1801 California Street, Suite 4900
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 303.894.6366
Fax: 303.894.9239

2007 Accomplishments

The Colorado Lawyers Committee enjoyed tremendous success for our clients in 2007. Thank you for all the wonderful volunteers and contributors who made this possible.

The Mental Health Task Force participated in an amicius brief in the Tenth Circuit in support of certification of a class of inmates in the El Paso County jail who have serious mental health problems and allege they have been denied adequate mental health services.

The Education Task Force continued to monitor Colorado's funding for K-12 education and related litigation.

The Homeless ID Task Force assured compliance with the court order that required the State Department of Revenue to remove significant barriers for Colorado residents, especially homeless individuals, in obtaining state identification cards.

The Taylor Ranch Task Force implemented a court order opening the gates of the Taylor Ranch in the San Luis Valley to plaintiff property owners who for 40 years had been denied access to the property to exercise traditional use rights to graze livestock and collect wood and timber.

The CBMS Task Force monitored compliance with the December 2004 court order against the State regarding the computer system that improperly delayed and denied public benefits.

The Sentencing Reform Task Force researched and drafted the Report on the Sentencing System in Colorado: Serious Fiscal Problem on the Horizon. As a result of this comprehensive report, the Colorado Legislature passed House Bill 1358, creating the Colorado Criminal and Juvenile Justice Commission.

The Colorado Innocence Project investigated prisoner allegations of innocence to determine whether scientific or other evidence supports the prisoners' release.

The Children's Task Force assessed the response by county social services to allegations of abuse and neglect of children living in Colorado.

The Mental Health Task Force examined barriers to mental health services for children, adults, and individuals in the criminal justice system. They explored legislative and other avenues to ensure quality mental health care is provided in Colorado.

The Legal Night Clinic program was expanded. Legal information and referrals were provided to over 1,500 people at twice monthly legal night clinics at two Denver locations.

Project Homeless Connect provided valuable legal information and referrals to over 340 homeless individuals, in partnership with the City of Denver and the Colorado Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel.

The Hate Violence Teaching Tolerance program presented mock trials based on Colorado's hate crimes/bias statute to over 1,100 students in middle and high schools across Colorado.

Homeless Court, a component of Project Homeless Connect that resolves outstanding municipal tickets and warrants, was created. At two Homeless Courts, over 120 cases were completely resolved.

The Immigration Task Force provided ongoing legal supervision to a San Luis Valley organization that assists immigrants.

The Nonprofit Working Group, a coalition of lawyers, legal services, and nonprofit organizations co-sponsored a successful nonprofit legal audit event for Colorado nonprofit organizations that serve the indigent.

The Election Task Force, a nonpartisan group comprised of representatives from the Colorado Secretary of State's Office, the specialty bar associations, the Republican and Democratic parties, Colorado Common Cause and others, worked to identify and resolve election issues.

The Health Care Task Force monitored the work of the Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform to identify possible legal barriers that may inhibit the implementation of a high quality, cost effective, and coordinated system of care for Colorado citizens.

The Disability Task Force examined the process for determining disability benefits and explored whether medical processes delay the finding of disability and the provision of services.

2006 Accomplishments