April 4, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jon Sarché
303-837-3644
1-800-888-0001 Ext. 644
jon.sarche@judicial.state.co.us

Partnership promoting enhanced handling of juvenile cases to hold third annual multidisciplinary training program
Mock trial competition designed to enhance new attorneys' skills

DENVER - The Colorado Supreme Court and Office of the Child's Representative, in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and University of Colorado School of Law Juvenile Law Clinic, announced today that the third annual multidisciplinary attorney training program will be held on Monday, April 7, 2008.

The collaborative effort is designed to cultivate well-trained lawyers able to meet the complex legal needs of children and families in dependency and neglect cases. It was born from the Colorado Judicial Branch's Court Improvement Program, which recognizes the importance of family law education.

"Children and families' legal needs can be complex and multilayered, and Colorado's communities need well-trained, practice-ready lawyers able to meet those needs," said Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey. "This program draws attention to the work of local law schools to prepare attorneys, and the commitment of the courts and local organizations to support the development of new attorneys trained in the field of juvenile law."

The competition will consist of settlement conferences and a mock adjudicatory trial in a fictional case. The training for the competition begins with mock trial settlement conferences beginning at 1 p.m. on April 7, 2008. Mullarkey will open the event with remarks in the Supreme Court courtroom in the Colorado Judicial Department building at 2 E. 14th Ave. in Denver. The mock trial settlement conferences will be conducted at the Supreme Court and Denver City and County Building.

The mock trials will take place at the University of Colorado School of Law on April 14, 2008 and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law on April 16, 2008. The settlement conferences will be conducted by court facilitators from around Colorado, and local district court judges and a magistrate will run the trials. The competition will be judged by District Judge Kathy Delgado and District Judge Chris Melonakis.

"The Colorado judiciary has long been committed to improving the prompt handling of cases involving children," Mullarkey said. "This partnership, with its innovative annual training programs, provides us with one more opportunity to expand our efforts to better serve children and families."

For more information please contact Bill DeLisio at 303-837-3623 or bill.delisio@judicial.state.co.us.