The Virtual Pro Se Clinic (VPC) was established in 2013 by the late Ric Morgan, an attorney in Elbert County who sought to address the justice gap by setting up a virtual clinic in local public libraries. The clinic had expanded to 87 public libraries before Mr. Morgan’s untimely passing in February 2024. The Colorado Access to Justice Commission and the Colorado Lawyers Committee have partnered to relaunch the VPC.
The Free Legal Clinic at Elizabeth Library is reopening starting Wednesday, August 7, 2024, and continuing on the first Wednesday of each month. The Clinic’s Legal Facilitators will offer personalized legal information to community members during 20-minute consultations. This is a great opportunity for people to get their civil legal questions answered for free. (See Flyer Here).
As part of the Law Day celebration, DEBA offers scholarships to high school seniors based on their Essay submission responsive to the Law Day prompt, as well as their leadership efforts, grades, need and personal referrals. […]
As humanity evolves, the Constitution evolves with it. We are not the same people as the Founding Fathers were when the Constitution was created in the 1700s.
Advancing the Rule of Law Now: Access and Accountability, A Call to Action
How might we advance the rule of law in the United States? During a time of division, polarization, civil unrest, the rule of law provides opportunities to sustain the nation and implement real change. Program will explore contemporary domestic issues and how each contributes to “advancing the rule of law now.”
PLEASE JOIN US IN CONGRATULATING THIS YEAR’S WINNERS OF THE DOUGLAS/ELBERT BAR ASSOCIATION’S LAW DAY AWARDS!
Outstanding Young Lawyer
Ashleigh N. Beck, Law Office of Opfer, Campbell Beck, P.C.
Ashleigh received her Juris Doctorate from the Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia in May 2015 and was admitted to practice law in Colorado in May of 2016. While in law school, Ashleigh interned for the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on raising awareness about children in need of families, which led to her interning for U.S. Senator John Boozman (AR) and U.S. Representative J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) where she worked on issues affecting children and constituent relations. A Colorado native, Ashleigh returned to Colorado in July 2016 to be closer to her family after working in government affairs in Washington, D.C. Beyond an impressive resume, what is impressive about Ashleigh is that she started life as a foster child who has seen first-hand the issues facing children in care. That inspired her to continue her education to be able to help children and families in the courtroom. Clearly, working with children and families is her passion. Her experience and education as a social worker, work with legislation and her law degree, Ashleigh is a wonderful example of exactly what you would hope for in a young lawyer. Ashleigh lives in the mountains with her husband and their two dogs, Monty (a husky) and Moose (a Berne doodle).
Professionalism
C. Darin Jensen, Nixon Shefrin Ogburn Drew
Darin earned his law degree from the University of Denver College of Law in 2003 and began his legal career as a judicial law clerk. Before law school, Darin double-majored in sociology and history at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, and then went on to the University of Oklahoma where he was a graduate teaching fellow and supplemental instructor and tutor. Darin Jensen has dedicated his entire legal career exclusively to domestic relations and family law. Darin is well respected by his colleagues, the courts, and other professionals within the legal community, as evidenced by his receipt of the professionalism award. In his practice, Darin embraces the roles of advisor, ally, and advocate. Darin is an active member in organizations that improve and advance the service and professionalism of lawyers, including the Colorado Bar Association-Family Law Section, the Arapahoe and Douglas-Elbert Bar Associations, the Metropolitan Denver Interdisciplinary Committee, Colorado Collaborative Divorce Professionals, and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. Darin enjoys everything Colorado has to offer for outdoor activities, particularly snowboarding, mountain biking, and hiking and climbing in Colorado’s mountain playground. Darin and his wife are nearing completion of their first lap of Colorado’s 14ers, having stood atop 42 of the state’s highest summits so far (some multiple times), and they’ve already started on their second lap with new routes and approaches. Darin is also a die-hard Rockies fan.
Outstanding Volunteer
Ric Morgan, Ric N. Morgan, LLC.
Ric Morgan has long been deeply involved in Access to Justice programs, and was the founding co-chair of the 18th Judicial District’s Access to Justice Committee. Over the past dozen years, he developed and supported Pro Se Clinics and Domestic Violence programs in four nearby counties. In 2011, he coordinated efforts to set up a new Veterans Treatment Court in the 18th Judicial District, which was funded, established, and had its first graduates in 2015. In 2013, he founded the Virtual Pro Se Clinic (VPC) program, which is a public-private collaboration delivering free monthly legal clinics to local libraries in 35 Colorado Counties, all by computer link. Ric also provides pro bono legal counsel for various local non-profit organizations, including farmers & ranchers organizations, veterans groups, municipal districts, local citizens groups, and governmental bodies. Ric is a graduate of Denver University Law School, and has an MS from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and his BS from Colorado State University. He and his wife operate a small dairy goat farm in rural Elbert County, and they have two grown sons, and three grand-daughters. In addition to goat farming, he enjoys genealogy, shooting sports, carpentry, beekeeping, and is an avid student of history.
