Published: July 27, 2007

Last night, guests, including alumni and former law clerks of Judge Arraj, remembered the Judge and celebrated the opening of the beautiful Judge Alfred A. Arraj Reading Room in the William A. Wise Law Library. Al Arraj earned his LL.B. degree in 1928 from the University of Colorado. He maintained a law practice in Springfield, Colorado, until 1942, when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps for nearly three years. He then served as County Attorney of Baca County, City Attorney for Springfield and Walsh, Deputy District Attorney in the Fifteenth Judicial District, and District Judge for the Fifteenth Judicial District. He served as president of the Southeast Colorado Bar in 1940, senior vice-president of the Colorado Bar Association in 1950, president of the Colorado State District Judges’ Association in 1954, and a member of the CBA’s Board of Governors from 1955 to 1958. Then, in 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Al Arraj to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. From 1959 to 1976, he was Chief Judge of the court. He was the longest serving federal district court judge in Colorado history, sitting 35 years until his death in 1992 at age 86. Judge Arraj’s nearly 40 law clerks developed a bond with the Judge and amongst themselves. Some of these former law clerks provided the original funding for Colorado Law’s Alfred A. Arraj scholarships, which are awarded to deserving first-year students each year. In addition, Al Arraj received the Norlin Recognition Award for Distinguished Achievement, the highest award presented to CU alumni, and the William Lee Knous Award, the highest award presented by Colorado Law. CU also conferred upon him an honorary LL.D. degree.The Colorado Lawyer provides a more detailed account of Alfred A. Arraj‘s life and career.