Monica Marquez, the newest judge appointed to the state Supreme Court, represents two firsts for the esteemed job. She's both the first Latina and the first openly lesbian member of the court, notes The Colorado Independent. The 41-year-old Marquez, a graduate of Yale Law School, currently serves as a deputy attorney general with the state Attorney General's Office.

Governor Bill Ritter, who appointed Marquez to the seven-member court as a replacement for retiring Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey, praises Marquez as an "analytical and independent thinker," adding that "she respects the rule of law, is conscientious, and will bring an unbiased and just perspective to the court and all the cases that it hears" (via Fox 31).

For her part, Marquez says, "I promise to very humbly bring what life wisdom I've gained to the table, along with a collegial spirit, a good sense of humor, an open mind, and most importantly a deep reverence for the rule of law."

Marquez is from Grand Junction and went to college at Stanford University before obtaining her law degree at Yale in 1997. She currently serves on boards for the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association and Colorado Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Bar Association, writes Law Week Colorado.