2011 April

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Denver Bar Association I Vol. 33 Issue 4 I April 2011

Inside Lawyers to Help Finish Judicial Complex

by Marshall Snider

Facebook Unveils Legal Features

by Nicole M. Mundt

The Exception in the Thirteenth Amendment

by Frank Schuchat

The Future of Attorney

Registration Fees Becky Bye Investigates How Your Pay Can Affect Your Fees

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Denver Bar Association I Vol. 33 Issue 4 I April 2011

ON THE COVER 4

Colorado Attorney Registration Fees Change for 2012

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Colorado Lawyers to Fix Judicial Complex Budget Shortfall

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Facebook Announces the Addition of Serve & File Tab

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A Very Strict Construction

FEATURES 6

New Dawn Journal: Helping Iraqis Improve Their Legal System

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Meet the Bar Stars Dancers

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Support Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Support the Community

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Lawline 9 Celebrates 18 Years

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The Great Bear

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Top 10 Reasons Your Firm Should Play Lawyers’ League Softball

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IN EVERY ISSUE 26

Legal Affairs

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Dates on the Denver Docket

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The Docket A publication of the Denver Bar Association.

Views expressed in articles are those of the author, and not the views of the authors’ employers, The Docket Committee, or the Denver Bar Association, unless expressly stated. Deadline for articles is five weeks prior to the issue date; for example, February articles are due (on disk or by email) Dec. 19. To advertise, call Alexa Drago at (303) 824-5313.

Docket Committee: Mariya Barmak, Norman Beecher, Becky Bye, Michael J. Decker, Craig C. Eley, David L. Erickson, Loren R. Ginsburg, Robert J. Kapelke, Paul F. Kennebeck, Natalie Lucas (chair), Alicia J. McCommons, Daniel R. McCune, Douglas I. McQuiston, William R. Meyer, Eric R. Newmark, Richard L. Ott, Jr., Siddhartha H. Rathod, Gregory D. Rawlings, Frank J.

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8 Schuchat, Marshall A. Snider, Daniel A. Sweetser, Erica Vargas, Anthony J. Viorst, Dennis P. Walker, Elizabeth A. Weishaupl DBA Officers: Stacy A. Carpenter, President; Ilene L. Bloom, PresidentElect; Daniel R. McCune, First Vice President; Kwali M. Farbes, Second Vice President; John T. Baker, Immediate Past President; Richard Strauss, Treasurer Board of Trustees Members: James G. Benjamin, Paul Chessin, Nancy L. Cohen, Michelle B. Ferguson, Valerie A. Garcia, Annie T. Kao, Vance O. Knapp, Meshach Rhoades, Anthony M. Ryan, Daniel A. Sweetser; Chuck Turner, Executive Director Editor: Sara Crocker P.C. Editor: Chuck Turner Graphic Designer: Kate Mills

(303) 860-1115 www.denbar.org/docket Copyright 2011. The Docket (ISSN 10847820) is published monthly, except for the combined issue of July/August, by the Denver Bar Association, 1900 Grant St., Suite 900, Denver, CO 80203-4336. All rights reserved.

The price of an annual subscription to members of the DBA ($15) is included in their dues as part of their membership. Periodicals postage paid at Denver, CO and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER send address corrections to The Docket, Denver Bar Association, 1900 Grant St., Suite 900, Denver, CO 80203-4336.

April 2011 I The Docket 3

Colorado Attorney Registration Fees Change for 2012

by Beck y B y e

A

lthough many attorneys only recently finished paying their mandatory annual attorney registration fees, the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel (OARC) has announced a change to its 2012 fee structure pursuant to changes to the current law implemented by the new legislature. Currently, for active attorneys licensed for three or more years, the fees are fixed at $225, and attorneys licensed for fewer than three years pay a fixed fee of $180. These fees are mandated by Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure (C.R.C.P.) 227, Registration Fee of Attorneys and Attorney Judges.

Now, a new change to C.R.C.P. 227 will not make attorney registration fees so black and white.

For the past several years, the economy has affected the salaries and employment outlook for various professionals, including attorneys. Both the Colorado House and Senate have engaged in significant dialogue regarding what actions, if any, the legislature can take to ease the burden on various professionals experiencing a reduction in salary or a hardship in attaining employment.

Due to the significant presence of attorneys within the Colorado Legislature, much emphasis of this discourse has been on the economy’s effect on attorney employment and salary. Recog-

4 The Docket I April 2011

nizing that there has been a large range of salaries and employment levels among attorneys, the house proposed, and recently passed, a bill amending C.R.C.P. 227 to base annual registration fees on salary rather than on years of practice (see Colorado House Bill 11-001).

One of the members of the House who voted in favor of the bill anonymously commented on his reasoning: “Historically speaking, when the Colorado Legislature first mandated attorney registration fees in 1961, it posited that attorneys out fewer than three years were in the midst of looking for work or starting out in low-paying jobs. Around three years or later, most practicing attorneys found good, solid work with a steady salary.”

The congressman added, “Now, salary depends on where you work, not how long you work. Some attorneys work for years at nonprofits or other positions making only a small fraction of what some first-year associates make at large firms. Also, many attorneys are underor unemployed. By passing this new bill, we are trying to ‘spread the wealth’ of all attorneys.”

For attorneys making $50,000 or less per year, annual registration fees will be 0.1 percent of their salary. Thus, for these attorneys, who make up approximately 35 percent of all attorneys in Colorado, the annual registration fees would accrue to $50 per year. For attorneys making between $50,000 and $100,000 (approximately 45 percent of all attorneys in Colorado), the annual registration fees would constitute 0.75 percent of their salaries, or $375 to $750. For attorneys who make six figures or more per year (approximately 20 percent of all attorneys in Colorado), attorney registration fees increase to a whopping 2 percent of their total salary,

or $2,000 or more each year. Fees for attorneys with “inactive” status would remain the same.

For the OARC to determine an attorney’s adjusted gross income for purposes of registration fees, attorneys must send, via certified mail, a copy of their previous year’s federal tax filing to the OARC. They must mail this copy within 10 days of the April 18 tax deadline or within 10 days of the date of an extension, if applicable. Because the fee structure is still so new, due to the recentness of the new law, the OARC will be lenient with penalties for non-compliance for the first year.

The House has made preliminary calculations and determined the OARC will continue to maintain or even increase the total fees received from attorneys every year, allowing more investment into the attorney regulation and oversight process.

The bill has been met with criticism.

One member of the House lamented, “The passage of this bill signifies that we are turning into a socialist state and nation, and it is starting with the ‘socialization’ of attorney registration fees.

Attorneys who make more money should not be obligated to compensate for attorneys who choose to make less money or are otherwise not as capable. This is preposterous.”

Regardless of the bill’s polarizing nature, C.R.C.P. 227’s amendment goes into effect April 1, just in time for tax season. D For 2011: Fees were $225 for attorneys licensed three+ years and $180 for attorneys licensed less than three years.

For 2012: Fees will be based on salary. Attorneys making $50K or less per year will pay .1 percent of their pay; attorneys making $50-100K will pay .75 percent of their pay; and attorneys making more than $100K will pay 2 percent of their salary.

The Ralph L. Carr Judicial Complex under construction.

Colorado Lawyers to Fix Judicial Complex Budget Shortfall

by M arsh all S nide r

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n an effort to compensate for an unexpected revenue shortage, every licensed Colorado attorney will be required to contribute 10 hours of physical labor toward the construction of the new Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Complex. The judicial complex, which will house the Colorado Supreme Court, Court of Appeals,

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Exchange) will be in addition to the already existing 15 annual hours of the other CLE, Continuing Legal Education.

Attorneys will be assigned duties at the judicial complex site based on their knowledge, skills, and experience in the construction industry. For example, those lawyers with experience as ironworkers will be able to put their skills to use in that arena, while attorneys with less proficiency in construction trades

According to a spokesperson for the Colorado Bar Association, another anticipated benefit of this program will be to increase the physical fitness of attorney– laborers, thus lowering health care costs and health insurance premiums under bar-sponsored insurance programs. The Obama administration also is rumored to be keeping an eye on this initiative; if health care costs can be decreased as a result of work on the judicial complex,

Attorneys will be assigned duties at the judicial complex site based on their knowledge, skills, and experience in the construction industry.”

Supreme Court Library, and Attorney General and judicial department offices, is being financed by bonds and repaid by court fees. However, state auditors recently discovered that these revenue sources will not be sufficient to cover the nearly $300 million cost of the new judicial center.

T he Colorado Supreme Cour t announced that to reduce construction costs, every licensed Colorado lawyer will be required to contribute 10 hours of skilled or manual labor to the project over the next 12 months. These 10 hours of mandatory CLE (Counselors’ Labor

may be assigned more menial jobs, such as toting bricks, swinging hammers, or sweeping up on the construction site.

Lawyers with significant experience operating heavy construction equipment will be particularly valued.

Given that there are nearly 35,000 licensed attorneys in Colorado, the auditors have calculated that this mandatory work requirement will provide enough free labor to cover any financing deficit for the complex. With Colorado attorneys rolling up their sleeves in this manner, the project is expected to be completed on time and within budget.

a similar mandatory labor program may be considered for the country as a whole.

At press time, The Docket was unable to obtain a response to this proposal from congressional Republicans that could be printed in a family-friendly publication.

Attorneys who do not have the physical ability to contribute manual labor will be able to work in the construction office, provided that they bring a note from their doctor. Taking a page from the Civil War handbook, the Colorado Supreme Court also announced that any attorney can buy an exemption from this construction draft for $5,000. D April 2011 I The Docket 5

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Helping Iraqis Improve Their Legal System

Capt. Jeff Sherman (third from the left) and members of the Army and Air Force meet with Iraqi Investigative Judges at the National Information and Investigation Agency, which is the Iraqi FBI. B y C ap t. J effre y S he rman Editor’s Note: This is an occasional column by Jeffrey Sherman, who will share his experiences as a deployed Reserve Officer as part of Operation New Dawn in Iraq. This column delves into rule of law in Iraq.

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hortly before I deployed to Iraq, headlines announced that combat operations in Iraq had ended. The news showed images of convoys rolling out of Iraq into Kuwait to board planes back to the U.S. My friends and family were confused.

Why would I have to go to Iraq if the war was over and everyone was leaving? The quick and dirty answer is that while combat operations may have ended, stability operations are stronger than ever.

As part of Operation New Dawn, I am one of 48,000 U.S. service members conducting stability operations in Iraq.

