Ellie M. Mills

Associate Attorney

PHONE: (303) 776-9900
FAX: (303) 776-9100
EMAIL: emills@lyonsgaddis.com

Overview

Ellie Mills is an associate attorney in the firm’s government practice group, working primarily with special districts and other local government entities. She enjoys the advisory side of legal practice and works with local government entities on a wide range of governance, policy, contract, and operational matters.

A Colorado native, Ellie brings a community-centered perspective to her work. Through her experience in the nonprofit sector, legal clinics, and volunteer experience, she developed a strong appreciation for public service and the role local government plays in day-to-day life. She is grateful for the opportunity to represent entities that provide essential public services and help Colorado communities thrive.

Practices

Special Districts
Local Government

Education & Experience

Ellie earned her Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University School of Law, graduating magna cum laude and earning a CALI Award for Excellence in Evidence. During law school, she served two years as Co-President of Women’s Law Caucus, sat on the Dean’s student advisory council, and was an active member of the Washington Women Lawyers Spokane chapter.

Her legal experience includes service as a law clerk in Gonzaga’s Office of General Counsel, internships with Gonzaga’s Environmental & Climate Change Clinic and Gonzaga’s Name and Gender ID Change Clinic, and work supporting clients through the Washington State Bar Association’s Moderate Means program.

Before law school, Ellie earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Colorado Boulder, with a minor in French and time studying abroad in Paris, France. She has experience in the nonprofit sector, having worked with a grantmaking foundation in Denver where she gained insight into how organizations across the state serve their communities and what effective advocacy looks like.

Organizations & Community Involvement

Member, Boulder County Bar Association
Member, Colorado Women’s Bar Association
Member, Special District Association of Colorado
Former Co-President, Women’s Law Caucus at Gonzaga University School of Law
Former Volunteer, SpokAnimal Humane Society

Personal

Ellie spends much of her free time visiting her parents, brother, and two dogs in the mountains. Raised by a lifelong gearhead, she keeps busy with a Jeep Wrangler that is both intentionally and unintentionally a project car, and spends the snowy months snowmobiling rather than skiing. She follows just about every sport, claims to be a mediocre chef, and often stays up late binge-reading any fiction she can get her hands on.