2015 May

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A Denver Bar Association Publication I 37 Issue 5 I May 2015

What Does

LEADERSHIP Mean to You?


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Vol. 37 Issue 5 I May 2015

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FROM THE PRESIDENT WHAT DOES LEADERSHIP MEAN TO YOU? DU LAW SCHOOL’S TRIBAL WILLS PROJECT DELIVERS CRITICAL SERVICES ETHICS ARE THERE TO PROTECT ATTORNEYS TOO: A LOOK AT HOW RULE 254 CAN HELP US ALL

The mission of The Docket is to educate and entertain the Denver legal community—we hope without being sued. May 2015 I The Docket

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INSIDE 6

From the President

8

Briefly

9

The Best Podcasts for Lawyers

11

DU Law Schools Tribal Wills Project Delives Critical Services

13

CU Regent Carves Out Unique Career in Law and Public Service

17

The Sales-Phobic Attorney: End the “I Hate Selling Mantra”

18

Ethics are There to Protect Attorneys Too A Look at How Rule 254 Can Help Us All

21

Ten Questions With DBA Member Alex Hood

22

Book Review: Soldier Girls

24

Law Student Chronicles: Legal Lessons

29

Volunteer Corener

IN EVERY ISSUE 30

Briefs

30

Bar Resources

31

Dates on the Docket

32

Legal Affairs

34

Picture This

The mission of The Docket is to educate and entertain the Denver legal community—we hope without being sued.

THE DOCKET

A Denver Bar Association publication. Views expressed in articles are those of the author and not the views of the author’s 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 December 16. Editor: Courtney Gibb, cgibb@cobar.org Managing Editor: Heather Folker, hfolker@cobar.org Chair: Ryan T. Jardine Graphic Designer: Kate Schuster, kschuster@cobar.org Advertising: advertising@cobar.org The Docket Committee: Norman Beecher, Adam Brown, Becky Bye, Mariya Cassin, Craig C. Eley, David L. Erickson, James Garts, Peter E. Grandey, Ryan T. Jardine, Thomas L. Kanan, Jr., Robert J. Kapelke, Paul F. Kennebeck, Keith Lewis, Lauren Lockard, Natalie Lucas, Kyle Martelon, Alicia J. McCommons, Daniel R. McCune, Margaret McMahon, Douglas I. McQuiston, William R. Meyer, Makenzie Morgan, Barbara J. Mueller, Peter Mullison, Heather O’Donnell, Gregory D. Rawlings, Judith Rosenblum, Alison Ruggiero, Frank Schuchat, Julie Simmons, Marshall A. Snider, Daniel A. Sweetser, Erica Vargas, Anthony J. Viorst, Dennis P. Walker, Rachel Young DBA Officers: John M. Vaught, President; Janet S. Drake, President-Elect; Catherine A. Chan, First Vice President; Matthew S. Larson, Second Vice President; Daniel R. McCune, Immediate Past President; Daniel A. Sweetser, Treasurer; Patrick Flaherty, Executive Director Board of Trustees Members: Erich L. Bethke, Gillian M. Bidgood, Jaclyn K. Casey, Richard L. Gabriel, Nicholas Ghiselli, Franz Hardy, Barbara J. Mueller, Lucia C. Padilla, Gerald D. Pratt

Write for The Docket: DBA members are encouraged to send story ideas, photos, tips, and articles for The Docket Committee’s consideration. We are looking for content by Denver attorneys for Denver attorneys, focusing on trends, courts, and practice management, in addition to opinion and satire pieces. Please send ideas and member announcements to Editors Heather Folker at hfolker@cobar.org or Courtney Gibb at cgibb@cobar.org. 303-860-1115 • dbadocket.org Copyright 2015. The Docket (ISSN 1084-7820) 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.

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From the President

WHAT DOES LEADERSHIP MEAN TO YOU?

B y J ohn M. Vaught Leadership: we all recognize it when we see it, but its qualities are elusive in the abstract. Qualities like good judgment, the self-confidence to act on that judgment, vision, moral character, compassion, drive, instinct, charisma seem to lace any description of that term. In the last 124 years since the Denver Bar Association was formed, we have been blessed with great leaders in our community. Many have led the Bar Association and many have directed other organizations in Colorado. To get a better sense of their traits, I asked those in our community for their thoughts on leaders and leadership.

MARK FOGG: For me, leadership is foremost the creative ability to help formulate a shared vision collaboratively of what goals are important to accomplish. I think this is the most challenging and enjoyable part of leadership because you accept and appreciate all of the diverse perspectives that others can bring to solving a problem or achieving a goal and you need to help channel that energy. I always try to surround myself with people who are smarter, who have different perspectives and who have different skill sets than I do. Recruiting and encouraging people to see your vision like you do may make you a good manager, but energizing people to see the vision from their perspectives makes you a good leader. I also think you have to inspire others with boundless energy. Certainly inspiration can take many forms such as perspiration, time, intensity, creativity or thoughtfulness, but people have to see you are committed. Finally, it all comes down to relationship building. Those relatively easy things we do to assist colleagues during our career are long remembered and appreciated. Mark Fogg is General Counsel at

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COPIC and has held numerous leadership positions with the Bar, including President of both the Denver and Colorado Bar Associations.

JUDGE LIZ STARRS: Leadership is important, because we cannot function without leaders. Leaders are made and not born. We would like to think that if someone has the “right stuff” he or she will naturally rise to the top. But the capacity to lead does not guarantee that you will actually do it. You may need the will and commitment to change in order to develop your potential. Effective leaders are not people with an interest in proving themselves. I agree with the business guru who says that becoming an effective leader is part of the process of becoming an integrated human being. To be an effective leader, you have to be able to get the most out of the people you are leading in a way that maximizes your own goals and vision not only for the organization (which is key) but also for the task at hand. This includes incredible self-knowledge, vision and ability to communicate to all different types of people. You have to have technical competence, of course, but you also need people skills, conceptual skills (imagination and creativity) judgment and integrity. From a practical standpoint, you need the strength to persist in the face of setbacks, personal and professional. I agree with the politician who said that “you can get anything done here [Washington D.C./Congress] if you don’t care who gets the credit.” I believe that wholeheartedly. As lawyers, we are taught to think in a linear, logical fashion but being a leader of a bar association requires the ability to respond to predictable events, yes, but also—and importantly— to unexpected and ambiguous events. Our profession continues to change,

bar association demographics continue to change, so what makes us relevant continues to change. Elizabeth Starrs is a judge in the Denver District Court, has served as a leader in numerous positions with both the DBA and CBA. Judge Starrs was one of the earliest members of her gender to break through the glass ceilings of many organizations that she served. Most recently, she served as President of the Colorado Bar Association.

PILAR RODARTE: Leadership does not exist in a vacuum, but rather as part of a community. A leader must immerse oneself in a social ecosystem, become familiar with its needs, and choose to meet those needs with passion and the overall goal of bettering the system. I feel each of these steps is challenging in its own right and may take years to accomplish. As a new attorney, I am at the stage where I am becoming familiar with my community, legal and otherwise, and figuring out my place in it. At first, I had an abundance of passion to do something great with my bar license. However, I needed to take a step back and decide where best to put that passion to work. This meant connecting with other attorneys, reaching out to mentors, listening to the advice judges have to offer, and deciphering the meaning of being an effective advocate for my clients; all of which have been facilitated through my bar association membership. It is this idea of passion for the community and moving the legal profession forward, that I hope will produce a fruitful life of leadership. Pilar Rodarte is a young lawyer in private solo practice and is among the newest member of the Board of Governors, representing the Denver Bar Association. Rodarte is married and has a young daughter.

DALE HARRIS: Don Stubbs was a quintessential leader. A quiet, gentle and gracious man, Don led by example, not by proclamation. He instinctively connected with and inspired others to follow his lead. Like all good leaders, Don was focused, decisive and


willing to make difficult decisions. But he was much more than that. To me, the secret of his success was the way he made the rest of us know that we were important members of the team. He did it in many little ways. He always took the time to explain how our particular job was important to the overall mission of the team. He asked for our input and respected it. His door was always open. He was generous with his praise and never failed to give a pat on the back for a job well done. When necessary, he criticized us but always constructively and never publicly. He was sensitive to our personal needs and struggles, and he never asked us to do something or make personal sacrifices that he was not willing to do or make himself. Looking back on it, Don’s leadership style was magical in its simplicity and it still stands as an example for those who aspire to be great leaders. Dale Harris is a former highly regarded partner—now Special Counsel--at Davis, Graham & Stubbs. For years, Dale has been a leader and mentor within the Denver Bar Association and within the legal community, serving both as President of the DBA and CBA.

DANA COLLIER-SMITH: Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of seeing a lot of leaders in action at the CBA/DBA. Although many of

these leaders have held officer positions, there are also countless members who are strong leaders behind the scenes. They all have different styles and approaches to leadership, some more successful than others, but I have no doubt that these leaders want to leave the associations stronger than when they started. One of the most powerful traits of a great leader is when she/he “checks their ego at the door.” By acknowledging that they are working with equally talented and accomplished people, these leaders can focus on the task at hand rather than whose credentials are more impressive. I have seen too many times when a leader with great ideas has been shut down because their ego was off-putting to others. Other traits that successful leaders exhibit include: the ability to truly listen; to run efficient and effective meetings; be inclusive so everyone’s voice is heard; delegate so others become vested in the process; and is willing to make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions. Last, but not least, great leaders have fun. As they say, life is too short to not have fun! It is an honor to work with amazing lawyers who choose to be leaders within the bar associations and the profession. Dana Collier-Smith has served with the CBA/DBA staff for more than thirtyfour years and is presently the Assistant

Executive Director of both the Denver and Colorado Bar Associations. She was instrumental in forming COBALT, the CBA’s leadership Training Program.

