Zak Brown is Chief Deputy Public Defender. He’s worked in the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender (OSPD) for 11 years. Prior to coming to the State Office, he worked in the Durango and Pueblo offices as a lawyer, handling all types of cases, including juvenile cases. Mr. Brown also was a supervisor in Pueblo, where he supervised lawyers, paralegals, social workers and interns.

Zakn feels incredibly fortunate to work as a public defender. He is honored to be there to help his clients through one of the most difficult and scary times in their life. He strives to treat every client with dignity, respect and care, especially since many of our clients don’t receive that treatment from society at large. He is proud to say that the OSPD fulfills this mission for our clients all day, every day, in every corner of the state.

Growing up in a small town in Colorado, Zak feels an affinity with the rural people in our state. He works to ensure our statewide system provides every client with the same high level of representation, whether they live in the Denver metro area or in a rural town such as Alamosa. The fact that we’re able to provide this consistent high-quality representation statewide in a state that is so geographically, economically and culturally diverse is one of the many reasons he’s proud to be part of the Colorado Public Defender team.

Education and Credentials

Zak earned his undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado in 2004 and his law degree from the University of Colorado in 2012.

He specializes in issues affecting the rural criminal legal system, as well as criminal jurisdiction issues in Indian Country. Zak is also a member of the Pueblo Bar Association.

Family and Personal Interests

When he’s not at work, Zak spends a great deal of time with his family. He also enjoys hiking, playing tennis and watching sports.