These operations focus on advising, assisting, and training the government of Iraq and the Iraqi Security Forces. In conjunction with teams from the Departments of State and Justice, we work with the Iraqi government and non-

6 The Docket I April 2011

governmental agencies to build Iraq’s civil capacity. My unit, the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was re-designated as the 2-25 Advise and Assist Brigade to reflect the change in our mission.

Our Brigade Legal Section is tasked with helping to create a functioning rule of law system in the Diyala and Salah ad Din provinces. It has been a daunting task. We have seen that criminals can regularly buy their way out of jail. Those who are falsely accused often must resort to buying their freedom, as well. Prison conditions are often shocking—prisoners often live packed together such that some must stand while others sleep.

Suspicious prison “accidents” occur with disturbing frequency.

I conducted my first Key Leader Engagement (KLE) shortly after arriving in Iraq. That morning, instead of heading to the JAG office in my camouflage uniform and soft cap with a cup of coffee, I put on full “battle rattle,” including body armor, Kevlar helmet, first aid kit, infrared signaling device, weapon, and full load of ammunition. I marched to the Provincial Reconstruction Team head-

quarters and was assigned to ride in one of the several Stryker armored vehicles on base. This would be my first trip in a Stryker and my first foray outside the wire.

Strykers are very high-tech personnel carriers with advanced armor. Even the driver and vehicle commander are protected by armor and use thick, bulletproof glass periscopes to see. Because of the extra protection they provide from rifle fire and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), soldiers consider them significantly superior to the Humvees that were previously used. Of course, insurgents are always coming up with newer, more deadly weapons, such as Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs).

EFPs use shaped charges to turn a metal liner (usually copper) into a superheated jet of metal that can penetrate our armor. Consequently, we are continually improving our vehicles to try to stay ahead of our enemies.

My Stryker was filled with State Department officials, linguists, and our security detail—the infantry troops who lead us through the city of Baqubah and stand guard while we meet with our Iraqi counterparts. The crew showed me many of the high-tech features of the vehicle, such as the computerized targeting system, which enables the gunner to engage enemy targets with a joystick, like a video game.

After arriving at the Diyala Governance Center in Baqubah, we set off with our security detail to begin our KLE. Our security detail was heavily armed and carried communications and first aid gear. However, to get to the Diyala Court of Appeals, we had to walk through busy city streets, including a narrow choke point I feared would make a perfect point for a sniper to take aim. I knew that even an extremely well-trained and well-equipped Army officer accompanied by a security detail can’t stop a well-hidden sniper or IED. So, I moved quickly, with my head on a swivel, to get to our destination. My obsession with cable TV

has come in handy in Iraq—I used the serpentine running tactics that I learned from Peter Falk in the movie “The InLaws” to move through town.

We entered the ramshackle Diyala Court of Appeals through its rubble strewn exterior. I couldn’t help but compare it to the beautiful courthouse in Denver where the Tenth Circuit sits. Michael Vaccaro, an advisor from the U.S. Department of Justice, led us into the Chief Judge’s chambers. We exchanged greetings with Chief Judge Salih and, using our linguist, sat down to discuss business. The Chief Judge’s chambers, like many government offices in Iraq, are a strange contradiction. It has the trappings of wealth, such as satellite television (which is never turned off), blaring cell phones, and ornate (even garish) gold-leaf furniture. Nevertheless, it also reflects the province’s history of lagging economic development with cracked walls and ceilings, bare fluorescent light fixtures, and archaic, nonfunctioning computers.

Chief Judge Salih and the other judges wear Western-styled business suits. However, their assistants dress akin to members of the “Jersey Shore” cast. So, if nothing else, we are impacting their wardrobes.

In Iraq, the ritual of drinking tea together is integral to building relationships and accompanies every meeting.

During our meeting, every few minutes, the Chief Judge pressed a button on

his desk to summon his assistant. The assistant bustled in with, successively, bottled water, Arab coffee, chai tea, then Arab coffee again, and finally, soda. Arab coffee is thick and very hot. It is brought to each person, who is expected to quickly drink the cup, which is refilled until the person indicates by Capt. Jeff Sherman (left), with Air Force and Army personnel, meets with shaking his hand that Lt. Col. Abdal Gahar, Technical Director of the National Information and Investigation Agency. he is done. The cup is then brought to the next in terrorism cases. person, where the routine is repeated.

Difficult work remains in Iraq. U.S. Needless to say, I was well-hydrated and and Iraqi forces are still targeted by insurcaffeinated by the end of the KLE. gents and we cannot relax our vigilance Members of our JAG team particiduring Operation New Dawn. However, pate in KLEs like the one I described with because of the courage, hard work, and Iraqi officials several times each week. At brave sacrifices of the service members these meetings, we consult with judges who fought here before us, we are in a on a variety of issues. We advise them in position to focus on advising, assisting, improving their systems so that arrested and training the Iraqis to build their burpeople are neither released before geoning and still tenuous democracy. If charges can be filed, nor held unfairly the Iraqis succeed, it could advance the without the opportunity for reasonable fight for human rights not only in Iraq bail. We counsel Iraqi investigators in but all over the world. It is a mission in developing systems for preparing and which I am proud to participate. D presenting search and arrest warrant applications that comply with Iraqi law Jeffrey Sherman practices corporate and notions of due process. We support and securities law at Faegre & Benson LLP the Iraqi Inspector General’s staff in the in Denver. He is serving as a Judge Advoinvestigation of incidents of prisoner cate with the 2nd Stryker Advise and Assist abuse. We train judges and police regardBrigade, 25th Infantry Division at FOB ing the use of high-technology evidence Warhorse, Iraq.

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April 2011 I The Docket 7

Facebook Announces the Addition of Serve & File Tab

by N icole M. M und t

I

n an unprecedented move, Facebook announced Thursday the release of its new social media program targeting attorneys and providing more streamlined legal filing services for its users. Lawyers on Facebook will now have the option to add a Serve & File tab to their Facebook homepage. Facebook believes the new addition will allow for an efficient way to keep track of legal case filings within the easy-to-manage confines of a social network account.

“Social media has made its way into almost every aspect of our lives. It’s about time Facebook started catering to lawyers,” said Mel Reveles, the Director of Internet and Technology for the Colorado Bar Association. “I believe the addition of the Facebook Serve & File tab will modernize our state’s litigation practices.”

Facebook tackled certain challenges in designing an interface that would allow users to log in and make public status updates or photo posts, while also providing protected access to confidential case pleadings. A user seeking to access

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page will take the user to his or her confidential Serve & File account. Like many other legal databases, five minutes of inactivity will automatically log the user out of Serve & File. Facebook reports that it stands wholeheartedly behind its security features and promises the Serve & File tab will receive enhanced protection; however, legal professionals aren’t so sure.

“I’ve had my Facebook account hacked into on several occasions. I would never subject my clients to the possibility of publicizing their legal affairs,” reported Ed Orton, a local Denver attorney who relies on Facebook to keep in contact with out-of-state friends and family but vows to never mix business with pleasure.

Colorado attorney JulieAnn Roberts agrees. “I use Facebook as a mindless reward at the end of my day or over my lunch hour. I couldn’t imagine a world that combines the formality and seriousness of legal pleadings with a website for college students to post photos of drunken frat parties.”

Well, believe it or not, it’s happening. Over the last several months, the Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto,

... the new addition will allow for an efficient way to keep track of legal case filings within the easy-tomanage confines of a social network account.”

Serve & File will be required to create a separate legal account within a Facebook account by providing the state of licensure, attorney registration number in that state, and social security number.

The authentication process takes a matter of seconds, and on approval, the user is prompted to create a username and password separate from the user’s Facebook login information.

Logging into Facebook does not automatically log a user into Serve & File, but simply clicking on a user’s Serve & File tab within that user’s Facebook

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Calif., have been abuzz with the details of the new project. Facebook flew in specialized IT professionals from overseas to facilitate the integration of the legal filing code, which Facebook purchased from an anonymous computer programmer for an undisclosed price. After weeks of intensive programming, the Serve & File project was deemed a success.

The new tab will debut on April 1 for Facebook lawyers located in New York, California, and Florida. Based on its anticipated success, Facebook plans a nationwide release of the Serve & File

tab on April 30.

“My parents always wanted me to go to law school,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the subject of the recent film “The Social Network,” one of the world’s youngest billionaires, and Time Magazine’s 2010 Person of the Year. “I loved computers too much to become a lawyer, but I hope this partnership between Facebook and the practice of law sends a message to my family that I respected their vision for my career. I will do everything I can to use social media to help ease the hectic lives of today’s attorneys.”

With roughly 500 million Facebook subscribers worldwide and an average user age of 44 years old, “it was only a matter of time until Facebook ventured into the legal arena,” remarked American Bar Association President Stephen N. Zack. “I commend Facebook not only for its cutting edge approach to case management and legal filings, but also for its willingness to branch into an industry primarily dominated by one company.”

Because Facebook is not a public company, the terms of the deal to purchase the underlying code will remain confidential. Professionals in the know, however, believe Facebook likely spent approximately $1.5 billion, from start to finish, to develop the Serve & File tab.

For an Internet empire worth more than $50 billion, the price of the deal was peanuts.

It would be prudent for professionals in other industries to acknowledge the recent Serve & File project and take steps to partner with Facebook before it becomes a competitor in their industries.

It won’t be long before Facebook is the one-stop-shop for everyone’s personal, as well as professional, online needs. D

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April 2011 I The Docket 9

A Very Strict Construction

by F r ank S chuch at

A

ll of Washington is abuzz about a ver y inf luential organization of conservative legal scholars who have been touting a concept they suggest could be “the biggest single engine for job creation in North America in 400 years.”

Their idea, first elaborated in a law review article and by now in op-eds, blogs, speeches, and on talk shows, starts with what everyone knows: millions and millions of Americans are out of work and are falling hopelessly behind on their mortgages, and millions more cash-starved Americans are just getting by because they are living off of highinterest credit cards. The truth is that few of these people will ever get ahead of their debts. Unless we find some other way for them to pay back what they owe, with interest, their inability to cover their arrears will cause terrible pain and suffering—for the management and shareholders of the very largest banks and other financial firms that derive substantial income from all this debt.

What the constitutional law experts propose is a return to the “original meaning” of the “punishment exception” in the Thirteenth Amendment. Most Americans, if they recall anything from studying the Reconstruction period in high school, will tell you that the Thirteenth Amendment, ratified in December 1865, outlawed slavery throughout the United States. But the conservative legal scholars have fixed their attention on the precise text of the amendment, and they argue it should be interpreted as it was

10 The Docket I April 2011

drafted, which gives it a more limited effect.

