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2007-2008 Annual Report  June 6, 2007 was a day I will always remember. I attended the Denver Bar Association Annual Awards Party at the Denver Public Library. It was a day when we honored volunteers that excelled in their contributions to the bar, the legal profession and the community. They included John Baker, Judge Andrew Armatas, Casie Collingnon and Matt Crouch, to name a few. However, it was momentous for me because Paul Chan handed a HUGE gavel to me as incoming Denver Bar Association president. It was really tough to follow in his footsteps, but I feel privileged that I had the chance to try. I am proud of what the DBA has accomplished this year. I tried to be a good representative of the Bar and a role model for the year I was president, but I could not have done it without the help of great boards, committees, and the hardest-working and most dedicated staff a bar could have. Together, we’ve done a lot of great work the past year. I want to mention some programs that I have been closely involved in this year. I am especially proud of the successful outreach efforts of the Diversity In the Legal Profession Committee. We successfully launched the Rocky Mountain Legal Diversity Summit in September 2007 where many professionals came to learn about diversity. It also introduced the 2007 Diversity Survey of the Colorado Legal Profession. From summer clerkships and mentorships, to job fairs, we helped bring a wealth of underrepresented parts of the population into the legal community, and brought inclusive excellence to the attention of the Colorado legal community. The Access to Justice Committee has been going strong. We finished the ATJ report for Denver, which was included in the statewide report on the unmet need for legal services to the poor. It was later provided to legislators around the state. We conducted several training Members of the DBA successfully partnered with Denver Public schools to get attorneys into classrooms for lessons on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. More than 40 different presentations were provided. This partnership has grown over the last year and we expect to have even more involvement with the school district this year. So, please keep your eyes open for announcements that request the need for volunteers in different kinds of programs, like being a panelist for the Constitutional Scholars "We The People" program, coaching or sponsoring new mock trial teams, and volunteering to talk about rights and responsibilities of 18 year olds. We are extremely proud of the fact that we have dedicated volunteers like Dennis Kaw, Lindsey Rothrock and Kara Veitch who helped George Washington High School, a DPS school, become the the Colorado State Champion Mock Trial Team and place fifth in the national competition. We want to forge ahead with getting as many attorneys, judges or professionals into the classroom as possible to be role models to the next generation and encourage them to not just finish school, but to excel and continue on to college. The Community Action Network rallied the support of more than 75 law firms for community-based projects specifically designed to create opportunities for children and the homeless by supporting initiatives that work to eliminate barriers to success. Over the last three years, CAN has raised more than $65,000 in monetary donations to benefit programs like The Food Bank of the Rockies, Children’s Outreach Project, DPS Educational Outreach Program and Kids In Need of Dentistry. They have delivered more than 100,000 meals, 700 backpacks and thousands of toothbrushes. CAN has supported the Wheels of Justice bike race benefit, which raised $185,000 to benefit Children’s Hospital in 2007. The Community Action Network’s philanthropic activities this year are outstanding and need to be recognized. We’ve awarded 27 firms and attorneys the "We CAN" awards for participating in the drives. So, when you see an e-mail or advertisement from CAN, be sure to pitch-in, sign-up and help these wonderful efforts. Once again, the DBA stepped forward to fight those who proposed another judicial term limits initiative, approving a substantial contribution to the effort to defeat the proposal. The initiative was eventually withdrawn by its sponsors, perhaps because a similar measure was defeated at the polls two years ago, or perhaps because they realized that any attack on judicial independence and quality will always be met with the marshalling of significant resources in opposition. Although we hope that the judicial term limits effort will not be resurrected, we stand ready to combat it if it is. As the Roman Vegetius said so long ago, "If you want peace, prepare for war." Although our merit selection system is safe for another year, we are not resting on our laurels. The DBA Board of Trustees approved funding for the Our Courts program, which is technically a Colorado Bar Association program. The DBA assisted in the launching of this extremely successful educational program, which teaches the public about our judicial merit selection system. The DBA accomplishes what it does because we have attorneys, judges, paralegals and other volunteers that are dedicated to making the Bar Association and