Judge Joe Jefferson - Presiding Judge (City of Englewood)

APABA is proud to introduce Judge Joe Jefferson for this month's APABA member spotlight. 

Judge Jefferson was born and raised in Englewood, Colorado.  He earned his B.S. degree from Cornell University and J.D. from the University of Denver.  He was the Principal Attorney of the Jefferson Legal Group, P.C.  He and his mom owned Twin Dragon Restaurant, which had proudly served the community for over 47 years until its closure in 2023.

Judge Jefferson has continuously served as a local elected official for the past 19 years.  He served on Englewood City Council for over 10 years and served as mayor of Englewood from 2015 to 2018.  Judge Jefferson was the first Asian mayor and judge in Englewood history.  He was initially elected as Englewood’s Presiding Municipal Judge in 2017 as the only publicly elected judge in Colorado and he was recently reelected for another 4-year term in November 2025.

Judge Jefferson is actively involved in the local, Asian American, and legal communities.  He is the newest Board Member of APABA.  He also served as President of the Colorado Municipal Judges Association and is currently a voting Board Member of the Colorado Bar Association’s Board of Governors.  Judge Jefferson is a Honorary National Advisor of the International Leadership Foundation (ILF) and founding member of the Colorado Chapter.  ILF is non-profit organization that works with all Americans to promote the civic awareness, public service, and economic integration of Asian American & Pacific Islanders (AAPI). ILF’s mission is to develop young leaders in the U.S. in public service, entrepreneurship, law and international business through a network of business and community leaders. ILF has provided scholarships and leadership training for over ten thousand select students nationwide.

In 2025, Judge Jefferson was recognized by the Colorado Municipal Judges Association as the Distinguished Jurist of the Year for a Full-time Court.

Fun Fact:  Even when Judge Jefferson was mayor of Englewood, he could be found answering the phone and serving customers at his family’s Twin Dragon Restaurant.