The Thirteenth Amendment reads, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or anyplace subject to their jurisdiction.”

Political pundits of all persuasions have noted that with Republicans running more state legislatures, this is the perfect time for banks to press them to enact laws that make it a crime for Americans to fail to pay their mortgages and all other forms of bank debt, with involuntary servitude as the standard sentence for the crime. (The proponents are careful to note that in this context, and only in this context, because corporations are not really persons, they should be able to avoid their debts without any adverse consequences for their officers and directors.)

A newly elected Republican senator received a standing ovation from a U.S. Chamber of Commerce audience when he told them that, given the large numbers of skilled workers and professionals eligible for the involuntary servitude program, the proposal could be “the key to reviving America’s manufacturing sector.”

One hedge fund

manager who bankrolled the rightof-center think tank that issued the proposal told a reporter, “All of those people with good educations and work experience who have been relaxing on their 99 weeks of unemployment, there is no reason they can’t report for work.

For example, at one of my houses, where they can clean the stables, mop the floors, and cut the lawns.”

When asked to comment, a White House spokesman said the administration does not intend to “get rolled” on this issue. He said they will insist that whatever process is used by the states to try, convict, and sentence struggling mortgage and credit card debtors must be “fair to all parties and constitutional.”

A high-level White House official, speaking off the record, drew a line in the sand when he warned that the procedures used to sentence people to involuntary servitude had better be “at least as good” as the ones the banks and the courts have been using for home foreclosures. D

2011–12 Governance The DBA Nominating Committee has prepared the following slate of nominees to hold office in 2011–2012.

The members of the Committee are Elsa Martinez Tenreiro, chair; John Baker; Gillian Bidgood; Ilene Bloom; James Breese; Stacy Carpenter; Paul Chessin; Nancy Cohen; Michelle Ferguson; Vicki Johnson; Dan Muse; and Meshach Rhoades.

President-elect–James G. Benjamin 1st Vice President–Hon. William W. Hood III 2nd Vice President–Lucia C. Padilla Trustees–Catherine A. Chan –Janet S. Drake –Andrew M. Toft Board of Governors–Donna Bakalor –D. A. Bertram –Jaclyn K. Casey –Thomas J. DeMarino –James G. Gaspich –Jerri L. Jenkins –Jonathan M. Lucero –D. Scott Martinez –Richard M. Murray –Jerremy M. Ramp –Siddhartha Rathod

Bylaw excerpts: 7-2-5 Any active, judiciary, or life member of the association may also be nominated for any office, except the office of president, by filing with the executive director a petition signed by at least 50 active, judiciary, life, or retired members of the association requesting placement on the election ballot and designating the office desired. Any such nominee for the office of second vice president must be 37 years of age or younger at the time he/she takes office. The form of such petition shall be made available by the Nominating Committee at the bar association office on or before April 10, and must be completed and received at the bar association office on or before 4:00 p.m., May 1.

7-2-6 If petitions for additional nominees are not received by May 1, the candidates nominated by the Nominating Committee are deemed elected and shall assume their respective offices as of the following July 1. If more than one person has been duly nominated for any office, an election by the members shall be conducted by the Nominating Committee for those contested offices.

April 2011 I The Docket 11

Meet the Bar Stars Dancers

Farbes

F

Johnson

our attorneys will be competing outside the courtroom at the Barristers Benefit Ball for a “Dancing with the Stars”-like competition. They will be paired with professional dancers and perform their own routine, going head-to-head in a dance-off, Dancing with the Bar Stars for MVL, at Barristers Benefit Ball. The ball will be held at the Grand Hyatt Denver on April 30. Tickets can be purchased at cobar.org/bball. The event benefits the Denver Bar Association’s Metro Volunteer Lawyers.

The Bar Stars Dancers spoke with The Docket about dancing, the competition, and Barristers. The Docket introduced readers to Cyndy Ciancio and John Moye in March. This month Hubert Farbes, Jr. and Vicki Johnson will talk about being Bar Stars Dancers. Read full interviews with all of the dancers online at denbar.org/docket. Help your favorite dancer get closer to winning and support MVL by donating to the dancer of your choice online at givingfirst.org/metro volunteerlawyers.

The Low-Down on the Dancers Hubert Farbes, Jr. is a shareholder at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. His work focuses on construction law, regulatory law, public utility law, and natural resource law, and he serves as chairman of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. From 1999 to 2000, Farbes served as DBA President.

Vicki Johnson is a partner at Davis Graham & Stubbs. She is in the trial group, practicing in complex commercial litigation, employee benefits and executive compensation litigation, and appellate matters. She serves as a DBA

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representative to the Colorado Bar Association Board of Governors.

Docket: Why did you want to be one of the dancing Bar Stars?

Farbes: The primary reason is that I was asked. As you know, I’ve been involved with the Bar for a long time, so I try to respond positively when asked.

But, I like to dance, so that’s part of the reason.

Johnson: I love the TV show “Dancing with the Stars,” and initially when they approached me I said no because I can’t dance at all. But I thought it sounded like something fun to do and a fun challenge. I think you always want to challenge yourself.

D: What do you think is your biggest challenge to overcome if you’re going to win?

Farbes: Well, frankly the challenge, I suspect, will be that there will be other people who are well known at the Bar and who other folks are looking forward to either throwing tomatoes at or cheering for. It will be a great challenge just because [John] Moye is on the program.

Johnson: It’s going to be the fact that I don’t really have that much dance experience, so I have a long way to go.

D: Do you think your lawyering skills will come in handy when you perform?

Farbes: Absolutely no lawyering skills will be involved. We’re going to be having fun dancing, and while there’s certainly some fun in my law practice, it’s not the level of fun that’s involved in dancing.

Johnson: I’m a very athletic person and I try to be active in my life, and I think that’s going to help most. As a lawyer, I’m a competitive person. I still think it’s preparation and lawyers work on a lot of preparation. I think that’s the skill I’m going to need.

D: How would you describe your dancing style and ability?

Farbes: I’m somebody who likes to dance and you’re either sort of good at it or you’re sort of bad at it, and I’ve

always been sort of good at it. We’ll see if a professional support group can’t even improve on that.

Johnson: I would say I’m really a beginner. [In high school I would take] tap and ballet, so I have some fundamentals, but it was so long ago. It was something that I always wanted to continue but I just never did.

D: “Dancing with the Stars” is known for some elaborate outfits.

What will you wear?

Farbes: Other than having already picked my hat – I’m a lover of hats, so I have a hat in mind – I don’t really have another outfit. We will try to make it consistent with our musical theme. It’s going to be a function of what I and my professional support come up with, but we’ll make it notable.

Johnson: I don’t know but I love clothes, so I’m very excited about the prospect. As soon as I figure out what my dance is going to be, I’m going to figure out what I’m going to wear. That is the most exciting part of it for me.

D: For those who haven’t bought their ticket to Barristers yet, why do you think they should come?

Farbes: Anyone who sees this performance by me will undoubtedly take the opportunity to remind me of it at inappropriate times. It’s a way to get great ammunition against your friends in the Bar. Come and find out how you can make fun of Moye for years in the future—and Farbes as well.

Johnson: I think that it adds a little competition element that the lawyers like. And, some of us might humiliate ourselves—maybe me. You get to see your favorite lawyers excel or stumble.

The competitors are really excited about it, so I think everybody is going to work hard and it will be really fun to watch.

Plus, our professional dancers are incredible. D Interviews conducted, condensed, and edited by Sara Crocker.

April 2011 I The Docket 13

Support Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Support the Community

by I lene Lin Bl o om

I

have been fortunate over the past few years to get involved with the Denver Bar Association’s legal aid program, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, also known as MVL. The last two cases I handled for MVL involved parents who were trying to obtain guardianship of a disabled adult child. In both cases, I had the opportunity not only to volunteer my time but also to mentor law students from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. These cases were their first exposure to the pro bono world, and it was exciting to see the students work together with the clients. It was especially gratifying when there was a favorable outcome.

MVL plays a vital role in providing access to justice in the Denver metro area. In 2010, MVL placed more than 1,400 cases with just over 420 volunteer lawyers. MVL helps the more vulnerable members of our communities with legal issues that affect their day-to-day existence, and it gives lawyers the oppor-

Attend Barristers Benefit Ball It’s going to be a fun-filled Saturday night downtown for a good cause! There will be a “Dancing with the Stars”-like dance competition featuring Cyndy Ciancio, Hubert Farbes, Jr., Vicki Johnson, and John Moye. Enjoy dinner, drinks, dancing, and good company,

14 The Docket I April 2011

tunity to help these people. I believe we have a special responsibility as lawyers to do this because no one else can help these people with their legal issues in times of trouble. Our specialized knowledge and skills as lawyers can have a tremendous impact on the life of someone who needs, but cannot pay for, legal representation.

This year, I am also co-chairing the committee organizing MVL’s biggest annual fundraiser: the Barristers Benefit Ball. It has been great fun co-chairing the committee this year with MaryBeth Sobel Schroeder. The theme for the ball is “Dancing with the Bar Stars for MVL.” The Barristers Benefit Ball directly benefits MVL because a large portion of its small budget is generated from the proceeds of the event. Attending the ball helps MVL maintain its staff and pay its operating expenses, both of which are vital to sustaining and expanding its capacity to serve our community and MVL volunteers. Please consider attending and donating!

MVL strives to help people with serious civil legal issues, including adoption, bankruptcy, conservatorships, consumer

“

ing problem, and volunteer attorneys can help them overcome what seem like insurmountable circumstances. The need for legal aid among the poor continues to increase. There has been inadequate funding for legal aid in Colorado for quite some time, and the crisis of unmet legal needs has, not surprisingly, been exacerbated by the recession.

Volunteering for MVL has been a positive experience in many ways. I think pro bono work is grounding because it directly impacts lives in a meaningful and lasting way. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are and pro bono cases are a tangible reminder. In addition, pro bono cases offer real opportunities for professional growth. For newer attorneys, pro bono cases may offer an opportunity to obtain valuable courtroom experience.

For experienced and retired attorneys, pro bono cases are an excellent way to put your accumulated skills to great use and achieve a rewarding sense of meaning later in one’s legal career. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard attorneys, after handling a pro bono case for the first time, say, “Now I really feel like

I think pro bono work is grounding because it directly impacts lives in a meaningful and lasting way.”

debt, family law, estate planning, guardianships, immigration, landlord–tenant issues, probate, real estate, tax, and tort defense. People who come to MVL for help are in the midst of a life chang-

a lawyer.” When doing pro bono work, you are serving as a role model for your profession and for the community.