Outstanding Court Judicial Assistant
Jamie Stark, Division 3, Douglas County District Court
Jamie began with the Colorado courts in June 2016 and has served the 18th Judicial District for nearly five years now. In her current assignment in Division 3 she is the most senior Domestic Relations Division clerk in Douglas County. However, her service is not limited to the domestic divisions – Jamie routinely volunteers to assist in the training of new division clerks in Douglas County, including most recently, the new staff in Division 7 which hears both Dependency Neglect and Domestic Relations dockets. Jamie also has experience with juries and previously served in as a division clerk in Elbert County and in the Douglas County Clerk’s Office. Jamie also completed the specialized Criminal Academy Training in 2018 to ensure she could cross-train other clerks as well as serve criminal divisions. It is indisputable that Jamie’s strongest attribute is her remarkable customer service skill. Regardless of whether she is engaged with the most experienced domestic relations attorney or is assisting a struggling pro se party – Jamie truly cares that she provide the most efficient and accurate communication possible. Ms. Stark is an amazing woman with an infectiously positive attitude. She has a kind and giving heart and her humor even with her professionalism, is second to none. Jamie is a proud member of the Choctaw/Chickasaw Tribe and prior to moving to Colorado Jamie served as an Assistant Court Clerk to the Ho-Chunk Nation-Judiciary in Wisconsin. her son serves as a Corporal in the U.S. Marines and her daughter serves as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.
DEBA Treasurer Election Results
Stuart k, Skok, Cox Baker & Page, LLC
DEBA is happy to welcome Stuart K. Skok as the incoming Treasurer for 2021-2022. Stuart is a graduate of the University of Denver and returned to Colorado in the Fall of 2020 after practicing exclusively in family law in Maryland and Washington, D.C. for the past 25 years. Stuart has always enjoyed bar leadership throughout her career. Some of her positions include past President of the Montgomery County, Maryland Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association, past President of the Collaborative Divorce Association, Inc., twice past Co-Chair of the Family Law Section for Montgomery County, Maryland, earning Co-Chair of the Year Award for each term, and past Barrister of the Montgomery County Maryland Inn of Court. She also served on the Peer Review Committee for the Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland for the past 20 years. She is currently a member of the Colorado Bar Association (CBA), Colorado Women’s Bar Association (CWBA) and h Douglas Elbert Bar Association (DEBA).
DEBA Law Day Essay Scholarship
This year we had applicants from ten different schools in both Counties whose essays addressed the question “Can one person have an impact on advancing the rule of law? Why or why not?”
As a board, we selected winners based on the quality of the essay, the student’s school performance, letters of recommendation, community involvement and extracurricular activities.
The winner of this year’s contest is Alaina Deville from Thunder Ridge High School. As an 11th Grader, Alaina has a near perfect GPA. She has taken a rigorous load of AP Classes and also studies photography, fashion design and Spanish.
Beyond her success in classroom, Alaina is advancing the rule of law in the Courtroom. She is a Peer Panelist on Lone Tree’s Teen Court, a voluntary diversionary program that seeks rehabilitative justice for youth accused of misdemeanors. In addition to her service in that capacity, Alaina was accepted on the Student Leadership Board for Teen Court and is working help make the program even more effective for the students and the community.
Alaina is an aspiring lawyer, and attended C.U.’s “Mini Law School Program.” Based on what she learned about the topics covered, Alaina was asked to make a presentation to the Lone Tree City Council.
Alaina embodies the ideal of servant leadership by serving as a tutor in the community. She has put her Spanish learning to good use by serving as a tutor for English as a Second Language learners who are also experiencing poverty. Further, she has served as a tutor for the CASA program, assisting court impacted youth to overcome the educational challenges that often accompany the other challenges they face.
Equitable rule of law in a modern society is a quality mechanism that provides significant benefits to all persons. Furthermore, an individual can definitely make an impact on advancing the rule of law. As John F. Kennedy said, “one person can make a difference, and everyone should try”. Proven time and time again by history, a single person is enough to create impact. Individuals such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton all initiated change in the rule of law by influencing others. These people empowered the world into progressive advancement through their actions, words, and beliefs. In the legal cases that changed our nation, like Roe v. Wade, Brown v. Board of Education, and Miranda v. Arizona, it took just one person to believe something was wrong, and that belief completely altered the course of the future. Similarly, the tragic death of George Floyd impacted America’s current rule of law. His death exhibited that America’s current rule of law was not equitable among all American citizens. Due to this, the topic of systematic racism is now centerstage because of its unjust cruelty on targeted peoples. These controversies, woven into the history of our nation, are remembered because of the individuals who rose up to the challenge of fighting for equality, fairness, and accountability for all people under law.
