J. Keith Killian
Keith is a past president of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and is a current board member. He is a Leaders Forum Member of the American Association for Justice. He is or has been a member of the Legislative Policy Committee of the Colorado Bar Association, Plaintiff's Employment Law Association, National Employment Law Association, and Faculty of Federal Advocates. Keith has been practicing law since 1978. He started his own practice in 1991. He was designated an Advocate by the National College of Advocacy in 1994. He has been recognized as practicing in the top 5 percent of his profession by the Colorado Bar Fellows. Keith has been designated a Colorado Super Lawyer by Denver's Super Lawyer magazine (2007-2013). Keith has also been selected as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in the state of Colorado. Keith has helped multiple families involved in mining accidents, chemical or propane explosions, and radiation exposure involving serious injuries and death. These cases include roof fall and methane or hydrocarbon explosions. He is also a member of the Navajo Nation Bar Association.
Areas of Practice
- Personal Injury
- Workers' Compensation
- Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA)
Bar Admissions
- Colorado
- U.S. District Court District of Colorado
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
- U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Navajo Nation
Education
- University of Colorado School of Law, Boulder, Colorado
- J.D.
- Law Review: University of Colorado Law Review
- University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
- Bachelor of Arts
- Honors: Honorary Society, Pi Sigma Alpha
- Major: Political Science
Representative Cases
- Hall v. Claussen, 246 F. 3d 681 (10th Cir. 2001)
- Hall v. Claussen, 2001 U.S. App. LEXIS 3404
- Bowe v. SMC Elec. Prods., Inc., 945 F. Supp 1482 (D. Colo. 1996)
- Reynolds v. Staff Administrators, 977 P.2d 866 (Colorado Supreme Court 1999)
- Community Hosp. v. Fail, 969 P.2d 667 (Colorado Supreme Court 1998)
- Black v. Waterman, 83 P. 3d 1130 (Colo. App. 2003)
- McManus v. Indus Claim Appeals Office, 81 P.3d 1074
References
- References available
Honors and Awards
- Colorado Bar Foundation Fellow, 2006
- Colorado Super Lawyers, 2007 - 2013
- Top 100 Trial Lawyer in the state of Colorado
Professional Associations and Memberships
- American Association for Justice, Leader's Forum, Member
- Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, President 2006 - 2007; Board Member 1997 - Present
- Plaintiff's Employment Law Association, Member
- National Employment Law Association, Member
- Faculty of Federal Advocates, Member
Past Employment Positions
- Elder & Phillips, P.C., Attorney and Shareholder
- Mesa County Public Defenders' Office, Deputy Public Defender
- United States Air Force, Judge Advocate General (Attorney)
- Russell & Warkentine, Associate Attorney