MIKE O’DONNELL: During my legal career, I have been blessed to obser ve many great leaders in the form of colleagues and clients. Leadership in professional ser vices and firms is more horizontal and non-hierarchical than corporations and government. I believe the qualities of a successful law firm leader include: 1. Passion for your clients, colleagues and mission; 2. Inspire and motivate others to excel and realize their full potential; 3. Collaborative— “we” not “I”; 4. Authentic and genuine behavior and confidence; 5 Vision of the future and necessary change; 6. Empathetic and selfless attitude; 7. Trustworthy with strong values; and 8. Integrity— do the right thing in a smart way. Mike O’Donnell is the Chair of Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell and among his many leadership positions during his career, he served as President of the American College of Trial Lawyers. D John M. Vaught President, Denver Bar Association

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THE BEST PODCASTS FOR LAWYERS B y R yan Jardine

first be evident, however, as ancient legal scholars premised: “There is the law, and then there is nothing – All things are but manifestations of one great legal sphere.”

SERIAL:

A podcast, or in other words, an i-Pod broadcast, is something that people have sometimes heard of, and yet like Shangri-Law, is a destination that far too few experience. I am not a child of the vintage radio broadcasts of Gunsmoke, Sherlock Holmes or Dragnet, yet as a podcast enthusiast, I imagine podcasts are an analogous form of elegant storytelling for a more civilized age with its smaller, portable handheld devices. For those of you who may find yourselves unaware, let’s start with the basics. Podcasts are generally recorded audio or video broadcasts that are received typically through a mobile device, although they can often be accessed through any device that connects to the internet. Finding a particular podcast can be a little bit challenging depending upon whether you hail from the Apple Elite, the privileged Samsung Aristocracy or somewhere in between. But rest assured, regardless of your operating system and device preferences, there are podcasts about nearly everything you can imagine, right at your fingertips, from “How to Do Everything,” and the “History of Pirates Podcast,” to “The Complete Guide to Everything” and “Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4.” There are even original episodes of many of the classic old-time radio broadcasts ready for modern-day listening. So, here are a few podcasts that the lawyer in all of us might especially enjoy. Please note, the nexus between the law and a particular podcast might not at

This podcast forever changed podcasting and in the process broke the internet. It is likely still the most popular and widely listened to podcast of all time as nearly 39 million Americans downloaded Serial just in the month of November 2014. Over the course of 12 episodes, listeners accompany Sara Koenig as she re-investigates the murder of a young Baltimore high school girl, Hae Min Lee. Her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was convicted of her murder and is currently serving a life plus-30 year sentence. He has always maintained his innocence and continues to do so in this podcast. With an innovative style that stretches the boundaries of traditional journalism, Koenig creates a compelling, and at times controversial, journalistic narrative that has listeners on edge for the entire season and has brought renewed national attention to the case. This story and this podcast were so compelling that Escheresque podcasts were created just to talk about this podcast. The controversy continues to swirl even as a Maryland Court of Special Appeals has “agreed to hear Syed’s case after two unsuccessful attempts to appeal his conviction since 2003.” And Season Two is right around the corner.

BLOOMBERG LAW PODCASTS: For the latest breaking news in the legal arena, tune in to this podcast that “examines all aspects of the legal profession, from intellectual property to criminal law, from bankruptcy to securities law.” These roughly twenty-minute podcasts include timely and relevant topics such as “Hollywood Agent Defections,” “Religious-Rights Legislation,” and “StubHub Takes on Ticketmaster.”

podcasts produced by NPR including “This American Life,” “Planet Money,” “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” and “Car Talk.” Now many of you might recognize these as actual radio programs on NPR-affiliated radio stations. Well done, oh observant and engaged reader. In a classic blurring of the chicken and the egg lines, many of NPRs radio shows are also podcasts and their podcasts are also radio shows. In the plus column for the podcast format – these are available on demand at any time and, unless you have your Sony Walkman handy, the podcasts are also more portable and don’t require AA batteries.

LEARN TO MEDITATE — MEDITATION PODCAST — MEDITATION SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA: Many lawyers face an exceptional level of stress on a daily basis. Insert your favorite stat on lawyer stress levels here. This introduction to meditation created by the Meditation Society of Australia might be just the ticket to help you find your inner balance. In brief, 15-20 minute segments, you are introduced to a basic principal of meditation and mindfulness and then guided through a meditation exercise. After a few episodes you might just find yourself on the passageway to inner peace or at the very least you may experience less rage as you travel your chosen road in rushhour traffic. If none of these sound like your preferred radio programming, do not give up hope. There are thousands upon thousands of hours of additional programming and with some minimal effort you will certainly find the podcast that will find you anxiously awaiting its weekly release. D Ryan T. Jardine is a public finance attorney with Kutak Rock LLP in Denver. He may be reached at ryan.jardine@kutak-rock.com.

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DU LAW SCHOOL'S TRIBAL WILLS PROJECT DELIVERS CRITICAL SERVICES

B y N orman Beeche r "In the four-cornered landscape of the Colorado River plateau we all revere, our lessons are fo and with each other." Hon. Gregory Hobbs, Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, from his Reflections of Navajo Teachers. Children may be members of different tribes than their parents or grandparents, or enrolled in several tribes. Or none. Individual interests in tribal lands may be the size of typing paper, or expressed in hundredths of a percent, with thousands of co-owners for a single parcel. And talk of death is taboo. Three times a year, DU Professor Lucy Marsh leads a team of law students on week-long pro bono will-drafting pilgrimages to the Four Corners Navajo and Ute reservations. Marsh's Tribal Wills Project arose in response to a letter from John Roach, Fiduciary Trust Officer for the Southwest Region of the U. S. Department of the Interior, seeking help from regional law schools to implement the American Indian Probate Reform Act, referred to as AIPRA. AIPRA, enacted by Congress in 2004, establishes a sort of federal probate code and, grossly simplified, allows tribal land owners for the first time to devise real property interests by will to heirs other than their eldest progeny. It does not say how low-income Native Americans in the Four Corners area with little access to legal services should prepare the wills, which must comply with a complex set of legal standards. Enter Marsh, a forty-year veteran of DU and former professor of the year. Marsh has run the Wills Lab at DU for more than 25 years, in which law students draft estate planning documents for low-income clients throughout the Denver area.

Marsh recently won the Denver Bar's Pro Bono Award and was a 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award Law Star. Marsh was also the only person foolish enough to respond to Roach's plea. Her three-year-old Tribal Wills Project, was created in 2013 with the help and support of Colorado powerhouses like Supreme Court Justice Greg Hobbs, a long-time supporter of Native American interests and pro bono endeavors, and Executive Secretary of the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, Ernest House, himself a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. It is the only program of its type nationally, apart from one begun two years earlier in Wausau, Wisconsin for students drawn from Columbia Law School run by attorney David Armstrong, Director of the Indian Law Office for Wisconsin Judicare, Inc.

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Despite the draw of Mexico beaches, at a time when surveys show the American public holds lawyers in lower esteem than any other major profession and commentators portray money as the industry's primary motivation (Pew and Quigley), Marsh somehow persuades DU law degree candidates to suffer 8-hour car rides and 12-hour work days in lieu of vacations three weeks a year to travel to such off-the-beaten path (if starkly beautiful) Four Corners locales as Towaoc and Ignacio, Colorado, Ramah and Crownpoint, New Mexico, or White Mesa, Utah just to wrestle with the intricacies of land descriptions, intertribal prejudices and federal allotment provisions. There, in a process participant Nellie Fields likens to "synchronized chaos," among "a patchwork of colorful occurrences," they overcome cultural differences and natural distrust of outsiders to prepare as many as 17 pro bono wills a day. The tribes often house the students and supervising attorneys in their casino hotels, but it is also catch as can, and sometimes Marsh herself reserves rooms in, say, roadside motels in Blanding, Utah.

has run the Wills Lab at DU for more than “25Marsh years, in which law students draft estate planning documents for low-income clients throughout the Denver area.” According to four-time veteran Joshua Nowak, on site "schedules change every day," and Fields describes one last January when the onslaught of new clients kept the project team members up "drafting wills back at the hotel until 1 a.m. Everyone was running up and down the halls to have other students read complicated provisions and then printing drafts in another person's room." Intake interviews typically take 90 minutes or more, because, as Marsh notes, tribal clients "have no idea who we are," and "understandably" have a strong distrust for nonIndian interlopers.

