Happy 109th Birthday to the El Paso County Bar Association!

Did you know?  The Bar turned 109 years old in March!  As one of the oldest organizations in the Pikes Peak Region, we're proud to still be serving the local legal community...and we're better than ever and looking forward to the next 109 years!  Happy Birthday, EPCBA!

Complimentary CLE from the Colorado Supreme Court in Colorado Springs!

Complimentary Ethics CLE on the Unbundling Rule, Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)

Friday, March 25, 2011, 3 pm, Colorado Springs Pioneer’s Museum

Prior to the Pro Bono Recognition Program that starts at 4 pm, the Colorado Supreme Court invites you at 3 pm to a one credit CLE ethics program on the unbundling rule, Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b).

This program will help attorneys understand the role they can play in ethically assisting pro se and paying clients who wish to hire them for limited legal services.

Many Coloradans are going entirely without legal services because they cannot afford or think they cannot afford the services of an attorney.  Maybe you can use the unbundling rule to help meet the pro se crisis.

If you will attend the CLE, RSVP to Claire at claire@elpasocountybar.org.

Pro Bono Recognition Ceremony & Reception

Next Friday, March 25th, the El Paso County Bar, along with the Colorado Supreme Court and the Colorado Bar Association, will be hosting a ceremony and reception to honor those firms/individuals in our area who have completed 50 hours of Pro Bono service, as set forth in requirements set by the Colorado Supreme Court.  Justice Hobbs from the Colorado Supreme Court will be with us to honor those who completed the 50 hours, as well as those individuals who regularly assist with the Pikes Peak Pro Bono Project.

This event will take place on Friday, March 25th at 4:00 pm, in the historic courtroom at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. 

The firms/individuals being honored include:

Keith Vick

Yolanda Fennick

Angie O'Brien

Paul Haller

Jon Hertzog

Lynn Landis-Brown

Greg Haller

John Braun

Christine Pacheo-Koveleski

John Bower

Stephen Koerner

Jill Whitley

Ken Davidson

John Kirchner

Andrew Gorgey

 Johnson & Cord, PC

Keene & Sparks, LLP

Donley Law, PC

The Law Office of John Husson

Schroer Law Firm, PC

The Law Firm of Lee Rosenbaum, PC

Lynda Carter, Attorney at Law

Kane Law Firm, PC
Hanes, Hrback, & Bartels LLC

Sharon Tarr Worley, Attorney at Law 

Bethart Law Firm, LLC

Law Firm of Julie Myers, LLC

Reception to follow afterward on the first floor of the Pioneers Museum.

Congratulations to those attorneys/firms who completed the 50 hours.  It is an accomplishment to be lauded and celebrated. 

14th Annual Wine & Beer Tasting is coming up!

The 14th Annual Wine and Beer Tasting is coming up! For those of you who have attended before, you know what a great event this is.  Not only is it a great time to socialize with colleagues and friends, but also benefits a great cause.  There are so many people in our community who are in need of low cost or free legal assistance, and this event helps us do our part in supporting those services. 

Here are the details:  

MASQUERADE:  14th Annual New Lawyers Section and El Paso County Bar Association Wine & Beer Tasting...and so much more!

Friday, October 22nd, 6:00 -9:30 pm, Julie Penrose Room, St. Paul's Church, 9 El Pomar Road

An evening of fun and collegiality benefiting legal services for the poor, Colorado Legal Services and the Pikes Peak Pro Bono Project. Join us for wine and beer tasting provided by Vintages, food from a variety of local restaurants, shop the beautiful works by local artists, and make sure to bid on our great silent auction items!

More information is available here. 

Tickets are $35.00 in advance and $55.00 at the door($25.00 is tax deductible per ticket).

Tickets must be paid for at the time they are ordered, tickets will be mailed to you if purchased more than seven (7) days priorto the event. Otherwise they will be available for pick up at the door. Checks and/or Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Please make checks payable to the Pikes Peak Community Foundation.

Tickets are available by contacting Jennifer M at 719-637-4558 or Jennifer J at 719-459-9774.

The Wine & Beer Tasting is a component fund of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation and contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Thank you to our sponsors:
Colorado Springs Business Journal
The Transcript
Blattner & Associates, LLC
Deanne M Cain, PC
Henry B Eastland, PC
Nan Scranton, Esq
Melanie Douglas PC
Winston Law Firm
Donley Law, PC
Sherman & Howard
Johnson & Cord, PC
Hanes & Schutz, LLC
Alpern Myers Stuart, LLC
Sparks Willson Borges Brandt & Johnson, PC
psg design
Pikes Peak Community Foundation
Vintages Wine & Spirits
Judge Baldwins Brewing Company
Jack Quinn's Irish Pub and Restaurant

Thank you to our artists:
Laura Reilly
Tom Owens
Richard Pankratz
Ken & Tina Riesterer

Costumes are encouraged! But certainly not required... :)

Thank you to our Attorneys who have taken a Pro Bono case over the past year!

Attorneys socializing at the Pikes Peak Pro Bono Project's Volunteer Thank You Reception

Legal Websites We Love!

Here it goes...in no particular order.

Legal Websites (and blogs!) We Love!

http://lawyerist.com/

http://www.bitterlawyer.com/

http://thelearnedlawyer.com/

http://whatlawilearnedfromtv.blogspot.com/

http://www.planningandprobate.com/

http://www.lawweekonline.com/

http://www.nofunnylawyers.com/

http://abovethelaw.com/

http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/

http://www.smallfirmsuccess.org/

Know Your Judge

Often, when voters see judges on the ballot who are standing for retention, they will skip that part, vote all yes, vote all no, etc...without truly being educated about the judges and the recommendations from the Judicial Performance Commission. 

On behalf of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver and their partners, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Judicial Institute, and the League of Women Voters of Colorado, www.knowyourjudge.com was created to help Coloradans make informed decisions when choosing judges on this fall’s ballot. The hope is that this website will offer a comprehensive tool for voters to help guide them during this election season. Also, keep your eyes and ears open for television and radio public service announcements.

The website gives simple, impartial, and nonpartisan facts about judges and the information from the Judicial Performance Commission.  The hope is that,  this fall, through this campaign, voters will be more informed, educated, and interested when voting for judges' retention.