our community what it is. The DBA has had outstanding officers and committee chairs over the years and this year has been no different. I learned that it is great to be in this profession because I have the opportunity to associate with all of you. I became involved in the day-to-day operations of the DBA and it is unbelievable how much work gets done by the Bar’s committees, programs and staff. I especially want to thank all who contributed money, time and resources to places that provide legal assistance to the underserved in our community — you help make this an honorable profession. There are many other programs and projects that the DBA undertakes and supports, such as our flagship program, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, which each year reaches more and more people in Denver who require help. I want to thank the Denver legal community for sponsoring and supporting this program by contributing to the Barrister’s Benefit Ball. This year we raised nearly $90,000, which will go a long way to provide pro bono service programs like Family Law Court. We have come full circle to the 2008 DBA Annual Awards Party where I was privileged to thank many volunteers who are dedicated to our legal profession and to the Denver community. I was especially honored to be able to congratulate some people who truly deserved to be honored for their perseverance, commitment and enthusiasm to the practice of law and the community, especially Aaron Bradford, Karen Hannah Wheeler, Russell Carparelli and Stanton Rosenbaum. It was a good year. It has been my honor to have served as DBA President in 2007-2008. We can all be proud of the accomplishments of the Denver Bar Association this year. I thank the DBA membership for its time and committment to this wonderful organization. I passed the gavel onto an outstanding leader who I know has the energy and drive to make this organization even better. I wish new president Mark Fogg the very best, and know things will go well because of who he is and the kind of support he will receive. — Elsa Martinez Tenreiro
Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee The Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee continues to run the "Court Annexed Mediation Project," which provides mediation services to litigants and their attorneys in Denver’s County and Small Claims Civil Courts. Awards Committee Former DBA President Liz Starrs chaired the committee this year, with awards going to the following outstanding attorneys: Stanton Rosenbaum, Award of Merit; Aaron Bradford, Young Lawyer of the Year; Judge Russell Carparelli, Judicial Excellence; and Karen Wheeler, Volunteer Lawyer of the Year. Awards were presented at the DBA Annual Awards Party.
Barristers Benefit Ball The 20th annual Barristers Benefit Ball, "Celebrating Lawyers in the Emerald City: Courage, Brains and Heart," was May 3, with more than 660 attending. The committee, co-chaired by Brenda Storey and Mark Fogg, worked feverishly to plan the event, which raised nearly $90,000 for Metro Volunteer Lawyers. The honorees this year were Terry Kelly of Kelly Garnsey Hubbell & Lass; solo practitioner Susan Grauer and Charleen Castro, the first non-lawyer to be designated as a Barristers Ball honoree. Thanks to everyone who helped make this great event a reality.
Bench–Bar Committee The Bench-Bar Committee continues their work on various CLE luncheon programs with judges from the Denver area. The luncheons are held at the City and County Building and have been very successful. The committee has also planned the next Bench-Bar Retreat, "Plea from the Courts: Lighten Up." Judges will speak with attorneys in a roundtable format about improving one’s quality of life as an attorney. The event is Saturday, Sept. 27, 8:30 a.m.–noon, at the Warwick Hotel, 1776 Grant St. This breakfast program will be submitted for two general and two ethics CLE credits. RSVP by noon on Wednesday, Sept. 24 to (303) 860-1115, ext. 727 or e-mail lunches@cobar.org. DBA–CLE DBA–CLE is the nonprofit educational arm of the Denver and Colorado Bar. In meeting the needs of our members, DBA–CLE presents approximately 100 live programs throughout the year on a variety of topics. These programs attract several thousand attendees each year and many are co-sponsored by the Bar sections and standing committees. Programs range from half-day seminars to popular multi-day annual conferences, such as the National CLE Conference; Business Law Institute; Employment Law Institute; SEC Conference; Intellectual Property Conference; Hanging Your Shingle; Real Estate Symposium; Estate Planning Retreat; Ag/Water/Environmental (Steamboat CLE Conference) Law; and Family Law Institute. Most are videotaped for replay in Denver and also audio-recorded for home study. In 2006–07 CLE started webcasting some CLE programs so lawyers can participate in CLE programs over the internet from their desktop that are taking place live from the classroom. Distance education delivery formats such as the webcast and teleseminars continue to serve the busy lawyers of Colorado. DBA–CLE also publishes more than 40 handbooks and practice manuals covering various law practice specialties. The publications are authoritative and are written by practicing attorneys and sitting judges, and