Office of General Counsel Staff

General Counsel, Molly E. Markley

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.

Associate General Counsel, Jessica Salazar

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.

Anne Stark Walker, Senior Advisor

Anne Stark Walker served as Mines’ chief legal counsel from 2003 to 2023. In November 2023 Ms. Walker transitioned to the role of Senior Advisor to the General Counsel’s Office.  In this role, Ms. Walker is also designated a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Colorado. Ms. Walker began her law practice in commercial litigation at the Denver-based law firm Holland & Hart. She moved to higher education administration in the role of Director of Career Services at the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law in 1997. She joined Mines’ legal staff as Associate Counsel in 1999. Ms. Walker graduated from Northwestern University with a B.S. in Journalism and earned her J.D. from the University of Denver. She has been a member of the Colorado Bar since 1985.

Legal Support Professional and Office Manager, Kylie Matthews 

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.