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"It is by no means part of their culture for someone to start out asking about their assets," as Marsh observes. "That comes very gradually, after the client gains some trust in the student and the process." Moreover, along with the technicalities of land descriptions under the complex federal allotment system, project participants have to work through interpreters in many cases to figure out how to value tiny fractional interests in trust lands, or, as Marsh puts it, determine whether that artisan "blanket made by mom is a valuable treasure, or just a blanket." Before they even depart, students are expected to undergo hours of training not only on AIPRA and estate planning but on cultural expectations and accommodating meeting local mores. Yet rising demand has forced Marsh to institute a fairly formal application process back home in Denver –turning away almost half the students who apply – and during the most recent trip in March, sheer numbers forced the project team to reschedule several prospective clients for their next visit in May. Due to lack of local legal expertise, Marsh recently found time to study for and take the examination for admission into practice in Utah on top of everything else she does: "It was a long time since I had taken a multiple choice test," she remarks wryly. Nowak calls the Tribal Wills Project "one of the best ways to get hands-on experience working with clients who really need it." But like Fields, who terms the whole experience "invaluable," and not just because it resulted in "fifteen new friends," he adds, "[b]ut Tribal Wills isn't just about experiential learning, it's about seeing the bigger picture and figuring out how to fix relationships between communities. For many of us Tribal Wills is an important reminder of why some of us came to law school in the first place." As for Marsh, Nowak sums up the general consensus: "Professor Marsh really is a pioneer at DU Law who cares a great deal about her students and the Native American communities we work with." Marsh herself dreams of a volunteer attorney who can commit to "staying the whole week" (helping at one of the threeweek trips during student vacations in January, March, or May). And despite the support it has received and favorable press in publications as far-flung and wide-ranging as New York University Law Schools, The Docket, several ABA publications, the Durango Herald and the Weenemuche Smoke Signals (a Navajo weekly), the project also needs donations to defray costs of everything from travel to supplies. D Norman B. Beecher is a sole practitioner based in Aurora and Northern California, with a limited practice emphasizing real property management, family law and estate planning. He may be contacted at normanbeecher@comcast. net.


CU REGENT CARVES OUT UNIQUE CAREER IN LAW AND PUBLIC SERVICE

B y K ei t h Le w is As lawyers, we are no strangers to the world of higher education. Each of us admitted to the practice of law has at least conquered a bachelor’s degree and a juris doctor, if not additional advanced degrees. Even with the majority of our twenties spent on campus, I doubt many of us are familiar with the actual work of those who run our Universities. That’s why I recently sat down with Holland & Hart partner and 10 year veteran of the University of Colorado Board of Regents, Michael Carrigan, to learn about his unique career—which has blended public service with the practice of law—and to gather his advice for others forging a similar path. Michael Carrigan is a legal legacy in Colorado. The son of the Honorable James “Jim” Carrigan, the late Colorado Supreme Court Justice (1976–79) and U.S. District Court Judge (1979–95), the younger Carrigan followed his father and several siblings into the family tradition by becoming an attorney. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and University of Colorado School of Law. Carrigan began his legal career as a federal judicial clerk in the District of Wyoming. Later, Carrigan was a Senior Deputy District Attorney in Denver

under Bill Ritter’s administration. After leaving the Denver District Attorney’s office, Carrigan briefly went to work at a small litigation firm, where he worked on both criminal and civil litigation matters. About two years later, Carrigan and his wife decided to take a professional hiatus and move to Bolivia to volunteer with three Catholic nuns in Latin America’s poorest country. Carrigan raves about the value of his experience in Bolivia and tells how grateful he is for a life in the United States following that drastic lifestyle comparison. Carrigan’s year in Bolivia broadened his appreciation for cultural diversity and the need for service. He even learned to speak Spanish pretty well. After his return to Denver, Holland & Hart recruited Carrigan for its insurance coverage practice g roup, where he remains a partner today. “For those wanting to add a public service aspect to their law practice,” Carrigan says “it is vital to find a

firm that is dedicated to public service. When I approached H&H’s Chair, Anne Castle, about running for the Board of Regents, she was very supportive.” Carrigan first ran for the Board of Regents in 2004, and following a tough primary, was elected by a district that is geographically coextensive with Colorado’s First U.S. Congressional District currently represented in Washington by Rep. Diana DeGette (D). He was reelected by a large margin to a second term in 2010. The nine-member Board of Regents governs the University System of Colorado’s four campuses—Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs, and the Anschutz Medical Campus. Two members of the Board represent the state at-large, while the other seven serve a smaller, geographic constituency. The Board oversees Colorado’s $3.4 billion dollar public university system by setting tuition rates, approving budgets, promoting diversity among students and faculty, and setting financial aid policies. Carrigan’s service on the Board of Regents reflects his skill as a consensus builder. The Democrat was twice-elected Chair by the majority Republican Board. Carrigan is most proud of reaching across the aisle to serve Colorado’s public university students, faculty and staff. “Good policy, rather than good politics builds consensus,” he reminds us. Carrigan is also proud of the Board of Regent’s work during his term of service, including setting aside a significant

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portion of the budget for financial aid, guaranteeing transfer admission from Colorado community colleges when the students earn at least thirty credit hours with a GPA of 2.7 or greater. He also sought to increase student diversity, particularly on the Boulder campus, which has experienced slow but steady success. “There are so many ways that lawyers can serve the public,” notes Carrigan, who also serves on Denver’s Crime Prevention and Control Commission, where he is the current co-chair. In addition to serving as Regent and Chair of the Mayor’s Commission, Carrigan has served on the Boards of Mile High Red Cross, LARASA, and Easter Seals Colorado. One fact may come as a surprise to those seeking a position on a public service or a nonprofit board: there is usually no pay. Carrigan estimates that he devotes about 30 to 40 hours per month to his role on the Board of Regents, without any financial compensation. However, to Carrigan, the value of the experience he has received is priceless. He encourages other members of the DBA to devote time to a cause of their own interest. “Many nonprofit boards

There are so many ways that lawyers can serve the public,” notes Carrigan.

charitable entities that appeal to you and simply reaching out to them to ask how you can get involved. Carrigan’s own devotion to public service continues as he has announced his run for Denver District Attorney in 2016 as candidate for the decisive Democratic primary in June 2016. Carrigan will face State Rep. Beth McCann (D-Denver) in a Democratic primary election on June 28, 2016. D

would love to have a lawyer as a member,” says Carrigan. “Most nonprofits run into legal questions, large and small, and it helps to have an attorney answer the easy questions or point out when the organization needs to get formal legal advice,” says Carrigan. However, he also cautions lawyers that “when serving on nonprofit boards, attorneys need to be careful to avoid creating an attorneyclient relationship when giving common sense input as a board member.” He continues, “when giving your thoughts you should remind your fellow board members that you’re not the organization’s lawyer.” That’s great advice from a veteran of several boards. And as for getting started, he suggests identifying

Keith Lewis is a Denver-based litigation attorney. He can be reached at Keith@ freelancelegalcounsel. com.

2015 Seniors Spring Banquet The Denver Bar Association Seniors Committee invites

you to its best event of the year, celebrating those DBA members who have reached 50 years of participation in the legal profession.

Wednesday, June 3 Drinks at 5:15 p.m. Dinner at 6 p.m. Presentation at 7 p.m.

The University Club 1673 Sherman Street, Denver

Tickets are $50 per person, all are invited to attend RSVP with your meal choice (Beef, Chicken, or Vegetarian) and all attendee names to Alexa at adrago@cobar.org or 303-824-5313.

14 The Docket I May 2015

2015 Honorees Andrew S. Armatas Robert E. Benson Alan H. Bucholtz E. Michael Canges Jay H. Chapman Michael L. Cheroutes William V. Cox James B. Dean Richard A. Finke David W. Furgason Gary W. Hart William A. Hillhouse Michael R. Homyak William J. Hunsaker

William G. Imig Dennis M. Jackson Frederick O. Jolley Richard D. Judd Howard M. Kirshbaum Dennis H. Markusson H. Michael Miller Robert N. Miller Declan J. O’Donnell John D. Pearson Jeffrey J. Scott Robert M. Vinton Donald E. Wilson Sanford Zisman


Be Courageous...

Join the Wheels of Justice! Courage is being brave, graceful and unwavering in the face of great challenge. COURAGE—No word better exemplifies the character of the patients and families that are treated at Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. For ten years, The Wheels of Justice Cycling Team, sponsored by the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations, has courageously stood by Children’s Colorado’s families, raising more than $2,300,000 in 9 years through the Courage Classic bicycle tour, a beautiful 3-day ride through the Colorado mountains. Do you have the courage to join us in making an even bigger impact for the patients and families at Children’s Colorado when we ride in the Courage Classic July 18–20? Join the Wheels of Justice team as a rider or sponsor and enjoy terrific benefits including cool team gear, fun weekend training rides, coaching sessions, great community events and publicity.

