Our Courts Colorado

 Our Courts wins national award for public education program

The Colorado Bar Association and Colorado Judicial Institute won the American Bar Association’s 2010 Burnham “Hod” Greeley Award. The ABA’s Coalition for Justice reviewed nominations received last fall from around the country. Judges evaluated the nominations for significant, positive impacts on public understanding of the role of the judiciary in a democratic society and for ability to convey the importance of the judiciary’s role in the rule of law. The award recognizes extraordinary outreach efforts that show the public the need for a fair and impartial judiciary 

Official Press Release

The Learned Lawyer

 Our Courts is a joint activity of the Colorado Judicial Institute and the Colorado Bar Association that provides nonpartisan information programs to adult audiences around the state to further public knowledge and understanding of the state and federal courts in Colorado.

Our Courts presentations address the role of fair and impartial courts in applying and preserving the rule of law.  All programs are free of charge. 

Available FREE presentations:

• “Divorce in Colorado Courts” This presentation covers how divorce cases proceed in Colorado Courts.  Specifically, it explores the differing interest at stake, the issues that need to be addressed in a typical divorce case, the different ways in which divorce cases are resolved, and the ongoing role of the court in divorce cases in Colorado.

•  “An Economic Fresh Start- Bankruptcy Basics” This presentation discusses how bankruptcy cases work.  Specifically, it describes the history of bankruptcy and how it has evolved into the present system, the different kinds of bankruptcy cases that can be filed, and the basic components of an individual bankruptcy case.

• "Our State Courts"  How Colorado's procedures for selecting, disciplining, and evaluating judges keep our state courts fair and impartial.  This presentation is available in Spanish. 

• "Our United States Courts"  The types of cases that are heard in the federal courts and the procedures that keep our federal courts fair and impartial. 

• "See You In Court:  The Life of a Civil Lawsuit" This presentation discusses the purposes of civil lawsuits, a party’s rights and remedies in such lawsuits, how such lawsuits are commenced and how they proceed, what really happens at trial, and the roles of the judge, the jury, and the lawyers in these proceedings.

• "Law & Order:  The Life of a Criminal Case"  This presentation discusses the roles of the judge, the jury, the prosecution, and the defense in a criminal case, how criminal cases are brought and how they proceed, the setting of bail, the plea bargaining process, what really happens in a criminal trial, and how judges determine the appropriate sentences after a conviction

• "Lincoln’s Legacy of Equality & Liberty"  To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, Our Courts speakers are available to make a 25-minute presentation that uses Lincoln’s own words and the words of those who knew him to explain how Lincoln’s commitment to the principles of equality and liberty transformed our nation.

  Our Courts presentations and presenters take no position regarding any court case, legislation, ballot issue, or proposed change to the court system.

Our Courts actively reach out to potential audiences through:

• Community leadership programs
• Business and economic development associations
• Professional and trade associations
• Service organizations
• Community colleges, undergraduate and graduate schools, and vocational schools
• Libraries
• Other community organizations

The Our Courts program was founded in September 2007.  Volunteer attorneys and judges have been to 34 communities in Colorado and 1 in Wyoming.  As of July 2011, 301 presentations have been made to almost 9,700 people in the state of Colorado and Wyoming. This program has been acknowledged both regionally and nationally.  Click here to read a letter congratulating the programs remarkable success from United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

To schedule a presentation or to learn more, contact Carolyn Gravit,
(303) 860-1115 or ourcourts@cobar.org.

 For the convenience of the those who want more information about the state and federal courts, this website contains links to the websites of other entities providing information about the courts.  By providing these links, Our Courts does not endorse any particular content or message expressed or implied on these sites or other activities or publications of the entities sponsoring them.  Consistent with its status as a nonpartisan activity, Our Courts does not take positions on political or judicial elections or proposed legislation, initiatives, or referenda of any kind.