2026 retention · Supreme Court · Statewide
7th of 7 (too few for a percentile)
composite 0100
53 percentile · rank 51 of 108
composite 0100
31 2nd most of 7 among peers · 77th percentile statewide
1936
Composite index 16.67 among peers (53.24 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.60 of 4
3.603.90
2.85 of 4
2.854.00
86.00%
75.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 86.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 3.00median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Writing | 2.70median 3.60 | 3.60 |
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | 3.70 | 3.70 | 3.90 | 3.80 | 3.50 | 3.70 | 3.90 |
| Responses | 103 | 19 | 17 | 33 | 31 | 44 | 20 |
Commission: meets standards (9–0)
The State Commission on Judicial Performance finds that Justice William W. Hood III, by vote of 9-0 with one commissioner absent, and one commission vacancy, MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Justice Hood has served on the Colorado Supreme Court since January 2014. The Commission finds that Justice Hood is courteous to attorneys and treats parties equally without regard to race, sex, or economic status. He demonstrates an admirable work ethic and issues decisions in a timely manner. During oral arguments, he is respectful of the attorneys and their allotted time, and he asks insightful questions. His opinions are well organized, and he has a clear writing style that makes the reader’s job easier. The Commission believes that Justice Hood is a valuable member of the Colorado Supreme Court.
To conduct our evaluation, the Commission interviewed Justice Hood, reviewed his self-evaluation, observed oral arguments, read a selection of his legal opinions, and considered survey responses from attorneys and judges. A total of 7 attorneys and 24 judges responded to the survey; overall, respondents affirmed that Justice Hood meets performance standards.
Before joining the Colorado Supreme Court, Justice Hood spent seven years as a judge on the Denver District Court. Before becoming a judge, Justice Hood was a litigation partner at a Denver law firm and served as a prosecutor for ten years in Colorado’s 18th Judicial District. Justice Hood graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and Syracuse University. In 2014, the Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers gave him its Distinguished Jurist Award. In 2011, he received the Denver Bar Association’s (DBA’s) Judicial Excellence Award. He is a 2007 graduate of the Colorado Bar Association’s leadership training program (COBALT). He has also taught several courses related to advocacy as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
2016 retention · Supreme Court · Statewide
77 percentile · rank 3 of 11
composite 0100
48 percentile · rank 56 of 108
composite 0100
109 13th percentile among peers · 79th percentile statewide
107125
Composite index 65.15 among peers (45.06 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.60 of 4 · 68.18 percentile
3.433.77
3.26 of 4 · 68.18 percentile
2.943.45
81.00% 59.09 percentile
64.00%87.00%
Attorneys
- Overall grade
- 3.47
- Say “meets standards”
- 81.00%
Non-attorneys
- Overall grade
- 3.65
- Say “meets standards”
- 96.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing | 3.26median 3.16 | 3.16 |
Commission: meets standards (9–0)
The State Commission on Judicial Performance recommends by a vote of 9 to 0, with one recusal, that Justice William Hood BE RETAINED.
Justice Hood was sworn in as a member of the Colorado Supreme Court on January 13, 2014. Prior to his appointment, he was a judge on the Denver District Court for seven years. In 1985, Justice Hood graduated from Syracuse University magna cum laude with honors. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1990. Before becoming a judge, Justice Hood was a litigation partner at Isaacson Rosenbaum P.C. in Denver and served as a prosecutor for ten years in Colorado’s 18th Judicial District. He has served as a member of the Executive Council of the Colorado Bar Association and the Board of Trustees for the Denver Bar Association. In 2011, he received the Denver Bar Association’s Judicial Excellence Award. In 2014, the Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers gave him its Distinguished Jurist Award. Justice Hood has taught courses as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. As a Supreme Court Justice, he also has spoken at numerous educational public events.
The Commission reviewed survey responses from attorneys and judges regarding Justice Hood’s performance, read opinions he authored, observed him in oral arguments, reviewed his self-evaluation, and conducted a personal interview. The survey asked “how strongly do you recommend that Justice Hood be retained in office, or not be retained in office?” Of attorneys completing the survey 81% recommended to retain, 9% recommended not to retain, and 9% made no recommendation. Of judges completing the survey 96% recommended to retain, and 4% made no recommendation.
Attorney survey responses indicate that Justice Hood’s performance is strong in the areas of being courteous towards attorneys, treating parties equally regardless of race, sex, or economic status, and allowing parties to present their arguments. Numerous attorneys commented that Justice Hood is intelligent, fair, and prepared for oral argument. The Commission’s observations confirmed this. The comments of attorneys and judges indicate that he writes clear, thoughtful, and well-reasoned opinions. The Commission reviewed several of Justice Hood’s opinions and also found them to be clear, thoughtful, and well-reasoned. Overall, the Commission urges Justice Hood to continue his exemplary activities in the community, especially his work on the Access To Justice Commission. The Judicial Performance Commission believes, without reservation, that Justice Hood is an asset to the Court.