are edited and cite-checked by experienced legal editors. The books are designed to be practitioner-oriented, and most include forms, helpful checklists, organizational tabs, a subject index, and practice pointers to help you save time and make services more economical. DBA Communications The Denver Bar Association Communications Department focuses on media relations, public relations, member communications and The Docket. Our role with the public and media is to help them understand and navigate the legal system. Our role with our members is to help them understand how to work with the media, and to communicate all the important activities and resources available at the bar. The Communications Department hired a new Director of Communications Christine McManus in March 2008, and a new Communications Specialist Tara Miller in August 2007. McManus brings insight from eight years as a newspaper journalist, most recently as a business editor for Gannett. Miller is a recent CU-Boulder Journalism grad. Former directors Stacy Chesney (now at Denver Water) and Diane Hartman are providing occasional, helpful support during the transition. The department keeps daily tabs on main media outlets and tracks Google alerts across the state for the legal community. We are developing a proactive approach to media relations, not only responding to inquiries but also actively advising reporters of stories and resources available on occasion. Last winter, John Andrews’ efforts to limit judicial terms began to simmer again. However, by the spring, Andrews publicly announced that he did not collect enough signatures to put the approved language on the ballot. The lack of a campaign frees up the department to work on other issues. For example, the department helped coordinate disaster response plans in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, local bars and Young Lawyers Divisions when a tornado hit northern Colorado in May. Law School for Journalists coordinated and hosted sessions on water law, attorney discipline and judicial performance. Each two-hour session had about 15-20 journalists in attendance, from local newspapers and radio, and from major Denver news outlets broadcast and print. Additional sessions are in the works, in partnership with the State Court Administrator’s Office. About 100 judges are up for retention votes in November, so we have been gearing up to assist reporters. Public relations planning efforts just recently began for Our Courts programs as well. With the help of many experts on our list of attorneys who are available to speak with media on deadline, we have influenced many articles and broadcast segments every month in Denver, averaging about 5-8 calls per week from journalists on deadline, many of which are from Denver. We maintain ongoing media relations, including calls and e-mails to the press about big and little issues to let them know we’re reading and watching them and that we care that they’re accurate. We also meet journalists for coffee/lunch, send them Legal Directories, provide experts for their stories, and write letters to the editor and press releases. We also suggest (and they request) stories about lawyers, pro bono work, trends in the profession, etc. The communications department also gathers news and edits "D-Brief," the DBA’s weekly e-newsletter, sent to DBA members each Tuesday. We also send out press releases about the wonderful things our members are doing. About half of the press releases focused on Denver metro area, out of more than 40 press releases in 2007-2008. Our objective is to educate journalists and make our members and the legal system look good. If there is something in the media that concerns you, call us in case we haven’t seen it. Bar leaders have the option of media training sessions and tips. If interested, contact Christine McManus, cmcmanus@cobar.org or (303) 824-5347, or Tara Miller, tmiller@cobar.org or (303) 824-5312. As always, if you have suggestions on other things we could/should be doing, please let us know! Community Action Network Committee (CAN) In 2007–2008, the DBA Community Action Network teamed with law firms in the Denver area to provide support to many Denver nonprofit organizations doing great things for the needy in our community. The support from the legal community was incredible this year, with tireless efforts from law firms and organizations to bring in hundreds of cans of food, toothbrushes, school supplies and cash donations for all the drives throughout the year. Back to School Supply Drive. From July 30–Aug. 8, 2008 more than 55 Denver-area law firms and businesses collected school supplies and cash donations that benefited hundreds of students in the Denver Public School system. Denver Public School students and their families enjoyed a free day at the Denver Zoo on Aug. 12, 2008 and received a backpack filled with school supplies. CAN volunteers handed out more than 250 backpacks at the zoo to children of needy or homeless families. The remaining supplies went to Children’s Outreach Project. Each year, the drive helps hundreds of DPS students have a successful start to the school year. In addition to the school supplies collected, $1,795 was donated by the legal community for the DPS Educational Outreach Program.
