Other News You Can Use, Colorado State Fire Chiefs Company Officer Leadership Symposium, December 2013
• Co-Lecturer, Collective Bargaining & Meet and Confer for Firefighters: An Overview of the New State Mandates in SB13-025, Special District Association, September 2013
• Co-Lecturer, Employer Insurance Mandate Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Colorado Parks and Recreation Association, June 2013
• Co-Lecturer, Real Property 101, Special District Association, September 2011
• Co-Lecturer, Diabetes, Food Allergies, and Autism – Oh, My!: The Americans with Disabilities Act, Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference, March 2013
• Co-Lecturer, Building a New Structure to Solve a Difficult Problem, Colorado State Fire Chiefs Fire Leadership Challenge, November 2012
• Lecturer, The Shifting Sands of Social Media, Colorado Parks and Recreation Association, October 2012
• Lecturer, Contract Drafting for Local Government, Colorado Parks and Recreation Association, October 2012
• Co-Author, “New Regulations Implementing Titles II & III of the ADA,” Colorado Parks & Recreation Association, Byline, Fall 2011, Issue 7, Vol. 6
• Co-Author, “Colorado’s New Ambulance Black Boxes, Parts I and II,” SDA News, April and May 2010
• Co-Author, “New Regulations Implementing Titles II and III of the ADA, Parts I, II, and III,” SDA News, July, August, and November 2011
• Author, “I’ll Make You A Deal: How Repeat Informants Are Corrupting the Criminal Justice System and What To Do About It,” 50 William & Mary Law Review 1063, 2009