Monica Haenselman
County Court · Boulder County · retention evaluations: 2026
2026 retention · County Court · Boulder County
13 percentile · rank 31 of 36
composite 0100
10 percentile · rank 97 of 108
composite 0100
28 73rd percentile among peers · 64th percentile statewide
1060
Composite index 19.91 among peers (17.13 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
2.50 of 4 · 6.94 percentile
1.903.80
2.40 of 4 · 6.94 percentile
1.873.75
82.00% 45.83 percentile
0.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 82.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 33.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 2.40median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 2.20median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Communications | 2.60median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Diligence | 2.60median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Demeanor | 2.40median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 2.20median 3.10 | 3.10 |
| Year | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | 3.00 | 2.90 |
| Responses | 25 | 24 |
Commission: meets standards (10–0)
The Twentieth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance, by a vote of 10-0, finds that Judge Monica Haenselman MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Haenselman has presided over criminal, traffic, civil, and small claims matters in the county court since 2023. This year, her colleagues selected her to serve as Presiding Judge, reflecting confidence in her leadership and judgment. She brings a high level of integrity and a strong sense of empathy to the bench, qualities that inform her thoughtful approach to each case. Judge Haenselman actively seeks out opportunities to strengthen her judicial skills and is receptive to constructive feedback, which she incorporates into her work. She has developed into a professional and decisive jurist who prepares extensively and manages her courtroom and docket efficiently and fairly.
The Judicial Performance Commission evaluates judges on six standards: legal knowledge, communication, administrative performance, integrity, judicial temperament, and service to the legal profession. To evaluate Judge Haenselman’s performance the Commission observed her in court, reviewed opinions she authored, considered her self-evaluation, held a public meeting to invite comments, reviewed responses to a survey distributed to all persons who have appeared in her court, and reviewed comments from her colleagues on the bench. The Commission also conducted personal interviews with Judge Haenselman, the current and former Chief Judge, the District Attorney, and a representative of the Boulder defense bar.
Judge Haenselman was appointed to the Boulder County Court in April 2023. Prior to that, she served as a magistrate (2015-23) and family court facilitator (2007-15) for the 20th Judicial District. Earlier in her career, Judge Haenselman worked as an associate at LaBuda & Associates and as a commercial litigation associate at Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal. She received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and her undergraduate degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Colorado.