The Colorado Lawyers Committee welcomes Mary Emmerling, the 2025 Sattler Civil Rights Fellow

Mary is a rising third-year law student at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and Master of Social Work candidate at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. She earned her undergraduate degree at Elon University in English Literature and Religious Studies. After graduating, she spent two years in New Orleans as an AmeriCorps volunteer working in disaster relief and recovery for those impacted by natural disasters. This experience encouraged her to pursue her dual degree in law and social work to learn more about the legal system and empowering vulnerable communities.

Mary brings her experience in policy, litigation, and community development to the Colorado Lawyers Committee. As a social work student, Mary worked as a policy advocate for Coloradans with chronic conditions in the Colorado legislature, and at the Sturm College of Law, she was a student attorney in the University of Denver Civil Rights Clinic, representing primarily incarcerated individuals experiencing civil rights violations during confinement.

Growing up local to Colorado, Mary nurtured a deep love for the outdoors—she spends most of her time hiking, camping, or gardening in the backyard. Her favorite hike is Hermans Gulch, and she enjoys re-fueling with a pizza from the Original Beau Jo’s in Idaho Springs!  She hopes to pursue a career in civil rights and prison litigation and dismantle systems of mass incarceration in the United States.

Mary’s work with the Lawyers Committee is made possible by a generous legacy gift from the estates of Bruce and Martha Sattler.