Snow Carnival and Silent Auction. The Snow Carnival and Silent Auction was on Feb. 7, 2008. More than 300 people attended, and $18,500 was raised for Children’s Outreach Project, which provides early childhood and kindergarten education to "typical, gifted, and developmentally delayed children" in the Denver-metro area. This event at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science included The Living Sea and the Alps IMAX movies, exhibits at the museum, kid-friendly food and activities, a photo contest, a Magic Show by the Baffling Barrister (L. William Schmidt, Jr.), special silent auction items, and a raffle.
Ninth Annual Roll Out the Barrels Food Drive. This drive, held April 28–May 9, 2008, benefitted the Food Bank of the Rockies. The food drive collected 116 barrels of food donations worth $11,300 from 75 law offices in the Denver-metro area. The drive also collected approximately $14,720 in cash donations for the Food Bank as well, bringing the total value of all donations to just over $26,000. Food donations are critical in these troubled economic times when many families choose between eating or paying rent or buying gas to travel to work. The drive helped to create approximately 104,000 meals for the needy – simply amazing results! A special thanks goes to the CBA Litigation Section for cosponsoring this event and making the drive statewide this year! Toothbrushes for Tots Drive. The toothbrush drive, which ran from June 23–27, 2008, was a huge success! This drive benefits Kids in Need of Dentistry (KIND), the country’s oldest dental charity, founded in 1912. KIND helps meet the needs of underserved children. This drive was co-chaired by CAN members Michelle Ferguson and Nike Fleming. CAN, along with 50 local law firms and businesses, collected more than 9 large boxes of toothbrushes, 7 boxes of toothpaste, and 3 boxes of floss, in addition to more than $1,100 in cash donations.
Denver Warm Welcome Child Care Center. The Denver Warm Welcome Center is a drop-in child care facility that provides a safe, secure setting while the child’s parent or guardian conducts business with the Denver courts. CAN continued its support of the child care facility by collecting donations of hundreds of stuffed animals, books and children’s clothing at Tuesday’s at The Bar CLE Programs and delivering them to the Denver Warm Welcome Center. Contact CAN Co-Chairs Casie Collignon and Karen Spaulding, or DBA Staff Liaisons Heather Clark and Alexa Johnson if you or your firm are interested in participating in a CAN activity. The Democracy Education Committee The Democracy Education Committee, chaired by Jim Carr and Sue Kim, continued its efforts to build the Denver Regional Mock Trial Tournament. Schools that participated in the Denver Regional Tournament included: George Washington High School, Kennedy High School, La Academia, Denver School of Science and Technology, Denver North High School and Bollman Tech. The regional tournament was Feb. 22 and 23 at the U.S. Bankruptcy courthouse. Students tried a fictional cold criminal case involving a brutal robbery at the Fort Collins Farmers Market, killing a promising young street performer. Two teams from George Washington High School won the Denver Regional Mock Trial Tournament. They advanced to the State competition in Fort Collins, March 14–15. George Washington High School won the 2008 state title at the Colorado Bar Association High School Mock Trial Tournament held at the Larimer County Justice Center. The team then competed at the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Wilmington, Del. The team placed fifth in the nation!
On Sept. 17, 2007 the DBA Democracy Education Committee supported national Constitution Day by getting involved with youth education to teach students about the Constitution and our system of democracy. Volunteers visited 15 Denver Public schools: Horace Mann Middle School, Rachel B. Noel Middle School, Henry Middle School, Rishel Middle School, Bruce Randolph Middle School, John F. Kennedy High School, Dora Moore K-8, Emily Griffith Alternative School, Emerson Street School, Slavens K-8, Centennial K-8, MLK Early College, North High School, Bryant Webster K-8 and Hamilton Middle School. Special thanks to all the volunteers who participated in this successful day.
