access to justice
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Colorado Supreme Court committee advances tenant-friendly rule change
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The Colorado Supreme Court’s Civil Rules Committee advanced a proposal on Friday that would make it easier for tenants facing eviction to respond to and learn about their landlord’s initial court filing. Several members of the committee were torn about the wisdom of the relatively narrow change now headed to the full court. State law…
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An obligation to use AI? Federal judge addresses lawyers on responsible technology use
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U.S. Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell addressed a group of Colorado attorneys on Friday with the message that they should be practicing and understanding how to use artificial intelligence because it is encroaching on more and more aspects of society. “There was a time when you had to be rich to have a cell phone,”…
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‘Serve and not to be served’: Melissa Meirink ceremonially sworn in as newest appeals judge
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When Melissa C. Meirink was young and had something to complain about, her grandmother replied, “While you’re crying out of one eye, there are people crying out of two.” “She put things in perspective for me in a way that made me really think about others. My abuelita and my mom really instilled a service-oriented…
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2 federal judges pitch lawyers on benefits of handing cases over to magistrate judges
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Two of Colorado’s federal district judges, speaking on Tuesday about why lawyers should consent to having magistrate judges handle more cases, said they were disturbed that barely more than a dozen attorneys showed up. “We’re concerned even about this turnout for two (district) judges speaking,” said U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney at a…
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Judicial branch tells oversight committees that cost of new judgeships has decreased
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Judicial branch leaders told lawmakers on Monday that their priority for the legislative session — the establishment of 29 new judgeships across Colorado — has come down in cost amid broad concerns about the state’s budget deficit. Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez and State Court Administrator Steven Vasconcellos previously informed the Joint Budget Committee that the cost of…
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Report: Colorado Access to Justice Commission developing legal self-help website, addressing ‘legal deserts’
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Colorado’s Access to Justice Commission has begun creating a legal self-help portal and secured a grant to help address “legal deserts” in rural Colorado, the commission recently announced in its 2023 year-end report. The commission, which started in 2003 and advocates for removing barriers to access in the civil justice system, also scored a victory…
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‘Hold us accountable’: Justice Melissa Hart warns of access-to-justice barriers
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Justice Melissa Hart on Wednesday warned a gathering of attorneys about the numerous barriers people face in accessing the justice system in Colorado, only some of which the courts can solve without the aid of others from inside and outside the legal profession. “A number of our courts are in places where people have to…
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Colorado Supreme Court releases official guidance for virtual proceedings, giving judges wide discretion
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The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday released its official guidance for when trial judges should permit litigants, victims, witnesses and attorneys to attend proceedings virtually. However, some members of the legal community warned that judges will continue to have too much discretion to allow or disallow remote participation. The policy, known as a chief justice…
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Colorado Supreme Court enacts groundbreaking framework for legal representation by paraprofessionals
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With large numbers of Coloradans lacking legal representation in civil cases, the state Supreme Court enacted a new framework last week to create a category of professionals who can represent clients in limited circumstances without a law degree – and likely without the high costs of traditional lawyers. “Licensed legal paraprofessionals” will soon be allowed to…