I encourage people who practice outside of MVL’s practice areas but who are

all to increase the availability of legal services for those in need and to expand access to justice.

Tickets are $3,250 for a Patron Table for 10 guests (includes recognition in the dinner program); $1,625 for Half Patron Table; $275 for Patron Tickets (includes recognition in the dinner program); $165 for Individual Tickets; $120

for Judicial Tickets; $100 for Young Lawyer and Non-Lawyer Tickets; $60 for Students. Raffle tickets are also available for $10 per ticket.

Tickets are available at cobar.org/ bball. For more information about the ball, please contact Dana Collier Smith at dcolliersmith@cobar.org or (303) 8245318.

interested in MVL to jump right in! I personally think that working outside my comfort zone has made me a better lawyer, and the chance to do something different is a positive thing. I promise that volunteers are not thrown to the wolves. MVL offers training and very solid support and guidance from more experienced attorneys in any subject area. I have often used a mentor on my MVL cases and they have been excellent.

MVL is just one of several amazing organizations in Denver that offers pro bono legal opportunities. Pro bono service is an individual endeavor and it is important to find the type of case that engages you. I would encourage potential volunteers to speak with a variety of organizations before deciding on a pro bono project. MVL works closely with Colorado Legal Services, which has a variety of opportunities, as well.

In addition, the DBA Access to Justice Committee and the Colorado Access to Justice Commission can provide ideas and a wide variety of volunteer opportunities. I hope all lawyers will consider handling a pro bono matter. Imagine what could be done if more lawyers volunteered to take pro bono cases. D Ilene Lin Bloom is a sole practitioner in Denver. She is President-Elect of the Denver Bar Association and is a member of the DBA Access to Justice Committee and the Colorado Access to Justice Commission.

Interested in pro bono? Find out more about MVL at metrovolunteerlawyers. org. For more about the DBA Access to Justice Committee, contact staff liaison Carolyn Gravit at cgravit@cobar.org.

For more about Colorado Legal Services, visit coloradolegalservices.org. For more about the Colorado Access to Justice Commission, contact staff liaison Jill Lafrenz at jlafrenz@cobar.org.

It’s Monday, the First Day of the Rest of Your Life.

Too bad last Friday was the last day to file the Bergstrom motion.

Did you know that missing deadlines continues to be one of the most common mistakes leading to malpractice claims? The failure to file a document is the second most common alleged error and the failure to calendar properly was the fifth most common mistake leading to a malpractice claim*. A dual calendaring system which includes a firm or team networked calendar should be used by every member of your firm.

At Minnesota Lawyers Mutual we don’t just sell you a policy. We work hard to give you the tools and knowledge necessary to reduce your risk of a malpractice claim. We invite you to give us a call at 800-422-1370 or go online at www.mlmins.com and find out for yourself what we mean when we say, “Protecting your practice is our policy.”

R

Protecting Your Practice is Our Policy.

800.422.1370

www.mylawyersmutual.com

www.mlmins.com

* American Bar Association Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability. (2008).

Profile of Legal Malpractice Claims, 2004-2007. Chicago, IL: Haskins, Paul and Ewins, Kathleen Marie.

April 2011 I The Docket 15

Life - Denver Docket 2011

Lawline 9 Celebrates 18 years

L

awline 9 at 9News continues to be a popular community program receiving more than 7,500 calls received last year. We are celebrating our 18th year of service to the public.

“9News is honored to host Lawline 9 every Wednesday afternoon from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Some of our viewers have called for years. They have received legal information from the time they got married, bought a house, divorced, and then needed child support information,” said Lawline 9 liaison Ann King. “That’s a great deal for our viewers! They are grateful.”

Lawline 9 topics include general law, family law, probate, accidents/injuries, real estate, employment, litigation, criminal law, bankruptcy, social security/ disability, and immigration. A special thanks to our reserve night groups: the Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Child Support Enforcement Agency, Colorado Defense Lawyers, Colorado Women’s Bar Association, DBA Board of Trustees, Hispanic Bar Association, Metropolitan Referral Service, Notre Dame alumni, Qwest, Real Estate Section, Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center, and Sam Cary Bar Association.

We would like to honor Art Frazin, who was a loyal Lawline 9 volunteer for the last 18 years. We are saddened to hear of his passing on Dec. 25, 2010.

“Art joined us when we started Lawline 9 in February 1992,” King said. “He was a faithful and frequent volunteer for years.

Art always had a twinkle in his eye and a wonderful sense of humor that came through to all our callers. We miss him very much.”

If you are interested in volunteering for Lawline 9, please contact Meghan Bush at mbush@cobar.org. Thank you to the following attorneys that make this program successful: Aaron Clarke Hall, Abel G. Alvarado, Alexandra C. Nowakowski, Alice K. Mansfield, Alison L. Daniels, Alison T.

16 The Docket I April 2011

Dodson, Allan Tang, Amado L. C r u z , A m y J. Costello, Amy Robertson, Andra Zeppelin, Andrea D. Bishop Dalton, Andrea L. Blanscet, Andrew G. Oh-Willeke, Andrew M. Newcomb, Angela M. Compton (Kelley), Anthony J. Viorst, April D. Jones, Ari B. Gould, Arlene Barringer, Arthur 9News’ Kim Christiansen and Mark Koebrich.

M. Frazin, Arthur T. DiMeo, Asher B. Ritmiller, Aubrey L. J. Peros, Elsa T. Martinez Tenreiro, Eric Ardema, Barbara L. Roberts, Barrie G. Driskell, Eric Nunemaker, Eric R. CoakSullivan II, Bennett Braverman, Beth L. ley, Erica M. Longnecker, Erika L. Krulewitch, Bradford J. Lam, Bradley D. Alverson, Frances Chalem Fontana, Hill, Bradley P. Burnett, Bradley Shefrin, George M. Straw, Gina B. Hardin, Greg Brent M. Martin, Bret J. Roundy, Brian Kilcoyne, Gregory A. Jacobsen, Gregory A. Murphy, Brian Budman, Brian R. C. Roth, Gretchen Olson. Hannah Boney, Brian S. Popp, Bruce C. Bernstein, Wanebo, Heather A. Salg, Heather A. Bruce J. Pederson, Bryon M. Large, BryWeckbaugh, Heidi B. Jason, Henry M. ony J. Heise. Carl Glatstein, Carmen N. Kohnlein, Hubert A. Farbes, Jr., Hugh S. Decker, Carol Ann McConville, Carolyn Pixler, Ian L. Saffer, Ida E. Escobedo-BetMitchell, Carolynne C. White, Catherine son, Jaimee Reed, James D. Evans, James A. Chan, Chad P. Hemmat, Charles B. E. Pansing, James F. Carr, James L. Aab, Darrah, Charles C. Turner, Charles L. James M. Meseck, James N. Thomaidis, Peters, Charles P. Kersch, Charlie Garcia, James Ryan Kirchoff, Janet L. Frickey, Christian D. Hammond, Christine Janet R. Spies, Janis Oglesby, Jay J. Choi, Bartlett, Christine C. Barr, Christine P. Jayme B. Ritchie, Jeffrey C. Ruebel, JefSearls, Christopher D. Reiss, Christopher frey D. Joseph, Jeffrey L. Lamb, Jenna L. K. Miller, Christopher M. Leh, Clayton B. Mazzucca, Jennifer A. Kain-Rios, JenniRussell, Clifford E. Eley, Cole A. Wist, fer C. Rowe, Jennifer McGinn, Jennifer Constance B. Wood, Craig C. Eley, CynWilliams, Jereme L. Baker, Jerold R. Gilthia D. Mares, Cynthia E. Wellbrock, D. B. b e r t , Je r re W. D i x o n , Je s s e C .

Woods, D. T. Varnadore, Dale A. Gaar, Aschenberg, Jessica Brown, Jill D. Allen, Dani R. Newsum, Daniel M. Murphy, Joan E. Smith, Joan M. Thomas, Joanne Daniel R. Wingler, Dart M. Winkler, C. Crebassa, Joanne Herlihy, Joel AnderDavid A. Simmental, David A. Sprecace, son, Joel S. Judd, John D. Coaty, John E. David C. Uhlig, David I. Levy, David J. FitzGibbons, John H. Licht, John M. Tappeiner, David L. Miller, David M. Connell, John Sbarbaro, John T. Baker, Gibans, David N. Simmons, David N. Jon S. Nicholls, Jordan Hochstadt, JorSutton, Don D. Jacobson, Douglas A. Stedan S. Levine, Jose A. Ramirez, Joseph vens, Douglas J. Gilbert, Edward Imatani, Davies, Joseph Gren, Judith M. FiresElisa Weselis, Elizabeth J. Paul, Elizabeth tone, Julie E. Anderson, Julio A. A.

Thank You, Volunteers Zamagni, Karen A. Burns, Karen B. Best, Karen H. Wheeler, Karen Kruse, Karen L. Spaulding, Karen S. Jones, Kate Silburn, Katherine E. McClure, Katherine F. Karuschkat, Katherine Jenkins, Kathleen A. Boland, Kathleen W. Robinson, Katie McClure, Keith A. Robinson, Kelly R. Lusk, Kenneth A. Diamond, Kenneth L. Levinson, Kenneth R. Lampton, Jr., Kent R. Olson, Kerry A. Schalders, Kevin J. Kuhn, Kim Laakso, Kimberly N. Ruddell, Kip David Barrash, Kristal L. Bernert, JD CPA, Kristen Weisse, Kristin A. Perkins, Kristina J. Vasold, Larry S. Pozner, Esq., Laura A. Tighe, Laura B. Alms, Laura J. Riese, Laura L. Luth, Laurel L. Burke, Lauren B. Saine, Laurin D. Quiat, Lea M. Giarrusso, Leah B. Jensen, Lee Freedman, Leia G. Ursery, Leo Wotan, Leslie Kelly, Linda Sommers, Lisa K. Shimel, Lisa M. Covington, Lori A. Beck, Lorni Fenton Sharrow, Luan K. Tran, Lyndsey Richard, M. C. Bresee, Megan Yahr, Mandy F. Yick, Marco D. Chayet, Marcy Carroll, Margaret S. Choi, Mari W. Deminski, Marian L. Lee, Marianne K. Lizza-Irwin, Mark A. Fogg, Mark Berry, Mark D. Chapleau, Mark D. Masters, Mark E. Nolan, Mark H. Boscoe, Mark S. Bove, Marlin W. Burke, Mary E. Jeffers, Mary E. Rayment, Mary Jo Gross, Mary V. Kiernan, Matthew Barringer, Matthew C. Gizzi, Matthew R. Nyberg, Matthew S. McKinney, Maureen E. Eldredge, Maya W. Wilbourn, Megan F. Costello, Megan Yahr, Melanie Stickler, Melissa K .

