Education

University of Wisconsin-Madison, BA Legal Studies + Integrated Liberal Studies
Graduated with Distinction
Graduated with Honors in Liberal Arts
Phi Beta Kappa

University of Colorado Law School, JD
Candidate for Order of the Coif
Associate Editor, Colorado Law Review

ContractS

ADC Attorney, Mentor, Expert, and Legal Researcher

CJA Legal Researcher

team up with britta

BRITTA KRUSE

SENIOR APPELLATE COUNSEL, 2ND-CHAIR

Britta Kruse is a seasoned appellate attorney with more than fifteen years of experience litigating criminal cases in Colorado’s state and federal courts. She began her appellate career clerking for the Honorable Justice Alex Martinez at the Colorado Supreme Court, gaining priceless insight into how appellate courts evaluate arguments and craft precedent. Following her clerkship, Britta spent over a decade as an appellate attorney in the Appellate Division of the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office where she built a reputation for intellectual rigor and fearless advocacy. In 2022, Britta brought her valuable combination of doctrinal depth, strategic insight, and persuasive writing to her role as Senior Appellate Counsel at 2nd-Chair.

 For Attorneys & Firms

With a meticulous eye for legal analysis and a deep command of written advocacy, Britta partners with trial and postconviction attorneys to strengthen and preserve records, refine strategy, and craft compelling arguments. Trial lawyers rely on Britta for her steady judgment and direct, candid collaboration. Britta also works alongside other appellate attorneys to help untangle dense records, identify overlooked leverage points, and develop persuasive appellate storytelling with the power to reshape cases on review.

Britta’s role is not to replace your voice but to sharpen it. To identify the nuanced argument you sensed was there but didn’t have time to excavate, to pressure-test your theory before the prosecution does, and to deliver drafting that reflects your strategy, not a template. Britta’s work includes strategic consultation, advanced research, and drafting assistance for motions, objections, jury instructions, trial briefs, and petitions to the supreme court for relief under Rule 21. When you partner with Britta Kruse, you can expect the following:

  • Strategic alignment around your theory of the case

  • Deep immersion in the record and governing law

  • Tailored drafting that reflects your voice and litigation posture

  • Clear communication and firm deadlines

If you are turning away complex cases because you lack drafting capacity or carrying too much because you refuse to compromise on quality, it is time to expand your bandwidth by engaging the services of 2nd-Chair’s Senior Appellate Counsel, Britta Kruse.

For Those Seeking Direct Appellate Representation 

Britta continues to offer direct representation to clients on a select number of appeals. She offers her clients a clear assessment of the strengths and limitations of their case and pursues every appeal with disciplined strategy and determination.

An appeal is not a re-trial but a focused, technical examination of what happened in the trial court and whether the legal error prejudiced the outcome. Appeals require patience, discipline, and careful legal reasoning. Britta understands these attributes and what is at stake from her extensive experience litigating scores of direct appeals and original proceedings in Colorado’s intermediate and highest appellate courts. When you engage the representation of Britta Kruse, you can expect the following:

  • Thorough review of the record

  • Careful identification of preserved and unpreserved legal issues

  • Development of a sound briefing strategy

  • Pristine construction of the strongest, most persuasive arguments available

  • Direct, candid communication

If you are seeking direct appellate representation in Colorado state court, contact 2nd-Chair to discuss whether Senior Appellate Counsel Britta Kruse is the right fit for your case.