Gala Dinner

23rd Annual Judicial Excellence for Colorado Gala Dinner

Save the date! CJI has finalized the date and location for its annual gala dinner in 2025. 

Date / Time: Wednesday October 15, 2025, 5:30-9:00pm
Location: Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, 650 15th Street, Denver, CO 80202

We will update this page as planning continues. Meanwhile, see below for details of last year's gala. 

22nd Annual Judicial Excellence for Colorado Gala Dinner

Hosted by the Colorado Judicial Institute

**STILL A GO IN SPITE OF THE SNOW!**

Date/Time: Thursday November 7, 2024, 5:30-9:00pm
Location: Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, 1550 Court Place, Denver, CO 80202
Attire: Business

This year's Judicial Excellence Awardees are:

• District Chief Judge Mark MacDonnell, 16th Judicial District, Otero, Bent, and Crowley Counties
• County Court Judge Verna Carpenter, Jefferson County, 1st Judicial District
• Magistrate Randall Lococo, Weld County, 19th Judicial District

Join us to celebrate them—and Colorado's judicial system—on November 7! 

Also featuring:

• Master of ceremonies Chandra Thomas Whitfield of Colorado Public Radio
• Welcome remarks from Chief Justice Monica Márquez
• Cocktail reception entertainment by Chilly Jazz
• Paddle raise fundraiser to benefit CJI's judicial education program

Dress : Business attire

This gala dinner is CJI's biggest fundraiser and subsidizes our important work throughout the year. Please join us and support CJI's mission and programs on behalf of Colorado's courts!

Individual Tickets

Online ticket sales have closed, but walk-ins can be accommodated onsite at the gala.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorship of the CJI's annual Judicial Excellence for Colorado Gala Dinner is a terrific way to showcase your organization and show support for CJI and its work on behalf of Colorado’s courts. Sponsorship benefits include event tickets (e.g., full table or half table), sponsor acknowledgment in promotion & materials, and more.

For more information about sponsorship opportunities for this year's gala dinner, click here!

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Platinum Level: 

• Dowd Bennett
• Polsinelli
• Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell

Gold Level:

• April Jones Law Firm

Silver Level:

• American Arbitration Association
• Burg Simpson
• Davis Graham & Stubbs
• DISH Network
• Fennemore
• Fortis Law Partners
• Harris Law Firm
• Holland & Hart
• Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe
• MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation
• New Leaf Family
• Sherman & Howard / Taft
• Venable

Bronze Level:

• Alvarez & Marsal Disputes and Investigations
• Ballard Spahr
• Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti
• Buchalter
• Caplan & Earnest
• Childs McCune
• Ciancio Cianco Brown
• Colorado & Denver Bar Association and Colorado Bar CLE 
• Colorado Bar Association, Family Law Section
• Colorado Bar Association, Solo Small Firm Section
• Employers Council
• Epstein Patierno
• Faegre Drinker
• Garnett Powell Maximon Barlow & Farbes
• Gordon Rees 
• Greenberg Traurig
• Griffiths Law 
• JAMS 
• Judicial Arbiter Group 
• Levin Sitcoff
• Montgomery, Little & Soran
• Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
• Parker Lipman 
• Robinson Waters O'Dorisio
• Sturm College of Law, University of Denver
• Weld County Bar Association
• Wells, Anderson & Race
• Wilhite Law Firm 
• WilmerHale

Small/Solo Level:

• Cheney Galluzzi & Howard
• Colorado Defense Lawyers Association
• Freestone Strategies
• Werge & Corbin Law Group

Supporters:

• Arapahoe County Bar Association
• Sherr Puttmann Akins Lamb

Wine Sponsors:

• Davis Graham & Stubbs

In-Kind Sponsors:

• Michael Lopez and Array for printing services
• Kathy Henry and Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP for design services
• Don Yost and Holland & Hart LLP for video production services
• Law Week Colorado | Circuit Media LLC for media support
• Dan Diamond and Rocky Mountain PBS for audio production
• Colorado Bar Association's The Loop e-newsletter for promotion.

Sponsor lists last updated October 22, 2024.