Thompson, Melissa R. Schwartz, Merrie M. Kippur, Michael H. Kaplan, Michael J. Belo, Michael J. Mirabella, Michael J. Sawyer, Michael R. Lawrence, Michael R. Strand, Michael S. Krieger, Michael Stiff, Michael T. Krueger, Michael V. Suchoparek, Michael W. Millington, Michael W. Sutherland, Michael W. Walker, Michelle Adams, Michelle B. Ferguson, Michelle M. Lucero, Miles Cabral, Milo N. Gonser, Monica E. Brion, Nancy D. Miller, Nancy L . Peterson, Neil D. O’Toole, Nick McGrath, Nina H. Kazazian, Oliver E. Frascona, Pascal C. Schunk, Patricia L.

Wells, Patrick J. Pfaltzgraff, Philipp C. Theune, Phyllis A. Roestenberg, Rachelle L. Calahan, Raghu Nandan, Randall M. Livingston, Rebecca A. Pescador, Rebecca B. Aldrich, Rebecca B. Winters, Rebecca R. Wiggins, Richard D. Crabtree, Richard G. McManus, Jr., Richard L. Johnson, Richard L. Susman, Richard M. Foster, Jr., Richard M. Krumbein, Richard Mishkin, Richard Rotole, Robert A. Brovege, Jr., Robert B. Pavelko, Robert Beattie, Robert K. Gruber, Robert N. Trigg, Robert Wareham, Ron Lev, Ronald D. Litvak, Ronald R. Stowell, Roseann Murray, Russell G. Gamble, Ruth P. Bolas, Sally J. Maresh, Samuel J. Owen, Sasha Kurbegov, Scott H. Robinson, Scott J. Eldredge, Sean C. Bell, Seth Katz, Sharon W. Grossenbach, Shawn McDermott, Sheldon E. Friedman, Sonja A. Becker, Stanton D. Rosenbaum, Stephen E. Berken, Stephen J. Orzynski, Stephen L. Brown, Stephen S. Chang, Steven A. Shapiro, Steven Warden, Sue E. Weiske, Susan B. Price, Susan J. Eckert, Susan L. Harmon, Sylvia V. Kirk, Tamika Palmer, Teresa A. Marra, Teresa H. Abbott, Teresa M. Garcia, Terrence Burke, Terri L. Rithner, Terry J. Ploski, Thomas A. Rodriguez, Thomas C. Thrush, Thomas R. Ripp, Timothy Fox, Timothy Schimberg, Tod E. Fitzke, Todd J. Narum, Valeri Pappas, Walter M. Kelly II, William F. Burns, William H. Haring, William H. O’Rourke, William H. Van Horn, William Hudgins, William L. Bromberg, William M. Silberstein, and William T. O’Connell III. Mark E. Nolan, Mark H. Boscoe, Mark S. Bove, Marlin W. Burke, Mary E. Jeffers, Mary E. Rayment, Mary Jo Gross, Mary V. Kiernan, Matthew Barringer, Matthew C. Gizzi, Matthew R. Nyberg, Matthew S. McKinney, Maureen E. Eldredge, Maya W. Wilbourn, Megan F. Costello, Megan Yahr, Melanie Stickler, Melissa K .

Thompson, Melissa R. Schwartz, Merrie M. Kippur, Michael H. Kaplan, Michael J. Belo, Michael J. Mirabella, Michael J. Sawyer, Michael R. Lawrence, Michael R. Strand, Michael S. Krieger, Michael Stiff,

Michael T. Krueger, Michael V. Suchoparek, Michael W. Millington, Michael W. Sutherland, Michael W. Walker, Michelle Adams, Michelle B. Ferguson, Michelle M. Lucero, Miles Cabral, Milo N. Gonser, Monica E. Brion, Nancy D. Miller, Nancy L . Peterson, Neil D. O’Toole, Nick McGrath, Nina H. Kazazian, Oliver E. Frascona, Pascal C. Schunk, Patricia L. Wells, Patrick J. Pfaltzgraff, Philipp C. Theune, Phyllis A. Roestenberg, Rachelle L. Calahan, Raghu Nandan, Randall M. Livingston, Rebecca A. Pescador, Rebecca B. Aldrich, Rebecca B. Winters, Rebecca R. Wiggins, Richard D. Crabtree, Richard G. McManus, Jr., Richard L. Johnson, Richard L. Susman, Richard M. Foster, Jr., Richard M. Krumbein, Richard Mishkin, Richard Rotole, Robert A. Brovege, Jr., Robert B. Pavelko, Robert Beattie, Robert K. Gruber, Robert N. Trigg, Robert Wareham, Ron Lev, Ronald D. Litvak, Ronald R. Stowell, Roseann Murray, Russell G. Gamble, Ruth P. Bolas, Sally J. Maresh, Samuel J. Owen, Sasha Kurbegov, Scott H. Robinson, Scott J. Eldredge, Sean C. Bell, Seth Katz, Sharon W. Grossenbach, Shawn McDermott, Sheldon E. Friedman, Sonja A. Becker, Stanton D. Rosenbaum, Stephen E. Berken, Stephen J. Orzynski, Stephen L. Brown, Stephen S. Chang, Steven A. Shapiro, Steven Warden, Sue E. Weiske, Susan B. Price, Susan J. Eckert, Susan L. Harmon, Sylvia V. Kirk, Tamika Palmer, Teresa A. Marra, Teresa H. Abbott, Teresa M. Garcia, Terrence Burke, Terri L. Rithner, Terry J. Ploski, Thomas A. Rodriguez, Thomas C. Thrush, Thomas R. Ripp, Timothy Fox, Timothy Schimberg, Tod E. Fitzke, Todd J. Narum, Valeri Pappas, Walter M. Kelly II, William F. Burns, William H. Haring, William H. O’Rourke, William H. Van Horn, William Hudgins, William L. Bromberg, William M. Silberstein, and William T. O’Connell III. D

April 2011 I The Docket 17

The Great Bear

GR8 BEAR COLORADO

by Dav id L . E rick s on

I

remember when I got my first cell phone. A special deal was offered to those in our firm and I signed up. The phone rep then came by our offices and asked me if there was any special phone number I’d like to have. I told him I hadn’t thought about it, but since I lived on Bear Mountain, if there was a number that had “BEAR” in it, that it would be nice.

When the phone arrived, I found the number assigned was 478-2327, or for those of you who like to do letter-tonumber conversions, it was GR8BEAR. Pretty cool, I thought!

Not long after that, I went into the Division of Motor Vehicles to order license plates for my Jeep. When the clerk asked me if I’d like to have personalized plates, I told her I hadn’t thought about it, but if they had GR8BEAR available, I’d get that. It was, so my car now had GR8BEAR plates.

Next, I had a problem with our water well. The state permit showed it was a quarter of a mile away, so I needed to file a corrected description with the State Engineer’s Office. While talking with the clerk at the counter, she began filling out the proper forms to make the change.

When she asked for the name of my well I told her I didn’t know wells could have names, but as long as they could, I’d name it the GREAT BEAR WELL. Next, I needed to form a new

18 The Docket I April 2011

entity, the plan being to use it for investments. So, I went to the Secretary of State’s Office and asked if the name G8BEAR was available for a business name. When they said it was, I formed an entity in that name. Just to make sure I was fully covered, I also filed on Great Bear as a trade name for the entity.

Things were going along just fine at this point, as I seemed to have cornered the “Great Bear” name in this state. The license plates continued to draw comments, though some being kind of snide, no doubt due to their jealousy over my designation.

A couple of years later, I was in Rawlins, Wyo., with my wife and we stopped to get something to eat. I was standing next to my Jeep with the GR8BE A R plates when two cowboys approached. I don’t know if they were really cowboys but I do know this: they were a heck of lot bigger than I am and they were wearing blue jeans, cowboy boots , and cow boy hats, and had

on those shirts with the fancy cowboy stitching and little pearly snap buttons.

They sure looked like cowboys to me.

So, one of them came up real close to me, which made me kind of nervous, and said in a kind of accusatory tone: “You Great Bear?”

“Yep!” I replied, “and this is Little Bear,” motioning toward my wife with my thumb.

They just laughed and walked off.

The next time I bought a car I didn’t renew my GR8BEAR license plate. So, I guess someone else is the new GR8BEAR in this state, along with all the honors and recognition that pertains to it. Now, I’m just plain old 079-KMG. Maybe that better fits my personality anyway. D

Top 10 Reasons Your Firm Should Play Lawyers’ League Softball 7. Be a part of history. I’ve been league commissioner for nearly 20 years, and I have contacted the last two commissioners before me. Nobody can even remember when the league began, thus if you join you can be part of something where “the memory of man runneth not to the contrary.”

by Ja ck Tanne r

10. Have fun. Let’s face it: slow-pitch, co-ed softball in a relaxed league (there are no umpires, and balls and strikes are not called) is simply fun. It’s way less frustrating than golf and there are more cardio benefits. And you might get a cool trophy at season’s end.

9. Have fun with others at your office. You don’t have to be a lawyer to play in the Lawyers’ League, so it is a great way to bond with the rest of your office.

8. Get out of the office on the weekend. Not that you should need an excuse to get out of the office on the weekend, but it is nice to have a built-in one if you do. Games are finished on Saturday by about lunch time, so you have the rest of the weekend to work if you really have to.

6. Have fun with clients. Did you know being up with two on and two out is a marketing moment? Well, it can be (especially if you come through with a hit). I guarantee you that if your client spends 90 minutes playing softball, drinking adult beverages, and generally having a good time on Saturday, that client will call you first when a legal need arises on Tuesday.

5. Save a life. I grew up on the Gulf Coast and was a lifeguard from seventh grade through law school, but never once actually saved anybody. Playing softball in the Lawyers’ League, however, I once used CPR to help revive a guy who had been struck by lightning.

4. Have fun with your family. Bring your kids (or grandkids, or parents, or distant relatives, or dog) and have a good time as a family. One of my favorite

things about this league is that it is one of the few things my teenage son and I do together.

