
Board of Directors
The business and transactions of the Association shall be managed and conducted by the Board of Directors.
President
- The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Association.
- The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association or its Board of Directors, and, in general, shall perform all duties incident to the office of President and all other duties as from time to time may be assigned to the President by the Board of Directors.
- The President shall execute all contracts on behalf of the Association except where the signing and execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors to some other officer or agent of the Association or where the President shall authorize said signature.
- The President shall appoint from the members of the Board of Directors a liaison between the Board of Directors and each Specialty Committee authorized by these Bylaws.
- The President shall assign to one of the other Directors or the Executive Director the following duties and responsibilities:
- Maintain a registry of members of the Association.
- See that the reports, statements, certificates and all other documents and records of the Association required by law are properly kept and filed.
Vice President
- The Vice President shall assist the President and perform such duties as are delegated to the Vice President by the President. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall preside at all meetings of the Association or its Board of Directors.
- The Vice President shall be primarily responsible for planning and staging of the CDLA Annual Conference.
Secretary/Treasurer
The Secretary/Treasurer is responsible for overseeing the Association's governance and financial health. This includes reviewing and ensuring accurate records of Board meetings, maintaining custody of Association records and the seal, and coordinating an annual review of the Bylaws with the Vice President for Board approval. The Secretary/Treasurer also reviews and reports on the Association's finances, organizes Executive Committee oversight and budget planning for the Annual Board Meeting, and ensures that financial and operational responsibilities are carried out faithfully and in accordance with Board direction.
Directors
- The Board of Directors shall be comprised of the Officers of the Association and the Immediate Past President, and:
- At-Large Directors. Two Directors At Large shall be elected for a term of two years beginning and ending at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors in September of each year. The senior At-Large Director shall be responsible for running the Trial Academy. The junior At-Large Director shall assist with the Trial Academy. The terms of the At Large Directors shall not be concurrent. One At Large Director shall be elected per year.
- Greater Colorado Director. A Director who resides in the Southern Colorado (Colorado Springs/Pueblo) or Western Slope region shall be elected to serve for a term of two years beginning and ending at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors in September of each year. His or her duties shall include organizing and promoting two or more CLE events per year and acting as an ambassador in promoting the goals of the Colorado Defense Lawyers Association throughout the Southern Region and Western Slope of Colorado.
- DRI State Representative. A Director shall be elected to serve as the State Representative to the Defense Research Institute ("DRI"). The Director will serve for a term of three years beginning and ending at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors in September of each year.
- Legislative Director. A Director shall be elected to serve a term of two years beginning and ending at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors in September each year. He or she will be responsible for all legislative policy and action of the Association and to act as the chairperson of the Legislative Committee.
- New Lawyer Director. A Director shall be elected to serve a term of two years beginning and ending at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors in September of each year. He or she will act as the chairperson of the New Lawyers Committee of the Association.
- Racial Justice, Equity, and Diversity Director. A Director responsible for all Association diversity and inclusion activities shall be elected to serve a term of two years beginning and ending at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors in September of each year. The Diversity Director will cooperate with other Colorado bar associations, law schools, and non-profit organizations to promote the Association's ideal of inclusiveness in the law.
- Community Outreach Director. A Director responsible for the fundraising and philanthropic activities of the CDLA Foundation shall be elected to serve a term of two years beginning and ending at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors in September of each year. The Community Outreach Director is charged with budgeting for the Foundation as well as arranging both fundraising actions and delivery of our offerings for the benefit of the community.
- Professionalism and Education ("P&E") Committee Director. A Director responsible for overseeing the Professionalism and Education Committee shall be elected to serve a term of two years beginning and ending at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors in September of each year. The P&E Committee Director shall coordinate the actions and communications of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee with each P&E Committee substantive committee chairperson, with the assistance of the Vice-President.
- Amicus Director (newly formed 10/1/24, pending detailed description)
The Directors outlined above shall all be elected pursuant to Article IX, Elections. The number of Directors may be increased at any time by a majority vote of the whole Board of Directors. The number of Directors may be decreased at any time by a majority vote of the whole Board of Directors, except that no decrease in the number of Directors shall have the effect of shortening the term of any incumbent Director or violating the terms of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation.
The President shall have the authority to appoint a member of the Association to act as an Ex Officio Director to serve on the Board for a period of two years beginning and ending at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors in September of each year, provided that appointment is approved by the vote of two-thirds of the members of the Board of Directors. Ex Officio Directors shall have voting rights, shall otherwise participate in all obligations and duties of the Board members, and shall complete any assignment assigned them by the Board. The President shall not have the authority to appoint more than one Ex Officio Director in any given year unless authorized by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.
Each Director shall have one vote. The Board of Directors may make such rules and regulations covering its meetings as it may, in its discretion, determine necessary.
Upcoming Events
Everything Everywhere All at once: Ethical Considerations for Every Attorney in Every Situation
October 28, 2025, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
This presentation covers the “personal conduct Rules” as a comprehensive overview of lawyers’ ethical obligations beyond the representation of clients or practice of law. Attendees will learn about misconduct reporting requirements, limits of lawyers’ investigative activities, and boundaries against discrimination, sexual harassment, and intentional harm to others, even in a lawyer’s personal life.
To Register, Click Here
Defending Fido: A primer on building a defense to dog bite lawsuits.
October 30, 2025, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Presented by:
Jen Friedberg - American Family Staff Counsel
Steve Phillips - Johnson Bakken Greely Smith, PC
CDLA Members Only Please
To Register for the Webinar, Click Here
CDLA/CTLA Awards Presentation
November 6, 2025, 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Join us for this year’s CDLA/CTLA Professionalism Awards presentation on Thursday, November 6, at the ViewHouse in Downtown Denver. Please save the date & hope to see you all there!
To Register, Click Here
Let's Talk About Consent: The Pros of Magistrate Judge Jurisdiction
December 3, 2025, 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Honorable Charlotte N. Sweeney, U.S. District Court Judge, District of Colorado
Honorable S. Kato Crews, U.S. District Court Judge, District of Colorado
Ashley Larson, Sutton Booker, PC
Katie Reilly, Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell, LLP
Approved for two hours CLE
December 3, 2025
Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell
370 17th St., Suite 4500
1.5 hours CLE Applied for
CTLA and CDLA Members Welcome
To Register, Click Here
New Lawyer Boot Camp
December 12, 2025, 8:00 AM
through December 6, 2025,
This is a full-day learning experience targeted at new lawyers or those in their early years of practice. The program is offered FREE for those who have been members of CDLA for 3 years or less and yes, this is live and in person! For that reason, we are limiting the participants to 30 on a first-come/first-serve basis.
To Learn More and to Register, Click Here
2026 Annual Conference - Grand Hyatt Vail - July 29 - July 31, 2026
July 29, 2026, 5:00 PM
through July 31, 2026,
To Book a Room, Click Here
More events + details