Help transform pediatric healthcare. For more information, visit wheelsofjusticecycling.org

Special thanks to our 2015 sponsors:

To join as a sponsor or rider, please contact info@wheelsofjusticecycling.org May 2015 I The Docket 15


16 The Docket I May 2015


THE SALES-PHOBIC ATTORNEY: End the “I Hate Selling” Mantra By Liz Wendling IF YOU'RE LIKE MOST ATTORNEYS, YOU PROBABLY CAN'T STAND—OR EVEN HATE—SELLING. But without consistent business development efforts, your practice has no chance of thriving. New business is the lifeblood of every business. The success of your practice is directly related to how well you sell. I regularly encounter lawyers who believe that providing excellent service by representing their clients is enough to create a thriving practice. They dig in their heels and refuse to believe they have to sell their expertise and the value of their practice. Their mindset and beliefs about what selling means to them is holding them back. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being in sales; there’s only something wrong with your perception of it. Some attorneys approach sales with a pessimistic attitude, largely because they possess a skewed perception of what it means to be in sales. They think that selling means turning on the sleaze-o-meter and using a bunch of slick sales talk. They mistakenly believe selling involves manipulating clients and acting pushy or aggressive. That fixed mindset causes lawyers to dislike, or even hate, the process of selling. If you think you have to manipulate people to hire you, then you are going about it the wrong way. I have never met an attorney who told me they get excited about business development. Typically, they tell me that law school didn’t prepare them to sell. It's not surprising that so many attorneys feel resistance when it comes to business development. Many attorneys I work with have a “love-hate” relationship with business development and sales. They love what a new client means for their practice but “hate” the process of what it takes to retain a new client. These reluctant rainmakers love the law but dislike what it takes to attract and close new business. A paradigm shift is in the making, however. Attorneys are finally waking up to the fact that they have to sell. The effort put into sales and business devel-

opment will feed the lifeblood of your practice. Clients and new business are the only way to keep your practice sustainable. Many attorneys ask me if I could teach them how to “sell without selling.” Not possible! I believe that you can sell without being pushy, manipulative and salesy. I believe you can sell without using high pressure and old school techniques. I don’t believe you can sell without selling. It would be the same as attempting to go swimming without getting wet. You must be actively involved in business development to succeed. I can’t think of a single exception to the rule. The old adage states that in life, nobody gets out alive. In law, no practice survives without new business. You don’t have to be in love with selling; you just have to do it. I don’t love accounting, but I know I have to do it! Successful business development and sales is not about “closing” people. It is about helping clients close themselves. Create an atmosphere and experience that makes clients want to do business with you over your competition. Technical legal skill will not suffice in today’s economy. Sales and communication skills are no longer just nice to have, they are a must have. You will never grow your practice if you are waiting for refer-

rals or the phone to ring. You must put yourself out there. The best way to grow your practice is by creating a comprehensive business development plan. There is no one-sizefits-all approach. You create your own rainmaking plan based on your practice and professional goals—a plan that leads to a successful, satisfying and sustainable practice. Is it time to evolve your skills? Are you ready to differentiate your firm from the competitors? Attorneys who know how to sell attract more clients. They generate more referrals. They create more revenue. Your next move will determine your success. Don’t let your love-hate relationship with sales and selling stifle your income and success. D Liz Wendling a business consultant, sales expert and emot i o n a l i n tel l i g e n ce co a ch . S h e ca n b e contacted at liz@lizwendling.com.

May 2015 I The Docket

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ETHICS ARE THERE TO PROTECT ATTORNEYS TOO: A LOOK AT HOW RULE 254 CAN HELP US ALL • • • • • •

B y J udi t h R o senblum

W

e always discuss ethical obligations as a protection to our clients. We owe a duty to our clients to follow the rules, to protect their confidentiality, and to represent them within the standards set by our state judiciary and bar associations. These are the most basic tenets of our practice. Day-to-day stresses and struggles impinge on our ability to effectively proceed with our obligations. The associate who stays up all night working on a real estate closing may forget an all-important comma that is the difference between his client winning or losing an argument in court years after he drafted the document. Of course it is the attorney’s fault—that is why we carry malpractice insurance. What about those times when our lives are being accosted on different fronts? There are many stresses in our everyday life that can cloud our judgment or reduce our effectiveness. They include: • Depression • Divorce or Marriage

18 The Docket I May 2015

Buying or Selling a Home Caring for Elderly Relatives or Sick Children Personal Health Issues Substance Abuse Declining Mental Capacity Job Dissatisfaction Stress is increased when dealing with these and other major life events—even the happy ones. The above list may not sound like you today, but sooner or later, one or more of these stresses may affect your daily work life. Because we face deep responsibilities to our clients and our peers, we are often not the first ones to see or admit to our own diminished capacities. But we need to reflect and self-analyze. Take this time to consider how deep and persistent is your current stress? Are you taking anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications to control that stress? Are you considering asking for help? Should you? Larger law firms may have peer review programs to monitor the emotional well being of both staff and attorneys. Small to mid-sized firms may not. If your firm does not have such a program, it may be time to consider it. Other issues may prevent attorneys from asking for help. They may not feel comfortable reporting the need for help to internal human resources or employee assistance programs. We need to recognize when one of our peers needs help and not turn away in the hope that it will resolve itself. Any internal program should include: • A procedure to confidentially recognize an attorney (or staff member) facing more than normal stress; • A standard procedure with the flexibility to include a variety of resources to assist the attorney; • Ability to modify the attorney’s work-load as necessary; • A report from qualified medical personnel detailing when the attorney is ready to either return to work or manage a full work-load; • A file on any disciplinary procedures (which may not even be necessary if a firm identifies stressors early).

“Attorneys, and even law students, are not alone if help is needed. In 2011, the Colorado Supreme Court adopted Rule 254 to the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure. This established a Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program ...” Attorneys, and even law students, are not alone if help is needed.1 In 2011, the Colorado Supreme Court adopted Rule 254 to the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure. This established a Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program (COLAP) which is supported by annual attorney registration fees.2 As one of 44 states


around the country to institute this type of rule, COLAP’s mission is: (a) To protect the interests of clients, litigants and the general public from harm caused by impaired attorneys or judges; (b) To assist impaired members of the legal profession to begin and continue recovery; and (c) To educate the bench, bar and law schools to the causes of and remedies for impairments affecting members of the legal profession.3 If an attorney contacts COLAP for assistance, the attorney can be confident that those communications are held in confidence.4 COLAP deals with a broad range of issues, including “stress management, addiction, mental health issues, law practice issues, investigating and planning interventions, assistance with entry into treatment facilities, aftercare programs, professional peer support meetings, [and] obtaining sponsors and mentors.”5 In sum, this vital organization deals with both physical and mental health issues that could cause, or are causing, difficulties with an attorney’s, judge’s or law student’s, career. Barbara Ezyk, the Executive Director of COLAP, graciously spoke with me about the program. I was surprised to learn that attorneys face depression in rates that are higher than in any other profession. Rates of depression among attorneys are just under 4% higher than rates of depression among the general public. This should be a concern to us all. COLAP offers a broad range of confidential assistance to attorneys, judges and law students. Not only will COLAP provide referrals to mental health practitioners, but the program has approximately 125 volunteers throughout Colorado who act as peer advisors and mentors. We are living one life. While previous incarnations described the ideal work/life balance, Ezyk sagely described that blend as a work/life integration. “To describe work and life as a balance infers that we have to give something up.”6 In reality, we need to better integrate our work and home lives. Ezyk is well versed in both clinical and alternative stressreduction methods. She spoke with me about simple steps attorneys can take to temporarily step away from the stress we have at work. They include: • Change position (from sitting to standing) • Take a walk – encouraging others to walk with you • Learn to meditate • When you work, work; when you aren’t working, close the door, physically and mentally, on work • Calendar time for yourself

It is a fallacy that we are able to multi-task. We can complete one task at a time. Disabuse yourself of your ability to tackle 10 chores at once. • If you need help, ask for it.7 In addition to these services, attorneys (including judges), paralegals, law students or staff members who work with attorneys, can - and should - communicate concerns about themselves or others in their firm with appropriate supervisors. If your firm does not have a procedure in place to handle these issues, encourage a change. If we don’t support ourselves and each other, it is our clients and our practices that will suffer.

“I was surprised to learn that attorneys face depression in rates that are higher than in any other profession.” The American Bar Association (ABA) provides an annual report on Lawyer Assistance Programs (LAP) around the country. More recently, the ABA’s commission on lawyer assistance program conducted a survey of all attorneys. That report should be published by next summer. The ABA’s 2012 report8, published in 2013, indicates some interesting, and troubling, facts: • The second most common referral source to LAP agencies was from disciplinary committees ;9 • Substance abuse (with the highest percentages being May 2015 I The Docket

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alcohol and prescription drug abuse) and mental health issues (with the highest percentages being depression and anxiety) made up most of the reasons for contacting LAP agencies. Ezyk informed me that COLAP receives calls on a variety of mental and physical health conditions, many involving more than one issue, including depression and addiction issues. If you have concerns about your own stress, health issues or drug or alcohol dependency, please do not ignore it. Talk with someone. Get help. Ask another attorney skilled in your area of practice to assist you in reviewing your work. Don’t wait until you are faced with a malpractice complaint to deal with these issues. Asking for help does not mean you are weak – not asking will ensure that you are.

“Asking for help should be seen as a sign of strength and growth.”10 D Judith Rosenblum has practiced law in the intellectual property arena for more than 27 years. As Senior Counsel with HolzerIPLaw, P.C., her practice emphasizes the development and protection of each client’s unique intellectual property portfolio. She may be reached at 720-684-5375 or jrosenblum@holzeriplaw.com.

1 For a complete list of resources throughout the U.S., see americanbar.org/groups/lawyer_assistance.html. 2 coloradolap.org/index.htm. 3 citing coloradolap.org/Mission.htm. 4 C.R.C.P. 254(6)(a). 5 coloradolaw.org 6 Ms. Barbara Ezyk, Executive Director of COLAP, interviewed March 30, 2015. 7 Colorado Lawyers Helping Lawyers, Inc. (“CLHL”) is a nonprofit, court-approved “peer assistance” organization. clhl.org. 8 coloradolap.org/index.htm. americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/delivery_legal_services/ls_del_2012_lap_comprehensivesurvey.

authcheckdam.pdf. 9 The 1st most common resource was self-referrals according to the ABA’s 2012 survey published in 2013. See, americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/ administrative/delivery_legal_services/ls_del_2012_lap_comprehensivesurvey.authcheckdam.pdf. 10 Ms. Barbara Ezyk, Executive Director of COLAP, interviewed March 30, 2015.