The Committee’s Court Tour program continued this year, 15 court tours were conducted at the Denver City & County Courthouse. While the increased interest is positive, the Court Tour program is still struggling with trained volunteers signing up for these tours, leaving the staff with the bulk of the responsibility. The Committee will continue to evaluate this program and ways to engage more members into stepping up to conduct tours. The DBA Speakers’ Bureau program dispatched more than 20 volunteer attorneys to speak in public schools. Marketing efforts to educate the schools of this program will continue. The Committee distributed an original in-class mock trial script titled "The Case of Spongebob Roundpants" for use in the elementary school class mock trial program. Copies of this script are available upon request for member use at their children’s schools. The Committee will continue its efforts to provide materials for teachers and volunteer attorneys who teach the judicial and trial process in classrooms with another script for middle school students. More than 300 copies have been distributed across Colorado. Finally, the Committee started a "We the People" Program Training/CLE. This is an education program that is used elementary, middle and high school classrooms across the state. The class curriculum for "We the People" is ongoing all year long. It is taught by social studies and government teachers. DPS teachers had contacted the Denver Bar Association for volunteers to come into their classes once a week/month to teach a topic to the students. This gives students an opportunity to speak with people that practice the law everyday. The first "We the People" Training Session was held on Oct. 26, 2006. In a snow storm, we had 18 attorney volunteers attend. The committee will have additional training sessions for "We the People" in the upcoming months. The Committee continues to work with the CBA Public Legal Education Committee on projects that will benefit both Denver and other local bar communities. Denver Access to Justice Committee/Legal Services Committee This committee, co-chaired by Ilene Bloom and Matthew E. Willis, changed its name to the Denver Access to Justice Committee. The Denver ATJ Committee will act as one of 11 committees across the state and will represent Denver. The Colorado Access to Justice Commission is an independent entity formed with the support of the Colorado Supreme Court, the Colorado Bar Association and the Statewide Legal Services Group in 2003. The Denver ATJ Committee continues its pro se legal clinic programs.
The third Tuesday of each month is Legal Night at Mi Casa, which offers anyone seeking legal services an opportunity to meet with an attorney, regardless of income level. Sponsored by Colorado Lawyers Committee and the DBA, Legal Night at Mi Casa opened its doors to the community in February of 2006. In 2007, over 900 individuals in the Denver community have been served and over 250 attorneys, paralegals and interpreters have volunteered time to help. Beginning February 2007, the Committee helped introduce Legal Night at El Centro de San Juan Diego. Legal Night at El Centro de San Juan Diego, which is the first Wednesday of each month, also offers anyone seeking legal services an opportunity to meet with an attorney, regardless of income level. Tim Macdonald of Arnold & Porter chairs this Task Force. Lawline 9, at KUSA-TV Channel 9, continues to be a popular community program with more than 7,500 calls received in the last year. More than 200 attorneys throughtout the year volunteer to staff this event every Wednesday evening, and on special occasions, additional early morning Lawline 9 programs are offered to highlight a current legal topic in the news.
With the support of the DBA YLD, the committee started a monthly morning Lawline 9 in 2007. The phones are staffed by DBA YLD attorney volunteers from 5:30 a.m.–7:30 a.m. reaching a whole new viewer audience on both 9News and Channel 20. Twenty-seven volunteer paralegals and attorneys staffed the DBA booth at the 2008 CHUN Capitol Hill People’s Fair where over 100 questions were answered.