3. Bond with other members of the Bar. Even if you don’t like how a fellow litigator acts during discovery, that same litigator can be a peach on the softball field. If not, it’s always more incentive to play hard for a win.

2. It’s cheap! Because we play days (and therefore on an unlighted field) and have no umpires, the field fees are nominal.

The cost is only a few hundred bucks per team for the entire summer.

1. You’ll be doing a service to the Bar. If I get enough teams to play this year, I won’t have to try to drum up more next year, and no one will have to read another article from me in next April’s issue of The Docket. D DBA Lawyers’ League Softball kicks off on June 4 and runs through Aug. 13. Games are played at Cranmer Park at 1st Avenue and Bellaire Street. Cost varies depending on the number of teams in the league. For more information about Lawyers’ League Softball or to sign up a team, contact Jack Tanner at jtanner@fwlaw.com.

April 2011 I The Docket 19

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20 The Docket I April 2011

J.D. A 17th c

Leslie M. Lawson Federico C. Alvarez

o Justic ss t e ce

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Daniel C. Himelspach Janis Y. Cella

Men’s and Women’s Tech shirts and age grouped medals

For more information, visit www.seanmaymemorialrun.org Sponsored by Access to Justice Committee and the 17th Judicial District/ Adams Broomfield County Bar Association

April 2011 I The Docket 21

ERRATA TO THE

2011 COLORADO

LEGAL DIRECTORY The 2011 Colorado Legal Directory was published in November 2010.

This addendum lists attorneys and firms whose information was published incorrectly.

Listing information that has changed since publication will be included in the 2012 directory to be published this fall.

ATTORNEY LISTINGS Aguero, Matthew #40405 …..................… 303-933-4529 Cohen & Cohen PC 1720 South Bellaire St Ste 205 Denver CO 80222 Fax: 866-230-8268 www.cohenlawyers.com maguero@cohenlawyers.com Ausmus, Christy K #22266 ……............… 303-694-4248 Ausmus Law Firm PC 6400 S Fiddlers Green Cir Ste 100 Greenwood Vlg CO 80111 Fax: 303-694-4956 www.ausmuslaw.com Ausmus, Joseph A #22267 ……............... 303-694-4248 Ausmus Law Firm PC 6400 S Fiddlers Green Cir Ste 100 Greenwood Vlg CO 80111 Fax: 303-694-4956 www.ausmuslaw.com andy@ausmuslaw.com Bennett, Stuart N #5682 …….................... 303-573-1600 Jones & Keller PC 1999 Broadway Ste 3150 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 303-573-8133 www.joneskeller.com sbennett@joneskeller.com Bushell, Bette #23949 ….......................... 303-940-8888 Bushell Law LLC 5310 Ward Rd Ste 102 Arvada CO 80002 Fax: 303-970-8889 bkbesq@ecentral.com www.bushell-law.com Christopher, Anna #41399 ….................... 303-894-8191 Alperstein & Covell PC 1600 Broadway Ste 2350 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 303-861-0420 anna@alpersteincovell.com Cohen, Robertson B #35252 ….............… 303-933-4529 Cohen & Cohen PC 1720 South Bellaire St Ste 205 Denver CO 80222 Fax: 866-230-8268 www.cohenlawyers.com 22rcohen@cohenlawyers.com The Docket I April 2011

DeHoff, Stephen M #39952 ……................. 720-904-6009 Friesen Lamb LLP 1675 Larimer St Ste 675 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 720-904-6006 sdehoff@friesenlamb.com

Ingraham, James F #13675 ….................. 303-320-0023 Stiff, Zisman and Ingraham PC 3773 Cherry Creek N Dr Ste 650 Denver CO 80209 Fax: 303-320-0034 jingraham@szilawfirm.com

Doremus, Jeanne C #20779 ……...........…. 970-920-3446 418 E Cooper Ave Ste 203 Aspen CO 81611 Fax: 970-925-6388 jeanne@jdoremuslaw.com

Keithley, R Livingston #35786 …............... 720-236-1800 Kelly, Stacy & Rita LLC 1401 17th St Ste 925 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 720-236-1799 www.kellystacylaw.com lkeithley@kellystacylaw.com

Duettra, Jennifer D #35960 …..................… 303-991-8000 Thompson & Thompson LLC 4100 E Mississippi Ave Ste 1800 Denver CO 80246 Fax: 303-991-8001 www.thompsonlawco.com jennifer@thompsonlawco.com England, Teresa #9881 …........................... 720-264-8730 First American Title Ins Co 8310 S Valley Hwy Ste 130 Englewood CO 80112 Fax: 720-264-8800 tengland@firstam.com Friesen, Daniel E #14087 …...................… 720-904-6012 Friesen Lamb LLP 1675 Larimer St Ste 675 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 720-904-6006 dfriesen@friesenlamb.com Gama, Richard #36875 .............................. 303-691-5222 The Law Firm of William Babich LLC 1873 S Bellaire St Ste 1125 Denver CO 80222 Fax: 303-691-5136 Guy, Georgina #14450 ..........................….. 303-623-3197 Squire, Sanders & Dempsey (US) LLP Hudson’s Bay Centre 1600 Stout St Ste 500 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 303-623-3442 www.ssd.com georgina.guy@ssd.com Henderson, Shannon M #34265 …........…. 720-904-6035 Friesen Lamb LLP 1675 Larimer St Ste 675 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 720-904-6006 shenderson@friesenlamb.com

Kelly, Megan E #40263 …......................... 303-956-3129 1940 W 36th Ave Denver CO 80211 kelly.megan.e@gmail.com Khan, Muliha A, Esq #39727 …................. 303-725-7002 954 Spruce Court Denver CO 80230 mulihakhan@gmail.com Laff, Barbara Weil #15005….................… 303-623-2700 Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe PC 1675 Broadway Ste 2600 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 303-623-2062 blaff@irelandstapleton.com Lamb, Christine K #30326 ….................… 720-904-6037 Friesen Lamb LLP 1675 Larimer St Ste 675 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 720-904-6006 clamb@friesenlamb.com Litt, Martin D #23716 …........................…. 303-296-3006 Intrepid Potash Inc 707 17th St Ste 4200 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 303-298-7502 martin.litt@intrepidpotash.com Livedalen, Kristi J #22187 …….........……. 303-623-3052 Squire, Sanders & Dempsey (US) LLP Hudson’s Bay Centre 1600 Stout St Ste 500 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 303-623-3442 www.ssd.com Kristi.Livedalen@ssd.com

ATTORNEY LISTINGS CONTINUED McCarthy, Tricia #31029 …...................… 303-694-4248 Ausmus Law Firm PC 6400 S Fiddlers Green Cir Ste 100 Greenwood Vlg CO 80111 Fax: 303-694-4956 www.ausmuslaw.com Miller, Charles A #5841 ….............................. 303-861-1200 Stutz, Miller & Urtz LLC 1660 Lincoln St Ste 2850 Denver CO 80264 Fax: 303-830-0115 www.stutzmillerurtz.com cam@stutzmillerurtz.com Mong, Daniel #38189 …................................ 303-320-0023 Stiff, Zisman and Ingraham PC 3773 Cherry Creek N Dr Ste 650 Denver CO 80209 Fax: 303-320-0034 dmong@szilawfirm.com Murphy, Daniel #25507 …….......................... 303-318-7181 217 E 7th Ave Denver CO 80203 Murphy, Seth #28768 …................................ 970-668-0176 Richmond, Sprouse & Murphy LLC 620 Main St Frisco CO 80443 Fax: 970-668-3757 sethm@friscolawyers.com friscolawyers.com Palmer, Tamika M #42046 …........................ 303-357-3260 The Law Office of TM Palmer LLC 7900 E Union Ave Ste 1100 Denver CO 80237 Fax: 303-843-9111 www.tmpalmerlaw.com tmpalmer@tmpalmerlaw.com Pixler, Hugh #17006 ….............................… 303-413-3464 Law Office of Hugh Pixler LLC 1942 Broadway Ste 314 Boulder CO 80302 Sandquist, Ronda L #9944 ………............… 303-623-1317 Squire, Sanders & Dempsey (US) LLP Hudson’s Bay Centre 1600 Stout St Ste 500 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 303-623-3442 www.ssd.com Ronda.Sandquist@ssd.com Sargent, Stuart S, Esq #32512 ….............… 303-771-1148 8480 E Orchard Rd Ste 1300 Greenwood Vlg CO 80111 Fax: 303-779-0466 www.sargentestateplanning.com info@sargentestateplanning.com Stiff, Michael R #26269 …............................ 303-320-0023 Stiff, Zisman and Ingraham PC 3773 Cherry Creek N Dr Ste 650 Denver CO 80209 Fax: 303-320-0034 mstiff@szilawfirm.com Stutz, Gregory R, #3624 …......................…. 303-861-1200 Stutz, Miller & Urtz LLC 1660 Lincoln St Ste 2850 Denver CO 80264 Fax: 303-830-0115 www.stutzmillerurtz.com rgstutz@earthlink.net

COLORADO COURTS AND OFFICES Tasker, Thomas G #11556 ……….............. 303-926-4930 Tasker Law Firm LLC 357 S McCaslin Blvd Ste 225 Louisville CO 80027 Fax: 303-926-4931 ttasker@taskerlawfirm.com Thompson, James R #16241 ..................... 303-991-8000 Thompson & Thompson LLC 4100 E Mississippi Ave Ste 1800 Denver CO 80246 Fax: 303-991-8001 www.thompsonlawco.com jim@thompsonlawco.com Tiftickjian, Suzanna Wasito #31092 …...… 303-991-4676 Suzanna Wasito Tiftickjian LLC 155 S Madison St Ste 324 Denver CO 80209 Fax: 303-333-4066 Urtz, Paul G #14339 …..........................… 303-861-1200 Stutz, Miller & Urtz LLC 1660 Lincoln St Ste 2850 Denver CO 80264 Fax: 303-830-0115 www.stutzmillerurtz.com paulurtz@stutzmillerurtz.com Vargas, Erica #37315 ….........................… 303-933-4529 Cohen & Cohen PC 1720 South Bellaire St Ste 205 Denver CO 80222 Fax: 866-230-8268 www.cohenlawyers.com evargas@cohenlawyers.com Walsh, Jeffrey M #33762 …..................…. 720-904-6005 Friesen Lamb LLP 1675 Larimer St Ste 675 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 720-904-6006 jwalsh@friesenlamb.com Zisman, Sanford #2355 …......................... 303-320-0023 Stiff, Zisman and Ingraham PC 3773 Cherry Creek N Dr Ste 650 Denver CO 80209 Fax: 303-320-0034 szisman@szilawfirm.com