My perspective on this has been notably developed because of my volunteer service. I have taught children in hard socioeconomic situations where English is their second language and tutor children in abusive home situations through Advocates for Children CASA. This has helped me understand the significance of an individual’s actions in developing younger generations’ perception of right and wrong and fair and unfair. A stable role model for a child with a difficult home life can be the difference between them overcoming or succumbing to their current situation. My individual actions can shape not only my future but the future of others and in turn the ever changing rule of law. My participation in Lone Tree Teen Court has also influenced my beliefs. I sit on peer panels for teens who have committed misdemeanors and then the other panelists and I create a personal restorative justice sentence for them. This helps them recognize how their actions negatively affected the community and how they can become a positive influence because of a negative experience. A teen understanding his or her actions raises their sense of accountability. They then better comprehend the social responsibility that each and every person has and must uphold in order to have a just and equitable society. These experiences have helped me see how meaningful and powerful one person’s actions can be. All of us have the strength to influence and impact the world so it’s important to remember that while there’s only one Martin Luther King Jr or one Ghandi, there’s also only one you. A person whose mere choices can shape society and in turn shape the rule of law.
The Law Day 2020 theme: “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100.” In 2019-2020, the United States is commemorating the centennial of the transformative constitutional amendment that guaranteed the right of citizens to vote would not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex. American women fought for, and won, the vote through their voice and action.
PLEASE JOIN US IN CONGRATULATING THIS YEAR’S WINNERS OF THE DOUGLAS/ELBERT BAR ASSOCIATION’S LAW DAY AWARDS!
Outstanding Young Lawyer
Hannah Paille, Kokish and Goldmanis, P.C.
Hannah Paille joined the firm of Kokish & Goldmanis approximately 18 months ago. Although she had only been licensed for a short time, Hannah’s professionalism was immediately impressive. Hannah is eager to learn and passionate about the law. Her knowledge is well beyond her years of experience and she has taken on challenging cases without backing down. However, as impressive as Hannah’s entry into the family law field has been, her passion and dedication to the Mock Trial program at Douglas County High School was unmatched.
Hannah learned that the Mock Trial program needed an attorney coach and she immediately jumped in and committed herself to the children and the team. The team suffered some difficult personal challenges throughout the year but Hannah helped them push through. She continued to spend hours upon hours each week with the kids, traveling to participate in practice rounds and competitions to get the teams ready for the tournament. After months of dedication, Hannah’s work paid off when Douglas County, who had not previously sent a Mock Trial team to state, qualified two of its teams for the state tournament. Hannah exemplifies the professionalism, love of the law, and dedication to the community that we look for in attorneys. To see all of these qualities in a young attorney is unusual and is the reason we believe Hannah deserves this year’s outstanding young lawyer award.
Outstanding Court Judicial Assistant
Ashley Tucker, Douglas County
Ashley Tucker is a clerk for the Honorable Judge Patricia D. Herron in Division 4 of the Douglas County District Court. Ashley was nominated for Outstanding Court Judicial Assistant because of her exceptional skills as a clerk. Ashley is a great writer and communicator, and attorneys enjoy working with her. Ashley is organized, and her communications are polite, professional, clear, and concise.
Judge Herron provided the following to describe her super-star clerk:
“Ashley Tucker is a dynamic person who is always motivated to do her best. She makes her job look easy even under pressure! She is lightning fast on the computer with technical skills few possess. As many of you know she is highly skilled in all things juvenile, domestic relations and criminal. Ashley has a brilliant mind allowing her to quickly learn new things and adapt to changes easily. She does her own job seamlessly and she is often called upon to mentor others. If you are visualizing her in a red cape with super powers, you are not wrong!”
Outstanding Volunteer
Megan A. Combs, Combs & Recht LLC
This year’s recipient of the DEBA Volunteer Award is Megan A. Combs. Megan graduated from Lewis and Clark Law School and initially worked at Montana Legal Services working with domestic violence and tribal jurisdiction and child custody matters. During her legal career in Colorado she has volunteered countless hours to helping pro se litigants navigate the daunting maze of domestic relations litigation through the Douglas County Pro Se Clinics and Metro Volunteer Lawyers. She has also volunteered her time and energies to help with the Mock Trial Tournament.
DEBA Treasurer Election Results
Andrew Birkeland, Kokish and Goldmanis, P.C.
