The CLI Bench Dream Team (co-chaired by Judge Don Toussaint, Justice Melissa Hart, and Justice Monica Márquez) seeks to build a pipeline of diverse applicants for judicial officer positions across Colorado. We’ve undertaken several projects, including our Coffee Brigade, that serves as a resource to anyone who is interested in becoming a judge. The Coffee Brigade is a list of current and former judicial officers around the state who have made their contact information available and who are happy to meet for coffee (or lunch) with interested candidates to talk about life on the bench and offer advice about the application process. We have volunteers from county court, district court, the court of appeals, and the supreme court, as well as our federal district court. Curious about the day-to-day realities of being a trial court judge? Contact a Coffee Brigade volunteer and get the scoop from someone who is living it. Have questions about how to navigate the application process (particularly as a diverse candidate), nail the commission interview, round up letters of recommendation? Call up a Coffee Brigade volunteer and find out the answers. Want to know more about the joys and challenges of being a judge in Colorado? Let’s talk.
Those of us who are listed on the Coffee Brigade welcome your email or phone call. So reach out, don’t be shy! We are happy to connect over coffee or lunch to share our stories and answer your questions. Our goal is to demystify the process and level the playing field for all lawyers who are considering a career on the bench. We love our jobs and we are happy to share advice based on our own journeys. So give us a ring or shoot us an email. And if you’re a judge (or you know a judge) who would like to join the Coffee Brigade, please contact Sumi Lee, Head of Judicial Diversity Outreach at sumi.lee@judicial.state.co.us and CLI at ceo@legalinclusiveness org. We update our list regularly.