Twenty-two volunteer attorneys and paralegals staffed the 2007 Veteran’s Stand Down event held at the National Guard Amory at 52nd and Franklin where more than 150 veterans were provided legal information and resource referrals. Diversity In the Legal Profession (DILP) DILP is a joint committee of the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations, has continued its goal to cultivate diversity within the legal community and work with law schools, law students, practicing lawyers and legal employers throughout Colorado to promote diversity at all levels. The committee’s major continuing project is the Mentor/Mentee Program. Through this program, first-year diverse law students are paired with experienced attorneys for guidance and learning. Research has demonstrated that diverse law students and young attorneys benefit greatly when they have a mentor. This program is a joint effort by DILP, the University of Colorado School of Law, the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and several specialty bar associations. DILP also sponsors the State High School Diversity Conference and sends teams of diverse attorneys to make presentations at the conference, with the goal of encouraging diverse high school students to pursue legal careers. This year, DILP had a very successful Rocky Mountain Legal Diversity Summit. The summit was held September 20, 2007, at Invesco Field at Mile High, followed by the annual Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair. DILP continues to work closely with the Deans’ Diversity Council, a group founded in the fall of 2006 by the Deans of the University of Colorado Law School and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. The Deans’ Diversity Council is comprised of managing partners of prominent law firms, general counsel from some of Colorado’s largest corporate employers, members of the federal and state judiciary, leading government sector attorneys, bar leaders and others committed to diversity in the legal profession. This group has met on a continuing basis to address the pressing issues of improving diversity in the legal profession. Finally, DILP actively promotes and supports The Colorado Pledge to Diversity Summer Clerkship Program, which seeks to diversify Colorado’s law firms and legal corporate departments, while giving students the opportunity to gain exposure to the work, requirements and culture of major law firms. The Docket It’s easy to find your way into a committee meeting of Docket writers – just look for the raucous laughter down the hall. The DBA’s 32-page glossy magazine, with 16 pages of color, continues to remain sold-out on ad space months ahead of time. In June, our long-time, trustworthy printing press sales rep, Jerry Gentry, left his former printing press company, so we followed him from Keyline Graphics Inc. to L&M Pressworks at a slightly reduced cost. As for content, highlights the past year included: Barely Legal columns from the next generation, Justice Hobbs mini-autobiography, out-of-the-office lawyers’ features, "7 Questions" profiles of several all-stars, tips, reflections on international law experiences, provocative political coverage from Doug McQuiston and other cheeky pieces. And hey, the Denver Post wrote up a lighthearted review of our April Fool’s stories! We plan to keep adding more photos, graphics and interesting tidbits for readers. To make in-house ad space allocations as fair as possible, guidelines are underway. This is your magazine. We invite all members to participate — in the writing, the suggesting of topics, the taking of pictures, in the bar reviews and even in the meetings. Contact Christine McManus cmcmanus@cobar.org, or Tara Miller tmiller@cobar.org, with your suggestions, questions, stories, photos and breaking news.
Henry Hall Memorial Golf Tournament Sixty-six golfers participated in the 2008 Henry Hall Memorial Golf Tournament on June 9, at the Vista Ridge Golf Club in Erie. With breathtaking views of the Colorado mountains, golfers enjoyed lunch before hitting the links. Ed Timmins Jr., was the Men’s Individual Low Gross winner and Susie Roh was the Women’s Individual Low Gross winner.