2015 Henry Hall

Memorial Golf Tournament

Monday, June 8

The 2015 Henry Hall Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, June 8 at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen. Registration, lunch, and range balls are at noon, followed by a 1:15 p.m. shotgun. The price is $105 per player, and $95 for YLD members. Please fill out the form below and mail it with your payment to: DBA, Attn: Alexa Drago, 1900 Grant Street, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80203-4336. For additional information, please contact Alexa Drago at adrago@cobar.org or (303) 824-5313.

Please choose one: q Champions Division (Best Ball) q Challenge Division (Scramble) Name __________________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip ____________________________________________________________ Phone ____________________________ E-mail _________________________________ Teammate names (if applicable) _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ $105 per DBA player/$95 per YLD member Amount enclosed $ ________________ (Make checks payable to “DBA”) q AmEx q MC q Visa #____________________________Exp._____________________ 20 The Docket I May 2015


TEN QUESTIONS

Alex Hood with his two children.

TEN QUESTIONS WITH DBA MEMBER ALEX HOOD “Ten Questions” is a Docket feature focused on getting to know DBA members. If you’re interested in being in the spotlight—or know someone else who should be—email cgibb@cobar.org.

3. Where is your favorite place to travel?

1.Where did you go to law school and where are you currently working?

I can’t really binge watch anything because I have two small children and very little time for TV. I am watching, slowly, House of Cards and Better Call Saul.

I went to Boston College Law School and am now an Attorney and Director of Litigation at Towards Justice.

2. Why did you become a lawyer? I was a high school history teacher for four years before going to law school. I really liked teaching at first, but then each year started to feel the same and I got a little bored with it. I wanted something new that was both intellectually challenging and where the work was constantly changing. That’s what I hoped for in becoming a lawyer and I haven’t been disappointed.

Anywhere there is skiing or a beach.

4. Are you currently binge watching any shows?

5. What’s the best restaurant in Denver? The Torta Grill. This is a Mexican Torta shop on Colfax near my office. The owners started with a food truck and then opened this small restaurant that makes amazing grilled sandwiches. I’ve been trying to get them to give me a Torta Grill t-shirt for a while. I hope this plug helps my case.

6. What is your favorite thing to cook? I started elk hunting a few years ago and enjoy coming up with various recipes for all of the elk in my freezer.

7. If you weren’t a lawyer, you’d be: A chef. Though perhaps not a very good one. I love to cook.

8. How do you de-stress? Playing with my 1.5 year old son and my 3.5 year old daughter in the back yard.

9. Biggest pet peeve? Waiting in line for anything.

10. What’s your favorite board game? Risk. D You can contact Alex at alex@towardsjustice.org.

May 2015 I The Docket

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Book Review

SOLDIER GIRLS: THE BATTLES OF THREE WOMEN AT HOME AND AT WAR

B y Timo t h y R . F r anklin Helen Thorpe’s latest book, “Soldier Girls: The Battles of Three Women at Home and at War,” has received numerous accolades, including selection as Time’s #1 nonfiction book of 2014. If you have not yet picked it up, I strongly recommend you add “Soldier Girls” to your summer reading list. “Soldier Girls” follows the lives of three women over a span of 12 years and multiple tours of duty while serving in the Illinois National Guard. The women, who become friends during military service, come from very different backgrounds. Michelle, the youngest, joins the National Guard for an eight-year stint after being steered by the promise of free education and additional monetary bonuses. Michelle is a very attractive young woman, constantly pursued by the male soldiers she serves with, so much so that at one point she is confined to simply sitting in a truck. Debbie, the oldest of the three, was a manager of a hair salon who joined

22 The Docket I May 2015

the National Guard at age 34 and served until she was 49—at which time she was the oldest soldier in the Guard. Debbie joined to fulfill a sense of duty and to emulate her father, a former Army drill sergeant. She enjoyed the social aspects of service and quickly became the den mother to the other soldiers. Desma was a single mother of three who joined the Guard on a dare. Although the Guard prohibited enlistment of single mothers, she found a way to get around it. I found Desma to be the most intriguing of the three because she had the most obstacles to overcome and accomplished the most during her time in the Guard. Prior to joining the Guard, Desma worked at various semiskilled labor positions and never made more than $10 an hour. Desma was extremely smart; she was a whiz with electronics and other gadgets and was the only one at Camp Aberdeen who could figure out how to use certain encrypted radios that were handed down to the Guard from Army. Desma ended up teaching every unit how to use them. It was surprising to me that she was not more successful in her civilian life, because she was intelligent and a quick learner. During her tour in Iraq, Desma drove an $800,000 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV) running convoy missions. She had never received any ASV training but after getting the assignment soon became highly skilled in the position, eventually taking over the dangerous assistant scout position—which meant she ran ahead of the convoy looking for bombs and other potentially dangerous issues to protect the civilian trucks in the convoy. In her last tour of duty, Desma was severely injured when an object she was investigating turned out to be an impromptu explosive device (IED) that

ripped her ASV apart. Fortunately the ASV was equipped with angular armor to deflect IED blasts, because without it Desma would have died. The IED changed Desma’s life forever: she suffered from PTSD, debilitating headaches, memory loss and stress fractures in her legs.

Thorpe also touched upon something in this book that I deal with almost every day in my practice: the fact that many veterans never report injuries when they separate from service.” Once stateside, Desma began receiving compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA gave her a combined 30-percent rating, representing 10-percent each for headaches, shoulder injury and leg fractures. Although the VA diagnosed her with PTSD, Desma received a 0-percent rating for it. The VA gives 0-percent ratings when the condition is related to service but not severe enough to warrant monetary compensation. I was not surprised when Desma received a 0-percent rating for her PTSD, because the VA is notorious for assigning low ratings. The VA also failed to initially evaluate her for traumatic brain injury (TBI), despite evidence of memory loss and the inability to stay focused, which are both common traits of a TBI. Thankfully, Desma finally saw a good doctor who recognized her symptoms; she was then compensated for her TBI and also received an increase for PTSD. Thorpe also touched upon something in this book that I deal with almost every day in my practice: the fact that many veterans never report injuries when they separate from service. When Michelle returned stateside, she was required to complete “reams of


paperwork.” One of the forms was a postdeployment health assessment, which she tried to answer truthfully, but ended up denying experiencing any problems in service even though she had. Michelle simply answered the questions in the way she thought the Guard wanted her to so she could get home. Soldiers almost always fail to report mental and physical injuries when they are being separated from service because, as the book points out, doing so would “entangle them in the Army’s bureaucracy.” Unfortunately, when soldiers fail to report injuries at separation that is what ends up entangling them in bureaucracy because the VA will use those separation examinations as evidence to deny valid compensation claims. Aside from Desma’s IED incident and vague references to support of the Army, “Soldiers Girls” contains very little mention of combat. Instead, Thorpe focuses on the women’s relationships with each other; the way their time in the Guard affected their relationships with friends and family outside of the Guard; and the impact service had on their lives.

exception of Debbie, none of them ever dreamed that they would be in combat. When the government mobilized the Guard, it had no real plan regarding what to do with all the troops it sent over to Iraq and Afghanistan. By focusing on the daily, non-combat lives of the troops, Thorpe highlights how ordinary and routine going to war has become, while also showing the devastating effects a tour of duty has on the civilian lives of our soldiers and their families. D Timothy R. Franklin is an associate attorney at the Law Office of Sean Kendall. His national practice is focused on representing veterans in compensation claims before the Veterans Administration, Board of Veterans' Appeals, and at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in Washington D.C. Tim can be reached at tfranklin.skl@gmail.com or 303-449-4773.

Colorado Lawyers for Colorado Veterans provides legal assistance to veterans. Veterans face a wide array of legal issues created by their unique circumstances. Colorado Lawyers for Colorado Veterans is designed to provide veterans with assistance related to challenges in obtaining medical care, disability benefits, reemployment rights, consumer, housing, criminal and family law matters, and in obtaining legal counsel. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Carolyn Gravit at cgravit@cobar.org.

By focusing on the daily, non-combat lives of the troops, Thorpe highlights how ordinary and routine going to war has become, while also showing the devastating effects a tour of duty has on the civilian lives of our soldiers and their families. One of the criticisms of “Soldier Girls” laments the fact that a large portion of the book focused on the mundane daily lives of the women. However, those details are precisely what makes Thorpe such a compelling author and why “Solder Girls” is such a great book. These women signed up for the Guard because they thought it would be an easy way to earn extra money for college and support their families; with the May 2015 I The Docket

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LAW STUDENT CHRONICLES: LEGAL LESSONS “At this point, the 1L’s are either confused or ridiculously optimistic, the 2L’s are busy, stressed, in desperate need of sleep, and praying for employment, and the 3L’s are—for lack of a better word—completely over it.” be driving at 0.4 MPH (I’m Californian, I can say that!), but take a deep breath, smile, and chill out. Your day will be better if you do.

