Patrick Furman

After graduating from the University of Colorado Law School in 1980, Pat Furman spent nearly seven years in the Office of Public Defender, representing indigent defendants in every type of criminal case in various jurisdictions in Colorado. After a year in private practice, that included a short stint filling in as a District Court Magistrate, he joined the clinical faculty in 1988. In 1994, Professor Furman became the Director of Clinical Programs. His main teaching load was in the Criminal Defense Clinic, teaching Criminal Practice and Evidence Presentation, and supervising the students as they handled misdemeanor and traffic cases in Boulder courts. In 2002, he introduced a new clinical course, "Wrongful Convictions," an offspring of the Colorado Innocence Project, to give wrongfully convicted people a chance at freedom through pro bono legal assistance from students working with leading practitioners, and was instrumental in basing the Colorado Innocence Project at Colorado Law. Professor Furman took Emeritus status in 2008, but has continued to teach at the law school, focusing on Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Trial Advocacy and a new course in Post-Conviction Criminal Procedure. His research and writing focus on criminal law and procedure, trial advocacy, and ethics for criminal lawyers. Professor Furman co-wrote Colorado Evidentiary Foundations, a practice-oriented book that addresses evidence issues that arise in both State and Federal Court in Colorado, and updates that work frequently, with the most recent revision occurring in 2012. He is the Managing Editor and a principal author of Colorado DUI Benchbook, a book addressing the substantive, procedural and evidentiary issues raised in the adjudication of alcohol related traffic offenses. His articles have appeared frequently in The Colorado Lawyer (the professional journal of the Colorado Bar Association), he regularly teaches CLE programs on these and other topics, and he is also a frequent lecturer on the criminal justice system to a variety of legal, civic and educational groups.

Education

JD, University of Colorado School of Law (1980)
BA, University of Colorado (1976) 

Courses & Publications