Jon J. Olafson

Jon J. Olafson was appointed to the Denver District Court in December 2023. He presides over civil matters.

Before his appointment he practiced commercial and employment litigation, including as a partner at Buchalter, PC. He is secretary of the board of the Center for Legal Inclusiveness, an ex officio director of Opera Colorado, an advisory board member for the University of North Dakota College of Arts and Sciences and president emeritus of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota and a law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.

The Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance voted 9 to 0 that he meets performance standards, with one commissioner recusing. Its surveys drew responses from 41 attorneys and 4 non-attorneys.

The commission recognizes "his strong case management skills and his commitment to the fair and efficient administration of justice" and writes that his "written decisions are thorough and well-reasoned." It names as his notable strengths "his civility and courtroom demeanor, his clear communication with courtroom participants, and his commitment to reducing courtroom bias." It reports that he "exceeded the Court’s productivity benchmark for civil courtrooms" and that it "did not identify any evaluation category in which Judge Olafson displayed a notable weakness as to the performance criteria."