2. DO WHAT SCARES AND/ OR BORES YOU

B y D e anna A lfred As my second year of law school comes to a graceful close, I can’t help but marvel at how quickly these past 19 months have passed since I timidly walked into the University of Colorado Law School. At this point, the 1L’s are either confused or ridiculously optimistic, the 2L’s are busy, stressed, in desperate need of sleep, and praying for employment, and the 3L’s are—for lack of a better word—completely over it. As I take this time away from my Wills and Trusts reading (Thank you Professor Ryan for making this the most amusing class ever), I thought it would be good to reflect on the top three lessons I have learned now that I have completed 66% of the bright and shiny experience that is a legal education.

1. ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT With the legal profession being such a relationship driven field, this is a lesson I am consistently attempting to implement in my life. I’ll admit that when it’s 11 p.m. on a Sunday night, I have yet to crack open the casebook I swore to crack open two days ago, and Netflix is asking me if I want to watch yet another epi-

24 The Docket I May 2015

When I arrived to law school orientation at CU I had one goal: to graduate first in my class, similar to at least 50% of the other 1L’s in the room. Although that particular goal is officially dead and has been laid to rest, many other goals have sprouted in its place. I yearn for the day when I’m no longer a law student but rather a practicing attorney —but in the mean time I have made it a priority to seek opportunities that will enhance my

sode of Friends, my attitude toward law school can look a little grim. However, positive people flock to positive people and if we spend a majority of these three years complaining about the experi9TH ANNUAL ence we willingly LEGAL INCLUSIVENESS signed many master promissor y notes & DIVERSITY SUMMIT for, then it will have May 4 | Sheraton Denver Downtown been for naught. The Subm itted for Colorado CLEs more people that want to be around National Experts & Distinguished Presenters o r c o m m u n i c a te + Summit Networking Reception with GCs with you and your gleaming personality, the broader your network becomes and the greater the Ken Mana r Lee David Bennett chance that your Salazar Morales Mun W ah Deschamps Singer prayers for employment will eventually be answered. So yes, it may be snowing Monday morning, you have 11 minutes to make it to your 8 a.m. Evidence class, and some dr iver w w w . ce n t e r fo r l e ga l i n c l u si ve ne ss. o r g with a California 303.832.3503 license plate may


experience while here. My main method of doing so has been to avoid just playing to my strengths. At most law schools it’s pretty easy to craft a second and third year schedule to avoid courses with which you seem not to connect. But avoiding all that is uncomfortable seems like one of the easiest ways to demean the law school experience. That discomfort or disinterest is a reason to take more, not fewer, courses that seem foreign to you in order to enhance your skills and make you appear more versatile in the ‘real world.’ Plus nine times out of 10, what you’re avoiding is probably going to be a topic on the Bar Exam anyway so you can run, but you certainly can’t hide.

3. GO OUTSIDE. NO SERIOUSLY PUT THE BOOK DOWN AND GO OUTSIDE.

I try not to share statistics with my 0L friends who are preparing for law school this fall. I try not to tell them that lawyers have one of the highest rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and divorce. Instead, when they ask how they can start preparing for these upcoming three years, I

tell them to make sure they go outside. This is usually met with a confused gaze accompanied by, “Of course I have to go outside, how else would I get to school?” What I mean is that during my 1L year I probably spent about 60 hours a week inside the law building studying, reading, outlining, eating all three meals, catching up on TV, and sometimes even sleeping. I’m not exactly sure why I paid rent for an apartment when I mainly used it for the mere purpose of showering and storage, but I often wish I could have done it differently.

“... if we spend a majority of these three years complaining about the experience we willingly signed many master promissory notes for, then it will have been for naught.” It wasn’t until I was informed by my doctor that I had a major Vitamin D deficiency and unusual blood pressure levels for someone of my age when I realized that being a semi-permanent resident

of the Wolf Law Building wasn’t improving my life in any way. I was still stressed beyond reason, feeling the strain and pressure of the supposed correlation between grades and the type of life you will receive based upon them. Neglecting my basic needs to obtain this badge of honor of suffering was ludicrous, so I started spending more time outside. I started leaving textbooks at home and going on hikes, bike rides, and exploring this state I had chosen to live in, which just happened to be undeniably beautiful. By no means am I saying that taking a walk in between classes or going on quick hike before starting that 40-page reading will alleviate the pressure felt from the deadlines, On Campus Interviews, and outlines, but it will put them on the backburner for a little while. And for the sake of your sanity, that’s ok. D By Deanna Alfred, a 2L at the University of Colorado Law School. Alfred is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where she grew up, with a degree in English, emphasis in creative writing.

2015 Colorado Legal Directory Addendum The attorneys and Fields of Practice listed in the addendum were printed incorrectly in the original edition of the 2015 Legal Directory. The Addendum is for corrections, not for updates that were not verified.

Chapter 2 Attorney Listings Hess, R Craig (26398)ⓒⓓ................303.982.6521 Jeffco Public Schools 1829 Denver West Dr Bldg 27 Golden CO 80401 Fax: 303.982.6545 Email: RHESS@jeffco.k12.co.us McCorkle, Michael T (46442)ⓒⓓ....303.832.1050 Attorney at Law Capitol Hill Law PLLC 999 Ogden St # 901 Denver CO 80218 Email: capitol-hill-law@centurylink.net Park, He-Sung R (36612)ⓒⓓ..........303.808.8782 AIG Aerospace 32 Old Slip 22nd Fl New York, NY 10005 Email: rocie.park@aig.com

Rector, Terry E (11486)ⓒ......................................719.578.1106 Rector Law Firm 131 S Weber St Colorado Springs CO 80903 Fax: 719.653.3071 Email: trector@terryrectorlaw.com Web: www.terryrectorlaw.com

Chapter 4 Fields of Practice Immigration Law Oserow Rhodes, Beverly W (10330)ⓒⓓ..........303.331.4423 Oserow Rhodes Law LLC 3773 Cherry Creek N Dr Ste 575 Denver CO 80209 Fax: 303.331.4422 Email: bev@oserowrhodeslaw.com Web: www.oserowrhodeslaw.com May 2015 I The Docket

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CBA-CLE Calendar

March 2015

REGISTER ONLINE OR CALL TODAY! LIVE EVENTS AND LIVE WEBCASTS March 11, 2015 The Power of Potential – Lawyering and Leading with a Growth Market Submitted for 4 General CLE credits

March 3, 2015 Funding the Revocable Living Trust Submitted for 1 General CLE credit March 4, 2015 Limited Liability Companies in Colorado Submitted for 8 General CLE credits, including 1 Ethics

March 12, 2015 Oil and Gas Law Advanced Topics 2015 Submitted for 8 General CLE credits, including 1 Ethics

March 5-6, 2015 Advanced Elder Law Institute – Protecting Our Elders Financially, Medically, and Legally Submitted for 14 CLE credits, including 1 Ethics

March 13, 2015 Colorado Health Law Symposium 2015 Submitted for 6 General CLE credits, including 1 Ethics

March 6, 2015 Run Your Firm Like a Business – Live in Durango ONLY! Submitted for 3 General CLE credits March 9, 2015 Top Tax Tips for Solo & Small Law Firms in 2015 Submitted for 1 General CLE credit March 2015 - May 2015 Understanding and Using Trusts Series March 11: Trusts: Today and Tomorrow (Part 3) Each program is submitted for 4 CLE credits

March 20, 2015 Workers' Compensation Spring Update 2015: Case Updates, Mock Evidence Scenarios & an Anatomy Lesson Submitted for 6 General CLE credits, including 1 Ethics March 2015 - May 2015 Understanding and Using Trusts Series March 25: Counseling Trustees on Their Duties (Part 4) Each program is submitted for 4 CLE credits March 26, 2015 Real Estate Spring Update 2015: Anatomy of a Commercial Real Estate Transaction Submitted for 7 General CLE credits

All classes are held at the CBA-CLE Classroom at 1900 Grant St, Ste 300, Denver, CO, unless otherwise noted.

VIDEO REPLAYS

March 5, 2015 - Part 1 of the 9 Part Trust Series Revocable Living Trusts: Design, Implementation and Other Issues Submitted for 4 General CLE credits

March 20, 2015 Estate Administration Basic Skills 2015 Submitted for 7 General CLE credits, including 1 Ethics

March 12, 2015 Family Law Basic Skills 2015 Submitted for 17 General CLE credits, including 1.8 Ethics

March 26, 2015 Limited Liability Companies in Colorado Submitted for 8 General CLE credits, including 1 Ethics

March 18, 2015 Product Liability Fundamentals Submitted for 7 General CLE credits

March 27, 2015 - Part 3 of the 9 Part Trust Series Trusts: Today and Tomorrow Submitted for 4 General CLE credits

March 19, 2015 - Part 2 of the 9 Part Trust Series Taxation of Trusts Submitted for 4 General CLE credits

(video replay in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs, and Denver)

CBA CLE

www.cobarcle.org

1900 Grant St., Suite 300, Denver, CO 80203-4303

26 The Docket I May 2015

Phone: 303-860-0608

Toll-Free: 888-860-2531

Fax: 303-860-0624


AUTHOR Jordan Lipp

PRODUCT LIABILITY

Law & Procedure in Colorado

Products Liability: Law and Procedure in Colorado is a thorough overview of the major issues of products liability law, specific to Colorado. This comprehensive treatise reviews: n n n n n

Relevant state and federal court systems The product liability statute Specific claims Causation and damages Relevant statutes, case law, and jury instructions

