Office of General Counsel Staff

Molly E. Markley, General Counsel

Molly Markley serves as General Counsel in the Office of General Counsel.  Molly has been a dedicated member of the Mines community office since 2016, initially serving as Assistant General Counsel and later as Associate General Counsel.  She has extensive experience in higher education legal practice, with a particular emphasis on commercial transactions, compliance, and research matters.  Prior to joining Mines, Molly managed the protection and licensing of a diverse portfolio of emerging technologies at the University of Colorado Boulder.  Her experience also includes strategic legal counseling to early-stage startups in the healthcare and technology spaces.  Molly holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Cornell University, a Master of Science in Biomedical Science from Colorado State University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado Law School. She is admitted to the Colorado Bar and is a member of the Colorado Bar Association and the National Association of College and University Attorneys.

Jessica Salazar, Associate General Counsel

Jessica Salazar has been practicing higher education law in various capacities since 2006, with significant expertise addressing legal issues related to student and employment matters. Jessica previously served as an Assistant Attorney General at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office in both the Education and Higher Education Units before being promoted to First Assistant Attorney General for the Higher Education Unit. In that capacity, she managed a team of attorneys charged with providing legal advice to Colorado public institutions of higher education. Additionally, Jessica served as in-house counsel at the University of Colorado and Colorado State University before joining Colorado School of Mines as an Associate General Counsel in 2021. Jessica is a first-generation college student with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Colorado State University, a Master of Science in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in Colorado and is a member of the Colorado Bar Association and the National Association of College and University Attorneys.

Brent Larson, Associate General Counsel

Brent Larson has a broad range of legal practice experience supporting public entities in Colorado and now specializes in transactional and compliance matters for Mines. Prior to Mines, Brent was a Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City and County of Denver, serving as in-house counsel for Denver International Airport. There, Brent managed a diverse portfolio of legal matters supporting the world’s 6th busiest airport, specializing in transactional law and regulatory compliance. Prior to the airport, Brent negotiated research contracts for the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, investigated regulatory compliance concerns with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, and practiced criminal defense litigation at the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office. Brent holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Metropolitan State University of Denver (formerly Metropolitan State College) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado Law School. He is admitted to the Colorado Bar and is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) and the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), where he completed the ACC In-house Counsel Certification Program.

Kylie Matthews, Legal Support Professional and Office Manager 

Kylie Matthews joined Mines’ Office of General Counsel in August 2019. Kylie has paralegal experience in both the public and private sector, including ten years of education law experience as senior paralegal for the Colorado Attorney General’s Office Education Units. She provides legal office support, manages department-specific projects, and serves as Office Manager to the General Counsel’s Office. Kylie received her paralegal certification from Arapahoe Community College in 2004.