April D. Jones set to become first Black woman to lead Colorado Bar Association

April D. Jones has been installed as president-elect of the Colorado Bar Association and will become the association’s first Black woman president in July 2027. Her agenda centers on making Colorado a top place to practice law, expanding member value and helping lawyers adapt to technology changes.

Why it matters: - April D. Jones will become the first Black woman president of the Colorado Bar Association when she takes office in July 2027. - Jones is setting a member-focused agenda for a nearly 16,000-member statewide bar group that shapes professional development, practice support and bar leadership in Colorado. - Her priorities put technology, economic competitiveness and career growth at the center of the CBA’s next year.

What happened: - Jones, founder and CEO of Jones Law Firm, PC, was installed as president-elect of the Colorado Bar Association on October 5, 2026. - The president-elect role is the senior CBA officer position before the presidency. - Jones will serve a one-year term and then move into the presidency in July 2027. - During the 2026-2027 term, Jones will work with CBA President Qusair Mohamedbhai, Executive Director Nicoal C. Sperrazza and the Executive Council.

The details: - Jones’s presidential vision is to make Colorado a first-choice state for lawyers deciding where to practice, build careers, grow firms and establish long-term roots. - She wants the CBA to deliver practical value through education, professional connections, leadership opportunities, mentorship and practice-management resources. - Jones says the CBA should support lawyers across career stages, from new attorneys to established practitioners, and across practice settings including solo, small, midsize, corporate, government and public-service roles. - She wants the bar to help members build sustainable careers and firms while adapting to changes in the economics and delivery of legal services. - Technology readiness will be a major focus as artificial intelligence and other tools reshape legal work and law firm operations. - Jones wants the CBA to convene voices from law, technology, ethics, education and practice management so members get credible information, practical training and ethical guidance. - She said Colorado lawyers should be on the leading edge, not the bleeding edge, when adopting innovation. - Jones wants support for solo, small and midsize firms that may not have dedicated technology or practice-management teams. - She also sees closer coordination among the Colorado Bar Association, Denver Bar Association and CBA-CLE as a way to strengthen education, resources and community.

Between the lines: - Jones is using the presidency to make the CBA more relevant to day-to-day law practice, not just bar governance. - Her emphasis on technology and business resilience reflects pressure on lawyers to stay competitive as AI and new service models change the profession. - Her background as a firm founder, bar leader and judicial-selection participant gives her credibility with both practitioners and institutional stakeholders. - The push for coordinated programming across bar organizations suggests a broader effort to make membership feel more useful and connected.

What's next: - Jones will spend the 2026-2027 bar year helping set the agenda for her presidential term. - She will then take over as CBA president in July 2027. - Her leadership will likely center on education, technology guidance, member services and retention of legal talent in Colorado.

The bottom line: - Jones’s rise marks a milestone for the Colorado Bar Association and signals a presidency built around practical support for lawyers navigating a fast-changing profession.

A long record of service: - Jones has been a CBA member since 2000 and has served on the Board of Governors, the Executive Council and as a representative to the National Caucus of State Bar Associations and the American Bar Association House of Delegates. - She most recently served as senior vice president during the 2025-2026 term. - Jones has twice served as president of the Sam Cary Bar Association, in 2005 and 2021, and received its King Tremble Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. - At CBA-CLE, she has served as board member, vice president, president and treasurer, including during pandemic-era restructuring that modernized continuing legal education delivery. - Jones served as a nomination commissioner for the Colorado Supreme Court and Colorado Court of Appeals from 2008 to 2013. - She later served on the U.S. District Court Bipartisan Selection Advisory Committee and became co-chair of the U.S. District Court Vacancy Committee in 2021. - Jones currently serves on the Colorado Supreme Court Standing Committee on Rules of Professional Conduct and the Legal Technology Advisory Committee. - She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and her law degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. - Jones is admitted to practice in Colorado and California and has practiced family law for more than 30 years. - Her recent honors include being named a 2026 “Courageous Leader of Today” by the Colorado Women’s Bar Association Foundation and being featured in the 2026 Colorado edition of Super Lawyers magazine.

About Jones Law Firm, PC: - Jones Law Firm, PC is a Colorado family law firm serving clients throughout the Front Range. - The firm handles divorce, child custody and parenting time disputes, spousal maintenance, property and asset division, and post-decree modifications. - The firm says it has 44 attorneys and legal professionals and handles matters ranging from uncontested divorces to complex litigation. - The firm lists more information and consultations and a phone number of (303) 799-8155.

About the Colorado Bar Association: - Founded in 1897, the Colorado Bar Association is a statewide voluntary bar association with nearly 16,000 members. - The CBA works to improve practice quality, economics and efficiency, support the justice system and enhance public confidence in the legal profession. - More information is available at the association’s website.