DEBA is excited to welcome Andrew Birkeland to the board as Treasurer for 2020-2021. Andrew focuses his practice on family law and civil litigation. In addition to DEBA, Andrew is a member of the Colorado Bar Association and recently served on the CBA Nominating Committee. Andrew served as Treasurer of the Colorado LGBT Bar Association and is a part of Leadership Douglas County. Andrew lives on a farm near Elizabeth with his husband, four horses, two dogs, eleven chickens and a cat.
A native of North Dakota, Andrew earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota and his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.
DEBA Law Day Essay Scholarship
The 2020 Law Day Essay Scholarship contest posed the following question: Should the voting age be lowered to 16? Why or why not? In addition to the essay submission, candidates were reviewed on their academic record and their community involvement. The DEBA board received several submissions for the Essay Scholarship this year and the final decision was a difficult one with many qualified applicants and persuasive essays.
DEBA is pleased to announce the winner of this year’s Law Day Essay Scholarship, Audrey Dizdar from Castle View High School. Audrey is a junior at Caste View and in addition to excelling in her academics, Audrey has dedicated hundreds of hours of volunteer work in her community. For her outstanding community involvement, academic excellence and winning essay, the DEBA board is proud to award the Law Day Scholarship to Ms. Audrey Dizdar. Ms. Dizdar will receive a $5,000 scholarship to be paid to the college education institution of her choice. Please see Ms. Dizdar’s winning essay below.
Castle View High School 2020 Law Day Essay Entry 15 April 2020
Why the Voting Age Should be Lowered to Sixteen
Much is asked of sixteen year-old American citizens in the twenty-first century. This is a generation of students who have grown up with school shootings, terrorism all over the world, faced recessions, and a worldwide pandemic. Not to mention, many sixteen year-olds in 2020 are more adult than teenagers of the past. They face adult problems and should be allowed to participate in their choice of leadership, in the same way that they are compelled to participate in other aspects of society.
Gun control, student debt, climate change, abortion rights, and the economy are at the forefront of many presidential campaigns from all political stances, directly effecting today’s teenagers. It’s important to remember that today’s sixteen year-olds will be entering college and the workforce if not now, then in the very near future, and major changes to any of the mentioned categories directly affects teenagers in a very immediate way. If they work they pay taxes, are asked to choose a political party affiliation when getting their licenses, are eligible to register to vote, but after it all, are ultimately not sent local, state, or national ballots.
The opposition to lowering the voting age is loud and clear, however, and mainly focuses on the fact that at the very core of the issue, sixteen year-olds are children, who are uninformed, easily influenced by outside factors, and simply not mature enough to cast an informed vote.
However, according to an Annenberg Public Policy Center survey done in 2017, only twenty-six percent of adults can name all three branches of the government. So, the argument that teenagers, who are actively receiving an education with a required government course, are not well enough informed to make a vote is quite simply, incorrect. If we are basing voting ability on the knowledge of government functions, sixteen year-olds are equally, if not more, informed than many adults. Although, it may be generalized that sixteen year-olds are easily influenced, and lack adequate life experience to help them make an informed vote. It can be argued, however, that there is a wide spectrum of life experience, activism, and willingness to participate at any age. At sixteen, just as at eighteen, twenty, or forty, someone could be entering the workforce for the first time. They could be a parent. They could be working full-time, or not at all. They could be living with their parents, significant other, or by themselves. At sixteen years old, you are expected to act as an adult would, but not allowed a vote in how your future is handled.
A sense of social responsibility knows no age limit, and to expect sixteen year-olds to be participants in an economy that they can’t influence, go to college on a system they didn’t get to dictate, and expect them to bring about change to a system that they can’t vote in is wildly unjust.
Works Cited
“Americans Are Poorly Informed About Basic Constitutional Provisions.” The Annenberg Public
Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, 21 Jan. 2020,
The winning teams are as follows:
1st: Douglas County Team #2 (Pratt)
2nd: Douglas County Team #1 (Amy)
3rd: Highlands Ranch Team A (Jones)
The information for state tournament is […]
Metro Volunteer Lawyers (MVL) has provided outstanding free and low-cost civil legal services to those in need in the Denver Metro area since 1966. Dedicated lawyers donate their time and knowledge within the Denver Metro Area to people who could not otherwise afford legal services for their civil legal issues. […]
Lawyers at the Library is a FREE legal clinic for parties who have no attorney. Volunteer attorneys will answer questions, help fill out forms, and explain the process and procedure […]
The WC uses a collaborative problem-solving approach, with the goals of reducing recidivism of offenders with mental health disorders in the criminal justice system. […]
