Meet the U.S. Attorney
Cole Finegan is the United States Attorney for the District of Colorado.
As United States Attorney, Mr. Finegan is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the State of Colorado. He oversees all federal criminal prosecutions, as well as all civil litigation undertaken on behalf of the United States Government. He leads an office of more than 160 attorneys and professional staff members, in addition to approximately 20 government contractors.
U.S. Attorney Finegan was nominated by President Biden on September 28, 2021, and confirmed by the United States Senate on November 19, 2021. He took the oath of office on December 1, 2021, before United States District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello.
Mr. Finegan rejoins public service from private practice at a global law firm, where he served as the Regional Managing Partner for the Americas, as well as the Denver Managing Partner. While in private practice, Mr. Finegan focused broadly on the intersection of business and government, with a particular emphasis on creating and expanding public private partnerships.
Previously, Mr. Finegan was the Chief of Staff for the Denver Mayor as well as the Denver City Attorney, positions he held simultaneously. During that time, he worked daily with the Manager of Public Safety, the Denver Police Department, and the Denver Sheriff’s Office. He was co-chair of a special task force assigned to review the use of force by the Denver police and to study civilian oversight of the police department. These efforts resulted in the creation of Denver’s first independent police monitor and a series of reforms to improve training and to review the use of deadly force. He also worked to open internal police records and study different community policing models in Denver.
Prior to this, Mr. Finegan served as Chief Legal Counsel in the Office of the Governor for the State of Colorado. He also supervised a policy development staff of approximately 60 people working on economic, environmental, healthcare, energy, criminal justice, telecommunications, transportation, and education policy issues.
Mr. Finegan was rated one of the Best Lawyers in America for his work in municipal law between 2010-19, and again in 2021. He was named a Colorado Super Lawyer between 2007-09, and again from 2012-2018. He was also named a Lawyer of the Decade by Law Week Colorado.
During his career, Mr. Finegan has served on numerous charitable boards, including the Colorado ‘I Have A Dream’ Foundation, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and the Denver Public Schools Foundation. He also helped create Denver’s first Family Justice Center dedicated to fighting against domestic violence.
Mr. Finegan received his undergraduate degree from Notre Dame University and his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Dates of Service:
2021 - Present - Present
Updated January 4, 2022