Ellen Chestnutt, 1928–2025

Ellen JoAnne Chestnutt ’50, LLB’52, of Colorado Springs, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of January 14, 2025, at the age of 96. Her final months were marked by two falls that resulted in fractures to both hips. Ellen was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Arthur and Lydia Ziemann. She was preceded in death by her parents, her older brother Fred, her husband of 32 years, William J. Chestnutt, and her son Greg.

Ellen was a retired attorney who graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor of science degree in botany. In 1952 she received her juris doctor degree from University of Wisconsin Law School and was the only female in the graduating class. Although Ellen was shy by nature and did not initially plan to become a trial lawyer, her participation in law school mock trials made her highly sought after to play female roles in court scenarios. Ellen recalled that in those days law school exams could be four hours long with essay-type questions; she made history by advocating to type her exams using her portable typewriter, paving the way for change in a male-dominated environment.

A job offer to join the editorial staff of Shepard’s Citations brought Ellen to Colorado, where she met and married William John (Bill) Chestnutt. The couple had four sons in four years. While working at Shepard’s, Ellen became pregnant with her first son, David. At the time, Shepard’s had a policy requiring women to quit at five months pregnant. Ellen pointed out that the policies were directed at specific departments and successfully argued that the policy did not apply to her role in the editorial department, becoming the first pregnant editor in the history of Shepard’s Citations

In 1964, Ellen opened her private law practice. She recalled, “There were just two other female attorneys practicing then … I felt it was special, as well as an advantage, to be part of that minority.” Reflecting on how times changed Ellen recounted the following, “The court rule requiring parties to ‘dress appropriately’ meant women were not allowed to wear slacks in court. One of my clients had a long walk to come to my office before her scheduled divorce hearing. It was a cold day she arrived wearing warm slacks. I knew she would not be allowed in for her hearing wearing slacks, so I had her roll her slacks up to her knees and keep her coat on all during the hearing. She got her divorce.” She also spoke of how in 1964 there wasn’t air conditioning in the courthouse (now the Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum) and on very hot days she remembers the windows in the Division One courtroom being opened to let in some fresh air in spite of the noisy traffic on Nevada Ave.; on numerous occasions pigeons would fly in the windows and “flap” around the court room. She later became the first female deputy district attorney in the 4th Judicial District of Colorado and ultimately served as the first female Chief Deputy District Attorney in the state. Ellen specialized in addressing interstate child support cases, an area where her leadership brought transformative changes. In one year alone, Ellen’s team collected one million dollars in restitution and back child support. Her work resulted in federal and state laws being amended and modeled after her team’s success in El Paso County. One of her career highlights was her invitation to testify before a Senate congressional hearing in Washington, D.C., at the request of Chairman Jesse Helms. In 1974, Ellen was appointed to the National Task Force on Child Support and later served on a federal advisory committee to draft regulations for the program. Ellen’s career was filled with many successful felony convictions: in one particular year she tried 24 consecutive felony cases without losing one.

Throughout her career, Ellen received numerous prestigious awards, including life memberships and leadership roles in the National Welfare Fraud Association, the National Child Support Enforcement Association, the Colorado Family Support Council, and the Colorado Welfare Fraud Council. She was also recognized by the Colorado Women’s Bar Association for 25 years of service and received the Portia Award for outstanding female attorneys. She was a founding member of the El Paso county Women Lawyer Association. Ellen is listed in the publication Who’s Who in America, but one of her cherished accolades was a personal letter from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

After leaving the district attorney’s office, Ellen taught part-time at Pikes Peak Community College and the Colorado Springs Police Academy. She also served as an appeals referee with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

Ellen’s life extended far beyond her professional achievements. Her full obituary is linked below.