Ellen K. Giarratana, Esq.

As Interim Legal Director at CCLP, Ellen K. Giarratana advocates for the equitable enforcement of legislation, representing community members in litigation in our four focus areas (food, health, income, housing) while working to improve racial equity.

Prior to joining CCLP, Ellen clerked at the Colorado Court of Appeals for the Honorable Stephanie E. Dunn. She then moved to Jackson, Mississippi to work at the Southern Poverty Law Center. There she advocated for policy change at the state capitol while representing individuals convicted under Mississippi’s harsh three strikes law seeking parole eligibility as well as geriatric prisoners pursuing conditional release. Following her return to Denver, she practiced civil rights and employment discrimination litigation at a local civil rights firm.

Ellen received a bachelor’s in Political Science and Russian Studies at the University of Colorado and a law degree at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. During law school, she represented state and federal incarcerated individuals in civil rights actions through a local non-profit as well as the University of Denver’s Civil Rights Clinic. Ellen also served as a legal extern for the Honorable Christine M. Arguello of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, and the Honorable Gregory J. Hobbs Jr. of the Colorado Supreme Court.

Ellen is honored to serve CCLP’s mission alongside dedicated colleagues and community partners across the state.

Previous work

Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act - Explained, The 1891, Colorado Women's Bar Association, March 5, 2021

Denver Post, Workers’ rights Q&A: Dealing with discrimination in the workplace, The Denver Post, May 17, 2020