To assist the practitioner in research, the desk book contains a useful subject index and table of authorities, as well as a fully searchable CD-ROM. It is an invaluable tool to practitioners as they wrestle with these complex and fascinating cases from both the defense and plaintiffs’ sides. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: Introduction and Overview of Colorado State and Federal Courts CHAPTER 2: Colorado’s Product Liability Statute and Defining Key Terms CHAPTER 3: Strict Liability for Defective Products CHAPTER 4: Negligence CHAPTER 5: Strict Liability for Misrepresentation CHAPTER 6: Breach of Warranty CHAPTER 7: Other Claims CHAPTER 8: Statutory Presumptions CHAPTER 9: Defenses Focused on the Defendant’s Conduct Or the Product Itself CHAPTER 10: Defenses Focused on the Plaintiff’s PreAccident and Accident Conduct CHAPTER 11: Defenses Focusing on Plaintiff’s PostAccident Conduct CHAPTER 12: The Statutory Defenses CHAPTER 13: Apportioning Fault CHAPTER 14: Causation CHAPTER 15: Evidentiary Issues and Experts CHAPTER 16: Damages CHAPTER 17: Interest CHAPTER 18: Costs CHAPTER 19: Attorney Fees

Item Number: ZPLLAP15B CBA Member Price: $ 85.00 | Non-Member Price: $105.00

Three Convenient Ways to Order: ONLINE AT: www.cobarcle.org CALL: IN DENVER 303.860.0608 TOLL FREE 888.860.2531 STOP BY: Our office and save on shipping!

1900 Grant Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80203 www.cobarcle.org May 2015 I The Docket

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28 The Docket I May 2015


Volunteer Corner:

Start Planning Now! More Reading Tutors and Donations Needed for NEXT School Year B y E rich Be t hke The Denver Bar Association’s Lawyers & Schools Committee is excited to continue its collaboration with the Colorado Reading Partners organization. Because of the great success of our current reading tutors (including volunteer attorneys and legal staff), Reading Partners has been asked to increase its one-on-one reading tutoring in Denver’s and Aurora’s schools for the 2015–16 school year. As the current 2014–15 school year is quickly coming to a close, Reading Partners and the DBA Lawyers & Schools Committee are excited to start thinking about next school year as their program continues to expand across the Denver Metro area. Reading Partners’ mission is to help children become lifelong readers by empowering communities to provide one-on-one reading tutoring with measurable results. Most reading tutoring will be with students in the K–third grade levels. By working one-on-one with their tutors, students who were once struggling in many subjects become proud, confident readers, excited about learning and ready for success. In the 2015–16 school year, Reading Partners will serve up to 15 Denver Public Schools and five Aurora Public Schools. This increases the number of schools participating in the Reading Partners tutoring program from thirteen elementary schools, to twenty Title I elementary schools with the goal to provide one-on-one tutoring to at least 1,000 students. In order to start next school year with success, Reading Partners needs 350 new volunteer tutors (which means 20 new volunteers per school) registered and trained before Sept. 1. The DBA Lawyers & Schools Committee urges DBA/CBA lawyers and legal staff to join to help meet this goal for new tutors. The step-by-step literacy curriculum provided by Reading Partners in each school makes tutoring fun and effective. At all tutoring times, Reading Partners staff will be present in the schools to work with DBA/CBA volunteers and their students. Volunteers commit to one hour of one-on-one tutoring per week (or more if desired) and need no previous teaching or tutoring experience. Volunteer events and trainings are being scheduled throughout Summer 2015 and will be offered throughout the upcoming 2015–16 school year. Interested? Please let the Reading Partners staff know by calling Reading Partners at 720-409-9909 or emailing volunteerCO@readingpartners.org. You can also learn more by visiting readingpartners.org/volunteer. Please join and be a part this important collaboration between Denver Metro attorneys/ staff and the Reading Partners organization. Sign up to become a Reading Partners tutor today! Can’t volunteer but want to get involved? Give the gift of reading by making a gift at www.readingpartners.org/donate.

$25 helps stock a Reading Center with new writing supplies; $50 provides 5 books for a child to begin building his/her home library with age- and skill-appropriate books; $100 brings Reading Partners’ structured curriculum to one student. D Erich Bethke is a Director at Senn Visciano Canges P.C., where his practice emphasizes family law and commercial/business matters. He has been the committee chair of the Lawyers and Schools Committee for the past five years and has been involved in school-related volunteer projects for over 20 years. He will always be passionate about the volunteer involvement of DBA members in Denver’s schools.

DENVER LITIGATORS

www.ColMediators.org May 2015 I The Docket

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Bar RESOURCES The DBA Waterman Fund Financial assistance for Colorado lawyers. The DBA Waterman Fund provides financial assistance for “aged, infirm, or otherwise incapacitated lawyers who have practiced in Colorado for a minimum of ten years.” Visit cobar.org/ watermanfund.htm for more information. The Fund’s address is 1900 Grant St., Ste. 900, Denver, CO. Phone number is 303-824-5319 and fax is 303-8615274.

James O’Connor: 303-799-9001 Marion McBain: 303-635-2246 Sponsored by the DBA Peer Professionalism Assistance Committee.

COLAP

grams (including ethics CLEs). For more information or for confidential assistance, please contact COLAP at 303-986-3345 or (toll free) 855-9862126. Visit our website at coloradolap.org

The Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program (COLAP) is an Independent and Confidential program exclusively for Judges, Lawyers, and Law Students. Established by Colorado Supreme Court Rule 254, COLAP provides assistance with Practice Management, Work/Life Integration, Stress/Anger Management, Anxiety, Depression, Substance Abuse, and any Career Challenge that interferes with the ability to be a productive member of the legal community. COLAP provides referrals for a wide variety of personal and professional issues, assistance with interventions, voluntary monitoring programs, supportive relationships with peer volunteers and educational pro-

DBA Placement Services

Judicial Excellence Awards Nominations—Deadline to Nominate is Friday, May 8

Colorado Lawyers Committee 2015 Awards Luncheon—Tuesday, May 19

The Colorado Judicial Institute has opened nominations for the 2015 Judicial Excellence Awards. Please help us celebrate judges and magistrates across Colorado by submitting a nomination and by spreading the word about the Judicial Excellence Awards. The only way we find out about the great judges across our state is by hearing from people like you! Submit your nominations online at coloradojudicialinstitute.org by Friday, May 8.

The 2015 Awards Luncheon of the Colorado Lawyers Committee will be held on Tuesday, May 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Marriott Denver City Center, 1701 California Street. Each year, the Colorado Lawyers Committee hosts an Awards Luncheon to honor the law firms and individual volunteers who have made significant contributions to our community through Lawyers Committee projects. Individual tickets to the 2015 Awards Luncheon are $60. Corporate and community sponsorships are available. Tickets and sponsorships may be purchased on the Lawyers Committee website.

so balls and strikes are not called, and it’s inexpensive. You don’t even have to be a lawyer—staff, family, friends, clients, and relative strangers are all welcome. Games are Saturdays at 11 a.m. from June 6 through early at Aug. 8 at Cranmer (Sundial) Park. Interested captains should contact Jack Tanner at jtanner@fwlaw. com or 303-894-4495.

Troubled by Rude and Unprofessional Attorneys? The DBA Peer Professionalism Assistance Committee The following lawyers are willing to take calls on a confidential basis, offering guidance, tips, and strategies for dealing with opposing counsel. Teresa Wilkins: 303-791-9545 Dave Furgason: 303-861-8013

As a membership service of the Denver Bar Association, the Placement Service provides law firms and legal departments of corporations with qualified applicants in positions that match their skills, abilities and expectations. Their quality approach to cost-effective staffing has made the DBA Placement Service a favorite of the legal community since 1986. It provides temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time employment opportunities for secretaries, paralegals, receptionists, accounting, administrators, and office assistants. Contact Mev Parsons or Amy Sreenen at 303-894-0014 or email dbaps@earthlink.net.

BRIEFS

Disability Law Colorado And Dba/ Cba Yld Team Up For The Colfax Marathon—Sunday, May 17 Join DBA and CBA YLD members in conjunction with Disability Law Colorado on Sunday, May 17 by joining or forming a marathon relay team. Visit dbayounglawyers.org to find out more about the event and register. Contact Heather Folker at hfolker@cobar.org to find out more about joining an existing team.

30 The Docket I May 2015

Dba Lawyers Softball— June Through August The headline pretty much says it all. Lawyers’ League softball is just plain fun. You get out of the office on a Saturday morning and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. It’s co-ed. There are no umpires,

Seniors Spring Banquet— Wednesday, June 3 Honor those who have been admitted to the bar for 50 years at the DBA Seniors Spring Banquet on Wednesday, June 3. The “class” includes Andrew Armatas, Robert Benson, Alan Bucholtz, E. Michael Canges, Jay Chapman, Michael Cheroutes, William Cox, James Dean, Richard Finke, David Furgason, Gary Hart, William Hillhouse, Michael Homyak, William Hunsaker, William Imig, Dennis Jackson, Frederick Jolley, Richard Judd, Howard Kirshbaum, Dennis Markusson, H. Michael Miller, Robert Miller, Declan


O’Donnell, John Pearson, Jeffrey Scott, Robert Vinton, Donald Wilson, and Sanford Zisman. The banquet will be held at 5:15 p.m. at the University Club, 1673 Sherman St. Cost to attend is $50 and all are invited to attend. RSVP to Heather Folker at hfolker@cobar.org or 303-824-5350.

