Maria Liu, Partner
Admissions:
Colorado, 1998
Education:
Juris Doctor: Southern Illinois University, May 1997
Bachelor of Science, Speech Communication: Southern Illinois University, May 1990
Awards:
American Civil Liberties Union – Edward Sherman Award – 2008
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar – Gideon Award – 2008
Legal Memberships:
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
Colorado Bar Association
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
Weld County Bar Association
Board Member: June 2003 to June 2006; June 2009 to June 2012.
Weld County Criminal Defense Bar Association
Presentations & Publications:
Byron White Inns of Court – March 2008 – People v. Timothy Masters
Colorado Bar Association – October 31, 2008 – DNA
Countering the CSI Effect: Applying the Reality of Forensic Evidence in Criminal Defense – Utilizing Forensic Science in Criminal Cases, Inside the Minds - 2011
Office of Alternate Defense Counsel – May 2008 - People v. Masters
Post-Conviction DNA Testing, Introducing Touch DNA to Illinois Courtrooms – Oct 2009
University of Northern Colorado –Defense Perspective on Sexual Assaults - 2007
Work History:
Partner, Collins, Liu & Associates – Greeley, Colorado
February 2004 to Present.
Assistant Municipal Court Judge, City of Greeley – Greeley, Colorado
September 2002 to February 2005.
Deputy State Public Defender, Public Defender’s Office – Greeley, Colorado
September 1997 to February 2001.
Brief Biography:
A founding member of the firm, Maria Liu specializes in criminal defense and postconviction relief. She is committed to ensuring that individuals accused of crimes are afforded fair treatment, respect, and the legal and constitutional protections guaranteed to them. In addition to her private cases, she represents indigent clients as a member of the Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel.
Maria realized early in her career that she wanted to use her law degree to fight injustices and to protect clients’ personal and property rights. Prior to establishing the firm, Maria worked at the Colorado Public Defenders Office for three years. As a deputy public defender, Maria handled criminal and juvenile matters ranging from traffic offenses to serious felonies. Maria enjoyed working with indigent clients because they are often the people that need lawyers the most.
Maria was raised in Tupelo, Mississippi. She received a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Thereafter, Maria received her law degree from Southern Illinois in May 1997. While in law school, Maria was involved in numerous organizations and worked at the Illinois Migrant Legal Assistance Project and the Land of Lincoln Rural Legal Aid.
Maria is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Forensic Science, the Colorado Bar Association, and the Weld County Bar Association. Maria is a past-president of the Weld County Bar Association and previously worked as a part-time municipal judge for the City of Greeley.
In 2008, for her work on the Timothy Masters case, Maria was awarded the Gideon Award by the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar and the Sherman Award by the American Civil Liberties Union.
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