Andrew Nussbaum

Andrew is one of the leading young litigators in the state of Colorado and the West. His practice focuses on the representation of religious institutions, public figures and political organizations, and small and large businesses. He regularly appears in state and federal courts across the country on behalf of clients in a range of complex commercial, constitutional, and civil-rights disputes. His advocacy has been described by commentators as “excellent,” “nothing short of brilliant,” and “compelling.” 

Andrew’s approach was formed by his service as a law clerk to Chief Judge William H. Pryor Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and Judge Daniel Domenico of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. Andrew’s clerkships exposed him to  nearly every area of law, from election issues, to trade-secret and contract protections, copyright, and First Amendment disputes. His practice is similarly broad. He represents clients at all levels of the judiciary on an array of substantive legal issues, including defamation and reputational torts; religious freedom, and the rights to freedom of speech and association; TABOR; trade secrets; legal ethics; the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act; and contractual rights. His clients run the gamut and include large religious institutions; colleges and universities; corporations of all sizes; and public figures.

Andrew graduated first in his class from Tulane University Law School. Before joining First and Fourteenth, he worked for one of the largest law firms in the world, where he litigated large commercial disputes throughout the country.

Andrew is a fourth-generation Coloradan, an adjunct professor of constitutional law at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, a husband to his college sweetheart, a lover of the theology of the Desert Fathers, a board member of Catholic Charities of Central Colorado, a mediocre trout fisherman of the small streams of Colorado’s Greenhorn Valley, an officer of the Colorado Lawyer’s Chapter of the Federalist Society, and a former teacher of ancient Greek philosophy and early Christian theology at a private school in the Twin Cities.

Representative Matters

Religious Institutions

  • Successfully represented a large Christian college against a municipality’s attempt to strip the college’s tax-exempt status.
  • Won attorney’s fees and an agreement to allow the Christian Growth Center to continue its RV Hospitality Ministry.
  • Religious Sisters of Mercy et al. v. Becerra, 55 F.4th 583 (8th Cir. 2022).

Issues and Appeals

Merits

  • Chabad Lubavitch of Western and Southern New England v. Shemtov (Conn.)
  • Religious Sisters of Mercy et al. v. Becerra, 55 F.4th 583 (8th Cir. 2022)
  • Shada v. Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway (Colo. Dist. Ct.)

Amicus

  • Carson v. Makin (U.S.)
  • 303 Creative v. Elenis (U.S.)
  • Pritchard v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (9th Cir.)
  • Poe v. Labrador (9th Cir.)
  • L.W. v. Skrmetti (6th Cir.)
  • Eudcation ReEnvisioned Boces v. Colorado Springs School District 11 (Colo.)
  • Trump v. Anderson (Colo.)
  • Doe v. Catholic Relief Services (Md.)
  • St. Mary’s Catholic Parish v. Roy (D. Colo.)
  • Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Scardina Amicus (Colo.)

Public and Political Law

  • Represented a coalition of states in amicus brief regarding enforceability of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment
  • Represented congresswoman in defamation case for statements made during the course of reelection campaign
  • Successfully defended the contractual rights of one of Colorado’s largest employers in suit involving the Taxpayer Bill of Rights
  • Successfully sued the Government of Switzerland in Colorado federal court in suit concerning misappropriation of cultural property

Commercial Litigation

  • Won preliminary injunction for oil and gas company prohibiting former manager from using company’s trade secrets
  • Won adverse inference as spoliation sanction against opposing party that deleted laptop after suit commenced
  • Won dispositive motions in a high-stakes dispute for an international mining company
  • Successfully defended the contractual rights of large business in suit involving the Taxpayer Bill of Rights
Education

J.D., Tulane University Law School, first in class, summa cum laude
B.A., St. Olaf College

Clerkship

Law Clerk, Chief Judge William H. Pryor Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Law Clerk, Judge Daniel Domenico, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

Bar and Court Admissions

Colorado
Supreme Court of the United States
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the NinthCircuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
United States District Court for the District of Colorado
United States District Court for the District of North Dakota
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas

Professional and Community Involvement 
  • Colorado Lawyer’s Chapter of the Federalist Society, Officer 
  • National Diocesan Attorneys Association, Member 
  • University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Adjunct Professor 
  • Catholic Charities of Central Colorado, Board member
Activities and Honors
  • Faculty Medal, Tulane University Law School 
  • Dean’s Medal, Tulane University Law School 
  • Order of the Coif, Tulane University Law School 
  • Federal Bar Association Award, Tulane University Law School 
  • Joseph Modeste Sweeney Scholarship, Tulane University 
  • Law School Notes and Comments Editor, Tulane University Law Review
Scroll to Top