10th Annual Immigrant Liberty Awards—Friday, June 12

of Law. To purchase tickets visit bit.ly/ ImmLib.

The 10th Annual Immigrant Liberty Awards, hosted by the Colorado Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), will be held on Friday, June 12, starting at 5:30 p.m., at the University of Denver’s Sturm College

Dates on the DOCKET DBA MEETINGS All DBA meetings are scheduled at 1900 Grant St., Suite 900, in Denver, unless otherwise noted. Call Melissa Nicoletti, 303-8245321, to schedule committee meetings so they will appear in this calendar. MAY 5 303-824-5323 Denver Access to Justice Committee Noon–1:30 p.m. Call Carolyn Gravit, 303-824-5323

MAY 6 Docket Committee Noon–1 p.m. Call Courtney Gibb, 303-824-5336

MAY 12 DBA Board of Trustees 7:30–9 a.m. Call Leah Achen, 303-824-5327

MAY 7 Lawyers and Schools Committee Noon–1 p.m. Call Carolyn Gravit, 303-824-5323 Denver Access to Justice Committee Noon–1:30 p.m. Call Carolyn Gravit, 303-824-5323

MAY 13 ?? Professionalism Coordinating Councils Noon–1 p.m. Call Greg Martin 303-824-5317

MAY 12 Veterans Clinic Auraria Campus Tivoli Student Union, Room 444 900 Auraria Parkway Noon–2 p.m.

Family Law Clinic Office of Economic Development 1200 Federal Blvd Room 1018 5:30–7 p.m. Call 720-944-2594

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

Legal Night at Mi Casa 360 Acoma St 5:30–7 p.m. Call 303-573-1302

MAY 19 Small Claims Clinic Denver City and County Building 1437 Bannock St, Room 117 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

MAY 20 Child Support Clinic 1437 Bannock St, Room 368 10–11:30 a.m. LawLine 9 500 East Speer Blvd 4–5:30 p.m.

MAY 18 Community Action Network Noon–1 p.m. Call Kate Schuster, 303-824-5312

DBA Young Lawyers Division Council 6–7:30 p.m. Call Heather Folker, 303-824-5350

FOR THE PUBLIC To volunteer for the Public Legal Education programs or for more information, unless otherwise indicated, contact Meghan Bush at 303-824-5303. MAY 6 Child Support Clinic 1437 Bannock St, Room 368 10–11:30 a.m. LawLine 9 500 East Speer Blvd 4–5:30 p.m. Legal Night At El Centro De San Juan Diego 2830 Lawrence St. 5:30–7 p.m. Call 303-295-9470

Colorado Poverty Law Clinic Colorado Coalition for the Homeless 2100 Broadway 4–6 p.m. LawLine 9 500 East Speer Blvd 4–5:30 p.m. MAY 21 Collections Clinic Denver City and County Building 1437 Bannock St, Room 164 11 a.m.–1 p.m. MAY 27 LawLine 9 500 East Speer Blvd 4–5:30 p.m. May 2015 I The Docket

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Legal AFFAIRS GOOD THINGS The GLBT Community Center announced that J. Ryann Peyton has been appointed director of The Center’s Legal and Training Peyton Program. Wade Warthen, associate at Darling Milligan Horowitz, PC formerly known as Darling Milligan Smith & Lesch, PC, was named 2014 Member of the Year for NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and Office Properties). Warthen focuses on commercial real estate transactions. CHANGES Miller & Steiert, PC is pleased to announce that Christopher J. Forrest and Mollie B. Hawes have become shareholders of the Forrest firm. T he U.S . Cour t of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has appointed Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP partner Tom McNamara Hawes as a new U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Colorado effective March 23. He has been appointed for a term of 14 years and will replace the Hon. A. Bruce Campbell upon his retirement. W illiam R . Floyd joins Hall & Evans, LLC as a special counsel litigation attorney in the transportation practice group. Floyd Floyd has a practice that focuses on railroad, toxic exposure, FEL A , asbestos, grade crossing accidents, and property litigation. Kirch and Rounds, P.C. is pleased to announce that Emily L. Peyton has joined the firm as an assoPeyton ciate attorney. Peyton’s practice will focus in the areas of estate

planning, estate and trust administration, elder lax, taxation, and probate litigation. Semple, Farrington & Ortiz Everall, P.C. is pleased to announce that Holly Ortiz and Susanne Starecki Kim have become partners in the firm. Lewis Brisbois is pleased to welcome new of Starecki Kim counsel attorney Thomas A. Dougherty to their office and Intellectual Property and Technology Practice. Wells, Anderson & Race, LLC is pleased to announce that Paul D. Dinkelmeyer has rejoined the firm as an associate Dinkelmeyer attorney, and Surbhi Garg has joined the firm as an associate attorney. Dinkelmeyer’s litigation practice will continue to focus on insurance Garg defense, constr uction, premises liability, and insurance bad faith. Garg’s practice focuses on insurance defense, commercial litigation, employment law, and construction litigation. Craig A . Sargent Joins Hall & Evans, LLC as a special counsel litigation attorney in the health and medical malpractice group. Sargent Sargent also handles business and commercial litigation, is trained as a mediator, and serves as a trial and litigation consultant. Na nc y Pe a r l a nd L aura Schneider are pleased to announce that Jason Young became a member of Pearl Schneider Young LLC, effective January 1.

BRICK & MORTAR Kevin S. Neiman is pleased to announce the opening of his new law firm, the Law Offices of Kevin S. Neiman, P.C., which is located at 1621 18th St., Ste. 260, Denver. The telephone number is 303-996-8637. The firm specializes in business and individual bankruptcies; bankruptcy litigation and appeals; commercial litigation; and workouts and restructurings. Founded by Kim Childs, Dan McCune, Chris Miller, Steve Michalek and Julie Warren, Childs McCune celebrated its first year in business on March 10. Jeff Stengel and Matt Hoppe have partnered to launch Stengel Hoppe LLP. Based in Denver, the firm specializes in natural resources and oil and gas law, title opinions, and representing mineral owners in Colorado. NEW FACES Lucia Padilla and her husbans Chris Leach welcomed their son Hayden Amadeo Leach on March 24. He weighed 5 pounds, Hayden 15 ounces and was almost 19.5 inches long.

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 Schuster at kschuster@cobar.org by the 1st day of the month.

32 The Docket I May 2015


2015

Law Day Art Contest

THE MAGNA CARTA: Symbol of Freedom Under Law Sponsored by the Denver Public Schools and the Denver Bar Association

THIS YEAR’S WINNER IS LILLY PHAN ,

who is a 3rd Grader from Gust Elementary. Congratulations Lilly!

May 2015 I The Docket

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Picture THIS Lawline9 at 9News Anniversary February marked the 22nd year anniversary for Lawline 9 at 9News. Each week volunteers answer questions at 9NEWS on a variety of legal topics. Lawline 9 receive on average a 100 calls every Wednesday from 4-5:30 p.m. Lawline 9 is a call in

program under the DBA Access to Justice Committee. If you would like to volunteer for the program, please contact Meghan Bush at mbush@cobar.org

DBA Court Tour Attorney Robert Rosenthal volunteered to give a tour of the Lindsay Flanigan Building to 60 sixth grade students from Kearney Middle School. Students visited different courtrooms to watch proceedings in Judge Beth Faragher, Judge Donna Schmalberger and Magistrate Howard Bartlett courtrooms. It ended with Judge Rudolph speaking to the students about becoming a judge and fun stories of his past

Debate Club at College View

Left to right: Kristine Eckley, Aaron Goldman, Simone Montoya, Teri Vasquez, Andrew Nickel, Hon. Laura Tighe, Matt Weeber, Eric Bethke

34 The Docket I May 2015

Attorney volunteers from Bayer & Carey P.C. and DBA Lawyers and Schools Committee joined forces to provide a Debate Club at DPS College View Elementary for 5th grade students. Volunteers met with the students twice a week for 5 consecutive weeks. The final debate topic was whether College View elementary school should have team sports. Volunteers that participated in the program were Hon. Laura Tighe, Teri Vasquez, Erich Bethke, Andy Nickel, Kristine Eckley, Simone Montoya, Matt Weeber, Aaron Goldman and Jessica Beegle. If you would be interested in volunteering for DBA Lawyers and Schools programs please contact Meghan Bush at 303-824-5303.


DBA Happenings

Lawline9 at 9News Anniversary Lawyers League Basketball’s version of March Madness for 2015 concluded with its championship games this year: In A League, BHFS Ballers defeated Starbury v Madison. In B League, Ex-Patriots defeated The Deficiency. Congratulations to the Champions for 2015.

A League, BHFS Ballers.

B League, Ex-Patriots.

Dan McCune ‘Pinned’ at Past Presidents’ Dinner Immediate Denver Bar Association Past President Dan McCune received his pin recognizing him as a past president at the DBA Past Presidents’ Dinner on March 10 at the Guard and Grace Restaurant.

Lorraine D'Aversa pins past DBA president Dan McCune. Jim Benjamin stands off to the side.

Howard Rosenberg, Kristen Dutton, Cindy and Craig Eley.

Incoming DBA president Janet Drake, CBA Deputy Executive Director Greg Martin, and Liz Starrs.

Willis Carpenter and Chuck Turner May 2015 I The Docket

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