MONTROSE, Colo. ( KDVR ) — On Sept. 23, Seth Ryan, the district attorney for the 7th Judicial District announced his resignation, citing difficulties in hiring and retaining attorneys.
“After extensive reflection and considered deliberation over the past several months, I,
Seth D. Ryan, have decided not to accept a second term as District Attorney for the Seventh
Judicial District,” he wrote on Monday in his official resignation letter.
Charlie Blackmon ends career after spending 14 years with Colorado Rockies Ryan held the elected title for four years but has spent 17 years in the office under various roles, including deputy district attorney, chief district attorney and assistant district attorney.
FOX31 sat down to talk with Ryan about his decision to leave, which included trying to manage a large district that’s also economically diverse.
“It encompasses Montrose, Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Ouray and San Miguel Counties,” Ryan said. “That’s been both interesting and a challenge as well in my career as a district attorney, both deputy and the elected, to kind of balance those communities.”
He said balancing those communities on a slim staff has taken its toll.
“I can’t continue staffing our court dockets across the district and adequately supervise my staff, so it’s really been a vicious circle,” Ryan said. “I’ve been asking my employees, especially my attorneys to take on herculean efforts. Take on the duties of one-and-a-half, two attorneys so that by the time we get help several months later, they’re burned out and they are looking to do something else.”
The shortage of attorneys could be blamed on many different reasons.
“Since COVID and post George Floyd and the social justice movement that’s been around, it’s really had an impact on the number of young attorneys who want to come out and be prosecutors,” Ryan said.
It is no secret attorneys have been dealing with a high rate of burnout. According to a 2023 Bloomberg Law study , most attorneys feel burned out almost half the time at work. Young attorneys between the ages of 25 and 34 felt the most burned out at work at 58%.
“I see that myself that there’s a lot of stress in the job,” Ryan said. “We’re asking our people who are willing to be prosecutors to take on a lot of work and that eventually takes its toll on people.”
RTD increases downtown loop frequency after monthslong reconstruction project Not only has burnout increased, but there have also been fewer students graduating with law degrees. A study published by the Statista Research Department showed a steady decline in law graduates in the United States from 2013 to 2019. Between 2020 and 2022, that number climbed a bit but then dropped again by 2023.
Even then, Ryan said hiring the ones who have graduated can be a challenge.
“People, especially young attorneys, want to be in the big cities. Recruiting them and convincing them to come out to our beautiful part of the state can be difficult as well,” Ryan said.
Ryan said his last minute in office will be on Oct. 31 at 5 p.m.
“I have truly cherished my 17 years at the District Attorney’s Office and the people I have
worked with, most especially my loyal staff who have exhibited unwavering support and made
tremendous sacrifices during these past few years,” Ryan wrote. “I thank them for working tirelessly with integrity, respect, and in collaboration. I am proud of the work I have accomplished during my career as a prosecutor, zealously promoting justice for the most innocent victims in our communities.”
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