FIRM LISTINGS

Office of the Colorado Attorney General 1525 Sherman St 7th Fl ….......................... 303-866-4500 Denver CO 80203 www.ago.state.co.us/index.cfm Fax: 303-866-4745

State Services Section 303-866-5380 1525 Sherman St 7th Fl Denver CO 80203 Fax: 303-866-5671

Education - Board & Higer Education Unit 303-866-5680 Fax: 303-866-5671 DPA Contracts/PERA -Dept of Personnel Unit 303-866-5227 Fax: 303-866-5671 HIPAA Unit 303-866-5437 Fax: 303-866-5671 Labor & Employment 303-866-5227 Fax: 303-866-5671 Human Services Unit 303-866-5228 Fax: 303-866-5671 Human Services Unit - Pueblo Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo 1600 W 24th St Pueblo CO 81003 719-546-4447 Medicaid & Public Assistance Unit 303-866-5660 Fax: 303-866-5671 Public Officials Unit 303-866-5380 Fax: 303-866-5671 Public Utilities Commission Unit 303-866-5380 Fax: 303-866-5671

Friesen Lamb LLP ….............................…. 720-904-6000 1675 Larimer St Ste 675 Denver CO 80202 Fax: 720-904-6006 Sparkman + Foote LLP ….......................... 303-396-0240 1616 17th St Ste 564 Denver CO 80202 www.sparkmanfoote.com Stutz, Miller & Urtz LLC …......................… 303-861-1200 1660 Lincoln St Ste 2850 Denver CO 80264 Fax: 303-830-0115 www.stutzmillerurtz.com Thompson & Thompson LLC …................. 303-991-8000 4100 E Mississippi Ave Ste 1800 Denver CO 80246 Fax: 303-991-8001 www.thompsonlawco.com info@thompsonlawco.com

April 2011 I The Docket 23

Denver Bar Association CLE Upcoming Programs

MARK YOUR

CALENDAR! April 1

Highly Contested Issues in Wrongful Death Litigation — Submitted for 7 General Credits (video replay in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs & Denver)

April 1

Juvenile Law Update — Submitted for 7 General Credits, including 1 Ethics (live in Denver/webcast)

April 4

Privileges and Confidentiality — Submitted for 1 General Credit, including 1 Ethics (live in Denver/webcast)

April 6

Practicing With Professionalism — Submitted for 6 General Credits (video replay in Denver)

April 7

Workers’ Compensation Spring Update — Submitted for 6 General Credits, including 1 Ethics (video replay in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs & Denver)

April 8

A Crash Course in Motor Accident Law 2011 — Submitted for 7 General Credits, including 1 Ethics (live in Denver/webcast)

April 12

Partnership Capital Accounts: Level I — Submitted for 3 General Credits (live in Denver/webcast)

April 13 Crafting a Winning Story for the Judge and Jury — Submitted for 3 General Credits (live in Denver/webcast) April 13

Public Projects: Advanced Real Estate Issues — Submitted for 7 General Credits (video replay in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs & Denver)

April 14

The Nuts and Bolts of Disposition Practice — Submitted for 4 General Credits (video replay in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs & Denver)

April 14

How to Shrink Lawyer Receivables — Submitted for 3 General Credits, including .5 Ethics (live in Denver/webcast)

April 14

Examining Experts at Disposition and Trial — Submitted for 4 General Credits (video replay in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs & Denver)

Colorado Bar Association CLE

April 15

Medical Evidence Made Simple: Finding It, Understanding It, Using It — Submitted for 4 General Credits (video replay in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs & Denver)

April 15

Examining Doctors at Disposition and Trial — Submitted for 4 General Credits (video replay in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs & Denver)

April 19

Partnership Capital Accounts: Level II — Submitted for 3 General Credits (live in Denver/webcast)

April 19

Drug, Sobriety, and Mental Health Courts — Colorado’s New Problem Solving Courts — Submitted for 7 General Credits (video replay in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs & Denver)

April 20

Juvenile Law Update — Submitted for 7 General Credits, including 1 Ethics (video replay in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs & Denver)

April 21

Practicing Immigration Law in the Absence of Comprehensive Immigration Reform — Submitted for 6 General Credits (live in Denver/webcast)

April 25

Greening Your Practice: A Primer on Sustainable Development — Submitted for 1 General Credit (live in Denver/webcast)

April 26

Partnership Capital Accounts: Level III — Submitted for 3 General Credits (live in Denver/webcast)

April 28

A Primer on Advising Nonprofit Organizations — Submitted for 4 General Credits (live in Denver/webcast)

April 29

20th Annual Institute on Advising Nonprofit Organizations in Colorado — Submitted for 8 General Credits (live in Denver/webcast)

For a complete listing of programs in April, please go to www.cobar.org/cle.

1900 Grant St., Suite 300, Denver, CO 80203-4303 Phone: 303-860-0608 • Toll-Free: 888-860-2531 • Fax: 303-860-0624

www.cobar.org/cle 24 The Docket I April 2011

You are What you

READ

COLORADO JURY INSTRUCTIONS for CIVIL TRIALS — 2011 EDITION Issued by the Colorado Supreme Court, Committee on Civil Jury Instructions Includes all updates issued by the Committee through August 1, 2010 A Critical Resource for all Colorado Civil Litigators — Colorado Jury Instructions for Civil Trials: Contains the full text of all the approved Jury Instructions, ”Notes on Use” and “Source & Authority” Includes a Table of Cases, Table of Statutes, and Subject Index Has a fully-searchable CD-ROM with two versions of the instructions — one version with the “Notes on Use”and the “Source and Authority” annotations and one without Saves you time from having to retype instructions!

New in the 2011 Edition!

New instructions on jurors’ conduct during trial, including: Prohibition on outside information and electronic communication Additions to other instructions to clarify a prohibition on electronic communications such as Internet research or Tweeting about the trial Changes to Wrongful Discharge Instructions Updates to the “Notes on Use” and “Source and Authority” throughout the book Colorado Jury Instructions for Civil Trials contains the uniform jury instructions for use in Colorado civil trials, as written by the Supreme Court Committee on Civil Jury Instructions. Each jury instruction is followed by Committee comments, which provide helpful research assistance.

The instructions explain the items that must be proved to prevail and are accompanied by discussions of Colorado case law related to each instruction.

The comments contain citations and explanations of how the instruction should be used, any special features of the instruction, and how an instruction relates to other instructions. In addition, the book contains many special verdict questions to assist in the preparation of verdict forms.

FIVE EASY WAYS TO ORDER! MAIL TO: CBA-CLE 1900 Grant Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80203-4303

ONLINE AT: www.cobar.org/cle/pubs.cfm CALL: IN DENVER 303.860.0608 TOLL-FREE 888.860.2531 FAX TO: 303.860.0624 STOP BY: Our office and save on shipping!

CBA-CLE Books, 2011 Edition, looseleaf, 7.5 x 10 inch format, one volume, 840 pages with CD-ROM ISSN: 2153-1927 CBA Members: $169 Non-Members: $195 Item Number: ZCJICT11B

$10 S&H plus sales tax are applied as follows: Denver, 7.72%; RTD, 4.1%; rest of Colorado, 2.9%.

The nonprofit educational arm of the Colorado Bar Association and the Denver Bar Association

1900 Grant Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colorado 80203-4303

The Colorado Lawyer / March 2011 / Vol. 40,Docket No. 6 25 /1 April 2011 I The

Legal

AFFAIRS GOOD THINGS The University of Denver Sturm College of Law has named its Law Stars recipients for 2011. They will be honored at a gala Kenison event on Sept. 21 at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center.

Receiving awards this year are: Howard KeniGoldberg son, JD’72, Outstanding Alumni Award; Charles “Chuck” Goldberg, JD’64, Alumni Professionalism Award; Terrance Carroll, JD ’05, Br uce Carroll B. Johnson Outstanding Young Alumni Award; and Alan Chen, Robert B. Yegge Excellence in Teaching Award.

The Colorado School Chen of Mines Board of Trustees recently elected trustee James Spaanstra to serve as chair of the board through Dec. 31, 2012.

Spaanstra, who initially was appointed to the board of trustees in 2008, is a partner in the law firm Spaanstra of Faegre & Benson LLP. He has been in private practice for more than 30 years.

Cynthia E. Wellbrock of The Law Office of Cynthia E. Wellbrock recently was appointed to the Board for Adoption Alliance, a nonprofit agency that preWellbrock pares families for the joys and challenges of parenting adopted and foster children through awareness,

education, partnerships, and placement services. As a board member, Wellbrock will contribute to the strategic direction of the organization and solicit contributions to its mission.

Gordon & Rees has appointed Denver Partner Franz Hardy to serve as chair of the firm’s national Diversity Committee. In 2004, Gordon & Rees created a Diversity Committee to further support and promote diversity efforts within the firm, the legal profession, and the community at large.

D e nv e r A t to r n e y E u g e n e F. Megyesy, Jr., has been appointed to serve as the senior advisor to Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary.

Megyesy will advise on foreign relations, nonprofit/charitable activities, and will office in the Hungarian Parliament building in Budapest.

Emily Droll, an associate at the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, was elected recently to the Arts Street Board of Directors. As a board member, Droll will help foster and grow the mission and reach of the organization. Her background in the arts yielded a strong connection to the organization, primarily its mission of bringing access to the arts to underserved youth.

Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP is pleased to announce that James M. Lyons is the recipient of the 2010-11 Outstanding Lyons Service to the Profession Award from DePaul University College of Law. The award recognizes College of Law alumni who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their chosen field or specialty—be it judiciary, public interest, the business community, or the

legal profession.

Heather E. Schell, an associate at the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, was recently appointed to the Sense of Security Board of Directors.

As a board member, Schell will help the organization advance its mission to provide assistance for Colorado breast cancer patients in treatment.

The American College of Bankruptcy announced Tuesday that Caroline Fuller, Director at Fairfield and Woods, P.C., was inducted as a Fellow of the College on March Fuller 18 in Washington, D.C. Fuller is one of 40 nominees from the United States and abroad to be inducted in the 22nd Class of College Fellows. All are being honored and recognized for their professional excellence and exceptional contributions to the fields of bankruptcy and insolvency.

Nicole R. Ament, a shareholder at the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, was recently named chair of the Board of Directors for the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. As chair, Ament will counsel the board as they strive to evolve and enhance the local business community.

