Iris Eytan

Partner

Iris Eytan is a partner with Reilly Pozner whose practice focuses on criminal defense trial work in both State and Federal Court. 

Ms. Eytan has been practicing law for the last 14 years. She has been with RP for the last six years and has successfully tried numerous high profile criminal cases in Colorado.  She has tried and litigated cases ranging from homicide, sexual offenses, organized crime, embezzlement, and assaults.   Iris’ real zest for the criminal practice lies in pursuing the impossible to end up with the most fair result.

Due to her passion and experience, other attorneys, judges and experts  often consult with her on cases involving criminal mental health issues and sex offenses.  Ms. Eytan has lectured at the Colorado Judicial Conference, to other criminal defense lawyers, as well as advocated at the Colorado State Legislature regarding these broad issues.   She went to law school to ensure that all people with mental health disabilities were treated humanely.  To jump start her mission, Ms. Eytan became an associate at Disability Rights Advocates in San Francisco practicing civil rights litigation. She was then invited to join as trial counsel  with the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law in the infamous right to mental health treatment case, Wyatt v. Stickney, in United States District Court, Middle District of Alabama.  She then moved to Colorado, and as the senior attorney of the Legal Center for People with Disabilities, she pursued a variety of actions against the State of Colorado for its sometimes unconstitutional mental health practices.

Because Ms. Eytan missed working with individual clients, she joined the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office, as a deputy state public defender in Arapahoe County.  In three years, she tried more than 20 felony cases (most sex offenses and tried successfully), then came to RP.  It was as a deputy public defender that Ms. Eytan started successfully challenging various aspects of sex offense laws and policies. She has continued to challenge the sex offender system at RP.

Ms. Eytan enjoys what she does so much, and believes that the criminal justice system isn’t always fair, but she strives to ensure that her clients are on a level playing field with the government. Ms. Eytan recently agreed to be appointed Special Counsel to the Court, and completed settlememt negotiations with the State of Colorado regarding the wait list that existed to commit defendants to the state hospital that were locked in jail awaiting evaluation and treatment upon findings of incompetency to stand trial. 

Education

  • J.D., University of San Diego School of Law, 1994
  • B.A., University of Arizona, Cum Laude, 1991

Bar and Court Admissions

  • California, 1994
  • Colorado, 1998
  • United States District Court for the District of Colorado
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit

Other Professional Affiliations

  • Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
  • Colorado Lawyers Committee, Co-chair Mental Health Task Force
  • National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Community Affiliations

  • Board member; Capitol Hill Community Sevices (a non-profit organization serving hot meals daily to the homeless)

Other

  • "SuperLawyer" 2006, 2007