Colorado Bar Associations

Criminal Defense Bar is dedicated to protecting the rights of the accused. The organization is unalterably opposed to the death penalty and committed to providing training and support to the criminal defense community.

The Colorado Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender ("GLBT") Bar Association is a voluntary professional association of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender attorneys, judges, paralegals and law students and allies who provide a GLBT presence within Colorado's legal community.

The CHBA's primary function is to serve the public interest by cultivating the science of jurisprudence, promoting reform in the law, facilitating the administration of justice, advancing the standing of its members in the legal profession and promoting the cooperation and development of Hispanic attorneys.

The Colorado Indian Bar Association (CIBA) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) professional organization of American Indian lawyers, practitioners of American Indian law, and Native American law students who reside in the State of Colorado. CIBA was founded in 1986 by a small group of lawyers who recognized the need for the interchange of ideas among those associated with Indian law. CIBA promotes the development of Indian Law for the maximum benefit of Indian people; strives toward justice and effective legal representation for all Indian people; provides a forum for Native Americans to become more involved in the local and national issues affecting Indian people; provides networking and support to encourage Native Americans to pursue careers in the law; and promotes the nomination of Native Americans for judicial appointments. CIBA regularly supports events that promote community awareness and education on Native American issues and/or American Indian law.

The CWBA is instrumental in documenting the bias that still exists against women attorneys. Citing the CWBA's 1993 Economic Survey, the only survey of its kind in the nation, the January 8, 1996 New York Times stated: "Income comparison, notably a 1993 analysis in Colorado (by the CWBA and CBA), suggests that though male and female lawyers now start out with equal pay, an earnings gap opens in the first year of practice and widens rapidly." The CWBA is also dedicated to improving the status of minority women within the profession, encouraging their participationin CWBA activities and committees. The CWBA continues its work in this arena with the current "Gender Penalties Study."

The Sam Cary Bar Association (SCBA) was formed in September of 1971, in order to create a self-help group to instill professionalism and serve as a vehicle for the exchange of ideas among African-American lawyers. The original members of SCBA were: Norman Early, Dan Muse, Honorable Raymond Jones, Gary Jackson, Phillip Jones, King Trimble, Billy Lewis, Honorable Alfred Harrell and Marilyn Cason. Probably the first controversial task undertaken by the new group was choosing "Sam Cary" as the name of the bar association. It was deemed by several African-American attorneys to be inappropriate to have a bar association named after an attorney disbarred from practice. However, an examination conducted by the organization into the life and law practice of Sam Cary (including an address to the organization by the Honorable O. Otto Moore, former Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court), revealed that Sam Cary was indeed an appropriate person after whom to name the organization.

Promoting professionalism, competency, and the public interest through education, public service and innovation.

The Arapahoe County Bar Association was officially founded in 1958 when it became an affiliate of the Colorado Bar Association. At that time, it consisted of 41 member attorneys and judges. By 1965, the membership had more than doubled to 102. In 1979, under the direction of Edward B. Lee, the ACBA was incorporated as a Colorado non-profit corporation. Its membership has continued to grow dramatically, and currently it has 1010 members.

Organized in 1907 and incorporated in 1979, the Boulder County Bar Association has two purposes: to improve education and opportunities for lawyer members through programs and community relations, and to educate the public about their legal rights and responsibilities. The Bar Association also serves as a link between educational institutions, the media, state and national legal associations, and the lawyers of Boulder County.

The El Paso County Bar Association has been serving local attorneys since its founding in March 1902. The Bar Association's mission is to provide legal information and services to its members and to promote respect for the law and the legal profession by the public. The Bar Association is a non-profit corporation governed by a board of trustees and president. It currently has one paid staff member, which is the executive director. It serves approximately 850 members.

The First JD Bar Association is an organization of licensed attorneys with ties to Gilpin and Jefferson counties, located just west of Denver, Colorado. We have approximately eight hundred lawyers, including judges, members of the office of the District Attorney, members of the office of the Public Defender, and those otherwise serving in the public sector. However, the majority of our members are private, sole-practicing attorneys, or lawyers associated together in small to moderate-sized law firms.