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Law School for Journalists

“The public's confidence in the judiciary hinges on the public’s perception of it,
and that perception necessarily hinges on the media’s portrayal of the legal system.“

— Justice Felix Frankfurter, quoted in “Journalism and the Judiciary,” 1997.



The Colorado Bar Association and the Colorado Judicial Department have teamed up to create “Law School for Journalists,” a series of classes designed to provide reporters with basic information about the legal system and the judiciary. These free 1.5-hour sessions will take place occasionally at the Colorado Bar Association, 1900 Grant St., Third Floor, Denver, CO 80203. Each session will focus on one primary area of the law.

The classes will be designed to provide you with information to give you insight into the legal issues you are covering, enabling you to more insightfully, accurately and easily write your stories. Each session will feature attorneys and/or members of the judiciary. Each session is considered to be on the record.

Members of the media outside the Metro Denver area will be able to access the sessions via a live webcast. To RSVP for any session, or if you have any questions, please contact Heather Folker at hfolker@cobar.org.

Evaluation/Suggestion Form

Classes and Materials:

Aug. 8, 2016, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Colorado's judicial merit selection system -- or, how a judge becomes a judge -- its applications and benefits. (announcement)
Judge your Judges - handout from the Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation
Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation presentation
Presentation by former Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Russell Carparelli
Video recording of presentation (begins at 02:50)

March 18, 2013, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
The Insanity Defense, the Death Penalty and Media Law (announcement)
Handout: The insanity defense and the death penalty, by Karen Steinhauser
Handout: Public Access Issues in High Profile Criminal Cases
Click here to watch a video of the session.

Aug. 7, 2012, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
The Life of a Criminal Case, exploring procedural issues in criminal cases, insanity defenses and the death penalty.
Handouts:
The Life of a Criminal Case, by Our Courts Colorado
Procedures regarding insanity and Incompetency issues and the death penalty, by Karen Steinhauser
Here is the video recording of the session.
 

July 20, 2011, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Redistricting
(Announcement)
Materials and offsite links:

May 16, 2011, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Juveniles in the Legal System (Announcement)

Materials:

March 29, 2011, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Open Meetings, Open Records and the Shield Law (Announcement)
Materials:

Feb. 22, 2011, 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The Colorado Courts and intellectual property law (Announcement)
Materials:

Jan. 26, 2011, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Immigration Law in Colorado (Announcement)
Materials:

Feb. 19, 2009, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Colorado Ski Safety Act (announcement)

Materials:

Oct. 20, 2008, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Election Law
(agenda)
Materials:

July 1, 2008 8:30 to 10:00 a.m.

Merit Selection, Judicial Performance and Retention (agenda)

Materials:

 

July 19, 2007

8:30-10:00 a.m.

Attorney Regulation & Discipline (agenda)

Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 9th floor

Materials:

May 24, 2007

8:30-10:00 a.m.

Employment Law: Litigation, Discrimination, Harassment, Defenses and more (agenda)

Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 9th floor

Materials:

Mar. 13, 2007

8:30-10:00 a.m.

Water Law: The Basics & Beyond (agenda) Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 9th floor

Materials and offsite links:

 

   

Feb. 1, 2007

8:30-10:00 a.m.

Foreclosures (agenda) Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 9th floor

Materials:

 

   

Dec. 12, 2006

8:30-10:00 a.m.

Legal issues of non-traditional partnerships: dissolution, children and death (agenda) Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 9th floor

Materials and offsite links:

Aug. 10, 2006

 

Back to School (agenda) Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 3rd floor
Materials and offsite links:
 

July 11, 2006

 

Peaceably to assemble: Protests, petitions and freedom of speech (agenda) Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 3rd floor
Materials and offsite links:
 

Jun. 7, 2006

Has the well run dry? Water law and population growth. (agenda) Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 3rd floor
Materials and offsite links:
 
Apr. 6, 2006 What about the $2 million cup of McDonald’s coffee? (agenda) Colorado Supreme Court
2 East 14th Ave, 5th floor
Materials:

 

Mar. 2, 2006 Children’s law yesterday, today and tomorrow (agenda) Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 3rd floor
Materials and offsite links:

 

Feb. 7, 2006 Who, what, when, and where: Sex offenders in Colorado Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 3rd floor
Materials and offsite links:
Jan. 5, 2006 Immigration Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 3rd floor
Materials and offsite links:

 

Dec. 6, 2005 Eminent Domain Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant St., 3rd floor
Materials:

 

Sara Crocker

Colorado Bar Association
1900 Grant Street, Suite 900
Denver, CO 80203
303-824-5347

scrocker@cobar.org

Robert McCallum, Public Information Officer
Office of the State Court Administrator
1300 Broadway, Suite 1200
Denver, CO 80203
720-625-5815
Robert McCallum@judicial.state.co.us

 

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