Interprofessional Committee The Interprofessional Committee is charged with investigating disputes between attorneys and other professionals and making non-binding recommendations for the resolution of such disputes. The committee is working on reviewing the current interprofessional code to see if there are any revisions needed. Legal Fee Arbitration Committee The DBA Legal Fee Arbitration Committee, continues to arbitrate fee disputes between clients and their attorneys. The committee remains one of the most active of all bar committees with daily mail and ongoing phone calls from both the public and attorneys. Members from across the state actively serve as arbitrators. The free service allows the attorney to resolve fee disputes while maintaining respect for the fiduciary duty owed to the client. The process is considered a gentle, flexible, quick, informal and effective vehicle for the resolution of disputes between two people who have been in a trusting fiduciary relationship. Membership and Marketing Approximately 8,500 legal professionals belong to the Denver Bar Association, as the DBA continues to provide support to the Denver-area legal community. The DBA membership department provides opportunities for members to network (social and business) and assists other DBA departments, in addition to providing other membership benefits. One of the most tangible benefits of belonging to the DBA is receiving a free copy of the Colorado Legal Directory. Every member of the DBA is mailed a directory each year at no additional cost. If you need an extra copy, Denver Bar Association members get a special rate. The Membership Department works with the publisher, McGraw Hill, to produce the directory. The publication is a valuable source of revenue for the DBA and the Membership Department welcomes any comments or suggestions for the directory. DBA Membership Department participates in the spring and fall admissions ceremonies for new attorneys. New attorneys are welcomed at the ceremonies by leaders in the legal community and are sworn in by Chief Justice Mullarkey of the Colorado Supreme Court. One of the goals of the Membership Department is to increase membership. This year we launched a campaign to increase Student Membership. By letting law students at DU and CU know that they can receive a free membership in the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations, we doubled our student membership numbers. The Membership Department is also reviewing the current benefits and considering offering more. We currently offer discounts at:
Metropolitan Conciliation Panel The Bar associations of Adams County, Broomfield County, Denver County, the First Judicial District (Jefferson and Gilpin Counties) and the Eighteenth Judicial District (Arapahoe and Douglas Counties) cooperate to run the Metropolitan Conciliation Panel. MCP now consists of a diverse group of 26 well-respected lawyers from the local bar associations and is administered by a five-member coordinating council. MCP assists in resolving conflicts between attorneys over issues of professionalism and civility, as defined in the "Denver Bar Association Principles of Professionalism" and the "Colorado Bar Association Standards of Professionalism." All work of the MCP is confidential and voluntary. The resolution assistance most often consists of a panel member acting as a "sounding board" for an attorney involved in a professionalism dispute with another attorney. Assistance can also include conciliation and mediation between the disputing attorneys. Excluded from the jurisdiction of MCP are all matters where the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct apply or control, and all requests for intervention by consumers. Requests for assistance and for referrals are accepted from attorneys, judges, magistrates and the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Regulation Counsel. For more information, contact MCP co-chairs John Baker at (303) 321-3196 or David Furgason at (303) 861-8013. Metro Volunteer Lawyers Metro Volunteer Lawyers (MVL) provides pro bono legal services to low-income residents of the Denver metro area. This year, MVL provided representation to more than 1,700 indigent clients. The majority of those cases were in the areas of family law, bankruptcy, Social Security benefits, or consumer law. A large part of the MVL budget comes from the Annual Barristers Benefit Ball. The remainder of the budget comes from Colorado Bar Association Leadership Training, individual contributions and per capita contributions from the Adams/Broomfield, Arapahoe, Douglas/Elbert and the First Judicial District Bar Associations. Seniors This group of attorneys, chaired by Jim Bayer, is for those "65 or better." The committee has four big events throughout the year. The biggest party of the year is the Senior Spring Banquet, which honors Denver lawyers who have been licensed for 50 years. This past May, the committee honored 22 attorneys. The event was at a new location, The Oxford Hotel. It was packed with nearly 120 guests who came to honor these accomplished individuals. DBA President Elsa Martinez Tenreiro and Past-President Mary Jo Gross (honorary "emcee") kept the room laughing, as they shared stories of the careers and lives of the honorees. The committee’s fall event, the "Seniors Roast," honored Howard Rosenberg in October. December’s Holiday Party was its usual fun that included connecting with familiar faces, spreading holiday cheer and enjoying tasty fare. July’s golf tournament was at The Homestead Golf Course, and despite some threatening storms, the teams finished the tournament and enjoyed lunch. Tuesday’s at the Bar Tuesday’s at the Bar had a very successful year of CLE programs. The program is held every Tuesday at the DBA offices in the 3rd floor classroom at noon (except in December, July and August). We will continue to provide timely presentations to the members. More than 860 members attended these CLE programs this year. Young Lawyers Division The Young Lawyers Division had one of its most successful years with some of our flagship community events, including Winter Festival and Lawsuit Days. In coordination with the Legal Center for People with Disabilities and Older People, YLD raised thousands of dollars for the Legal Center through the Attorneys’ Night Out event. This event is in its third year and the group is thrilled with its prospects for the years to come. YLD rekindled its affiliation with the Legal Aid Foundation, lending support and resources for its Wine Tasting Event in July. Finally, YLD continued its long-standing involvement with the Legal Center, providing advice and pro bono services to needy members of the community, and played an influential role in the Center’s new location in Five Points. With respect to opportunities for grade school students, YLD continued its Law Explorers event which strives to expose high school students to the practice of law. YLD’s work this year included a tour of DU Law and the opportunity to attend a class at the law school. As part of YLD’s Law Week efforts, the group sponsored its annual essay contest for high school students, which included a cash prize for the two best essays. The annual luncheon included a speech from Judge Marsha Krieger. YLD continued its highly-successful monthly Barristers After Hours program, this year at a new location: Earl’s. Finally, nearly our entire board attended an ABA Conference and participated in delegate and affiliate-related events that are instrumental in providing ideas to improve opportunities for our membership. Financials The DBA completed its 2007-2008 fiscal year on June 30,2008. Revenue from membership dues increased slightly and non-dues revenue decreased making total revenue down for the year. Expenses for the year were also down as we did not have to assist in fighting a ballot initiative for judicial term limits like we did the year before. We saw a modest increase in operational overhead, but a slight decrease in our department and program expenses. The DBA will complete the fiscal year with a surplus of revenue over expenses which will help rebuild our reserve funds that were deplete last year when we experienced a loss. The DBA is still in a strong financial position to continue to provide programs for our members and to be of service to the community. Budget Assets *2008 2007 Cash and cash equivalents 1,152,097 1,239,914 Total Assets 1,534,188 1,560,928
Liabilities and Membership Equity Accounts payable other 0 0 Total Liabilities 325,854 421,941
Membership Equity Unrestricted 1,208,334 1,138,987 Total liabilities and membership equity 1,534,188 1,560,928
Revenues Dues 803,149 782,076 Total Revenues 1,147,835 1,181,393
Expenses Programs, committees & departments 390,078 471,585 Total Expenses 1,078,487 1,242,420 Surplus(deficit) 69,348 -61,027
*2008 figures are unaudited
Committees...Are You on the List?To join a committee, contact Melissa Nicoletti at (303) 860-1115 or melissan@cobar.org, or check out http://www.denbar.org.
Access to Justice Co-Chairs: Ilene L. Bloom & Matthew Willis Andrew S. Armatas Alternative Dispute Resolution Co-Chairs: Deborah Sperlak & Patricia Whitehouse Hartley D. Alley Awards Committee Chair: Joseph B. Dischinger John S. Castellano Barristers Benefit Ball Co-Chairs: John T. Baker & Julie E. Haines Bench-Bar Co-Chair: Gerald D. Pratt Julie E. Anderson Budget Chair: Thomas L. Kanan John T. Baker Community Action Network Co-Chairs: Casie Collignon & Karen L. Spaulding Julie E. Anderson Democracy Education Co-Chairs: Elsa T. Martinez Tenreiro & John H. Kechrioti Julie E. Anderson Diversity In the Legal Profession Co-Chairs: Jack Patten & Meschach Rhoades Louise Aron The Docket Chair: Becky Bye Norman B. Beecher Educational Lunch (Tuesday’s at the Bar) Chair: John T. Baker Shannon M. Bell Henry Hall Memorial Golf Tournament Co-Chairs: Stephen T. Erwin, Rob Hooke, Todd Jansen & Richard S. Strauss Matthew D. Abell Interprofessional Committee Co-Chairs: William Babich & Suzanne Lambdin Douglas E. Best Joint Management Committee Chair: Christopher B. Little John T. Baker Legal Fee Arbitration Chair: Joanne Herlihy James L. Aab Nominating Committee Chair: Christopher B. Little John T. Baker Professionalism Coordinating Councils Chair: Donald Alperstein Alan W. Anderson Seniors Committee Chair: Jim Bayer Staff Liaison: Tara Miller The DBA Seniors committee consists of DBA members "privileged to be 65 and older" and who enjoy camaraderie with fellow attorneys. The committee puts on four events a year; new members are welcome.
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