CHANGES The law firm of Montgomery, Kolodny, Amatuzio & Dusbabek is pleased and proud to announce that Jolene C. Blair, former Blair District Court Judge of the 8th Judicial District, has become of counsel to the firm. Blair’s practice will emphasize commercial, professional liability, and general civil litigation in the firm’s Fort Collins office.

If you are a Denver Bar attorney member and you’ve moved, been promoted, hired an associate, taken on a partner, received a promotion or award, or begun service on a new board, we’d love to hear from you. Talks, speeches, CLE presentations, and political announcements, due to their sheer number, cannot be included. In addition, The Docket cannot print notices of honors determined by other publications (e.g., Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, etc.) again due to volume. Notices are printed at no cost but must be submitted in writing and are subject to editing and space available.

Send all notices to Kate Mills at kmills@cobar.org by the 5th day of the month.

26 The Docket I April 2011

Sweetbaum, Levin & Sands, P.C. is pleased to announce that Geoffrey P. Anderson (formerly of Burns, Figa & Will, P.C.) Anderson has joined the firm as a shareholder, and will continue to practice in the areas of real estate litigation, commercial litigation, and real estate transactions.

Tammy M. Alcock has been made a shareholder in the firm. Susan A .

Alcock Scholl (formerly with the Colorado Department of Regulator y Affairs, Division of Real Estate) and Hilary A. Anderson have joined the firm as Abrahams associates, and Carolyn Gruber Abrahams has been elected managing shareholder for the firm.

Mountain States Employers Council has added attor ne y R yan Nelson to its Colorado Springs office. Nelson is Nelson serving as a staff attorney specializing in employment law.

Nelson joins Mountain States from Darling Milligan Smith & Lesch, where he served as an associate attorney.

Polsinelli Shughart PC is expanding its Science and Technolo g y practice with the addition of associate attorney Derek Donahoe Donahoe to its Denver office. Donahoe is the third patent attorney to join the science and technology practice in recent months. He focuses on intellectual property and patent prosecution and litigation, with an emphasis on electrical and computerrelated devices.

B ro w n s te i n H yat t Farber Schreck is pleased to announce that Bill C. Berger Berger has joined the

firm as a shareholder in the corporate and business group. In this role, Berger will apply his extensive knowledge of employment law to the firm’s growing practice Boucher area.

Marsh Fischmann & Breyfogle LLP is pleased to announce that Patrick M. Boucher, Per H. Larsen, and Daniel J. Sherwinter Larsen recently have joined the firm.

K ennedy C hilds & Fogg, P.C. is pleased to announce that Jennifer Madsen, Terry Cipoletti, Sherwinter Miles Buckingham, and Laura Wassmuth have been elected shareholders effective Jan. 1. Madsen’s practice focuses on professional liability defense, employment, and appellate law.

Madsen Cipoletti’s practice focuses on defense of licensed health care professionals and hospitals in litigation, credentialing, licensing matters, civil rights defense Cipoletti of public entities, and health care professionals in the correctional care setting. Buckingham’s practice focuses on legal malpractice, homeownBuckingham ers’ association work, and civil rights defense. Wassmuth’s practice focuses on representing hospitals, healthcare providers, and medical organizations in Wassmuth general liability and medical matters.

arbitration services in the Rocky Mountain region, is moving to new offices in Arvada, effective April 1. The offices are now located at 7828 Vance Dr., Suite 108, Arvada. The phone numbers for LRC will remain the same.

The Denver-based law firm of Taylor|Anderson, LLP, is pleased to announce the opening of its newest office in San Diego, Calif. Taylor|Anderson also has an office in Scottsdale, Ariz., and focuses on efficient and effective trial of significant claims. For more information, please visit Taylor|Anderson at www. talawfirm.com.

Travis B. Keenan and E . James Wilder have joined to form the firm Wilder & Keenan, Keenan P.C., located at 10200 E. Girard Ave., Suite C255, Denver, CO 80231; phone (303) 695-6600. The firm specializes in community association law.

Wilder

BRICKS & MORTAR Legal Resolution Center (LRC), a leading provider of mediation and

the DBA Peer Professionalism

Troubled by Rude and Unprofessional Attorneys?

The following lawyers are willing to take calls on a confidential basis, for guidance, tips, and strategies for dealing with opposing counsel.

Panel Members James O’Connor: (303) 799-9001 Fran Fontana: (303) 468-2668 Teresa Wilkins: (303) 791-9545 Helen Shreves: (303) 777-7833

Sponsered by

Assistance Committee

April 2011 I The Docket 27

Dates on the

DOCKET DBA EVENTS All DBA meetings are scheduled at 1900 Grant St., Ste. 900, Denver, unless otherwise noted. Call Melissa Nicoletti, (303) 824-5321, to schedule committee meetings, so they will appear in this calendar.

April 5

Denver Access to Justice Committee Meeting Noon–1:30 p.m.

Call Meghan Bush, (303) 824-5303.

April 6

Docket Committee Meeting Noon–1:00 p.m.

Call Sara Crocker, (303) 824-5347.

April 7

Democracy Education Noon–1:30 p.m.

Call Meghan Bush, (303) 824-5303.

April 8

Pro Bono Recognition Ceremony University of Colorado Law School, Wolf Building 2:30 p.m. Unbundling CLE, one eithics credit 3:30 p.m. Ceremony begins Call Jill Lafrenz, (303) 824-5333.

April 12

Waterman Fund Meeting Noon–1:30 p.m.

Call Janet Baur, (303) 824-5319.

April 13

DBA/YLD Executive Council Meeting 6–7:30 p.m.

Call Amy Sreenen, (303) 824-5311.

April 14

DBA Board of Trustees 7:30–9:15 a.m.

Call Dana Collier Smith, (303) 824-5318.

April 15

Community Action Network Monthly Meeting Noon–1 p.m.

Call Kate Mills, (303) 824-5312.

April 18

The Legacy of John Adams 1900 Grant St., Ste. 300 Noon–1 p.m.

Call Jill Lafrenz, (303) 824-5333.

April 18–29

CAN Food Drive Various Law Firms—Metro Area To benefit Metro CareRing.

Call Kate Mills, (303) 824-5312.

April 30

Barristers Benefit Ball 6 p.m.–11:59 p.m.

Call Dana Collier Smith, (303) 824-5318.

FOR THE PUBLIC To volunteer for the DBA Public Legal Education programs or for more information, unless otherwise indicated, contact Meghan Bush at (303) 824-5303.

April 6

Lawline 9 — 4–6:30 p.m.

Legal Night At El Centro De San Juan Diego 2830 Lawrence St. 5:30–7 p.m.

Call 303-295-9470.

April 12

Bankruptcy Clinic U.S. Bankruptcy Court 721 19th St. 1:30–3 p.m.

April 13

Lawline 9— 4–6:30 p.m.

April 19

Small Claims Clinic 1515 Cleveland Place 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Pro Se Family Law Clinic Office of Economic Development 1200 Federal Blvd., Room 1018 5:30–7 p.m.

Call (720) 944-2594.

Legal Night at Mi Casa 360 Acoma St. 5:30–7 p.m.

Call (303) 573-1302.

April 20

Pro Se Divorce Clinic 1437 Bannock St., Courtroom 22 Noon–1:30 p.m.

Lawline 9— 4–6:30 p.m.

April 21

Collections Clinic 1515 Cleveland Place 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

April 27

Lawline 9 — 4–6:30 p.m.

Bankruptcy Clinic U.S. Bankruptcy Court 721 19th St. 1:30–3 p.m.

Join a Committee!

If you are interested in joining a committee listed here, call (303) 860-1115 with questions. For a full list of DBA committees, visit denbar.org.

All meetings are scheduled at 1900 Grant St., Ste. 900, Denver, unless otherwise noted. Activities for the Denver Bar Association are listed on this page. Call Melissa Nicoletti, (303) 824-5321, to schedule committee meetings, so they will appear in this calendar.

28 The Docket I April 2011

Correction In the story, “The Last Link in the Chain,” which appeared in the March issue of The Docket, there were two factual errors.

Colorado was incorrectly listed as the 14th state, not the 15th state, to grant a posthumous pardon, and Woodpecker Hill was noted as being in Pueblo instead of Cañon City. The Docket regrets these errors and the story has been updated at denbar. org/docket to reflect the corrections.

Write for

The Docket DBA members are encouraged to send story ideas, photos, tips, and fun articles for The Docket Committee’s consideration. Our goal is to have a newsletter that’s an outlet for prose by Denver attorneys, featuring stories about members and about matters of interest to our members. We want to include both the sincere and the satirical! Send member announcements, ideas, or content to Editor Sara Crocker at scrocker@cobar.org.

Free Cake & Beer!

When: 7 p.m. on April 1 Where: Colorado Bar Association Lobby Thiseventisfreeandopentoallmembers.

April 2011 I The Docket 29

Picture

THIS

Denver Regional Mock Trial Eight teams of high school students from CEC Middle College of Denver, George Washington High School, La Academia, Denver School of Science & Technology, and Colorado Academy argued a civil case on cyber stalking at the Denver Regional High School Mock Trial Tournament on Feb. 11 and 12. Two teams from Colorado Academy advanced from the regional tournament to the state mock trial finals, which were held in March in Adams County. Photos by Jamie Cotten

Colorado Academy Team B wins the Denver Professionalism Award.

George Washington student Keegan Murphy pauses to collect his thoughts on Feb. 12 during the Denver Regional High School Mock Trial Tournament at Denver's City and County Building.

George Washington student Deon Wilson acts as a witness while volunteer Alan Bucholtz presides on Feb. 12 during the Denver Regional High School Mock Trial Tournament at Denver's City and County Building.

30 The Docket I April 2011

DBA Happenings Past President’s Dinner The DBA Past Presidents and their guests enjoyed dinner on March 2 at Olivea. Past President Elsa Martinez Tenreiro presented the Past Presidents’ Pin to Immediate Past President John Baker.

CAN 2011 KIND Toothbrush Drive Ryann Love and Patrick Thiessen, co- chairs of the 2011 Community Action Network’s Kids In Need of Dentistry (KIND) toothbrush drive, met at the Denver Bar Association to sort toothpaste, toothbrushes, and floss. All items were generously donated by the legal community.

This year the toothbrush drive was a success. More than 10 boxes of dental items and $980 in cash donations were collected. These donations are critical to the work that KIND does every day in serving the dental needs of underserved children.

April 2011 I The Docket 31

The Alternatives You Need… From the Professionals You Know

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