The Honorable Colleen D. Zahn was appointed as the 59th justice of the Idaho Supreme Court by Gov. Brad Little on June 1, 2021. She was sworn in on July 1, 2021, and is the fourth female justice to serve on the Court.
Justice Zahn graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law with her Juris Doctor in 2000, magna cum laude. After graduation, Justice Zahn clerked for one year with Fourth District Judge Ronald J. Wilper, then clerked for the following year with Idaho Court of Appeals Judge Darrel R. Perry. Following her clerkships, Justice Zahn spent nearly 10 years in private practice, first with the Boise firm of Naylor, Hales & McCreedy and then with Hall, Farley, Oberrecht & Blanton. Her private practice focused on defense of local government entities, employers, and small business and property owners. She litigated a wide variety of civil issues and assisted clients with wills, probates and adoptions. In 2004, Justice Zahn received the Idaho State Bar’s Service Award for her work with Idaho State Bar committees and the Fourth District’s Citizens Law Academy. Justice Zahn joined the Idaho Attorney General's Office in 2011. She first served as a deputy attorney general assigned to the Idaho Department of Correction before moving to the Attorney General’s Civil Litigation Division. In 2019, Justice Zahn became chief of the Attorney General’s Criminal Law Division.
Justice Zahn and her family reside in Boise. She enjoys camping with her family and spending time in Idaho’s beautiful outdoors.
No CLE to be provided.