Hon. Gary M. Jackson is a retired Denver County Court Judge known for his long legal career and his work for equal justice and representation. He was one of the founding members of the Sam Cary Bar Association, which was Colorado’s first African American bar association. He has also been inducted into the National Bar Association's Fred Gray Hall of Fame and the Denver Public Library’s Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame.

Career

Gary M. Jackson was born and raised in Denver, and has resided in the city all of his life. He graduated from George Washington High School in 1964, and from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1967. He pursued a law degree at CU’s Law School, which he obtained in 1970.

That year Jackson was hired as a deputy Denver district attorney. At the time, he was the only Black deputy DA in the state. In 1971, along with six other Black attorneys, he helped to found the Sam Cary Bar Association, the first Black bar association in Colorado. The organization was named after Samuel E. Cary, one of the first Black attorneys in Colorado. It sought to expand the influence of lawyers of color, and to contribute to expanded legal representation of people of color. He was also a founding member of the Sam Cary Scholarship Endowment Fund and the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar. 

Jackson spent 37 years as a partner in the law firms of DiManna Eklund Ciancio & Jackson, and DiManna & Jackson. On 8 January 2013, Jackson was appointed to the Denver County Court, where he served for seven years. He was retained in 2016, and announced his retirement in December 2020. Jackson’s career spanned over five decades.

Jackson remains active in the community during retirement. He continues to advocate for equal opportunity, and contributes to education concerning Lincoln Hills and the Sam Cary Bar Association.

Personal Life

Jackson is married to Regina Jackson, a New York Times best-selling author, documentary film maker, and real estate owner. They have two children and four grandchildren.