The United States District Court
District of Colorado

In accordance with Volume 3, Chapter 4, § 420.30 of the Judicial Conference Regulations for the Selection, Appointment, and Reappointment of United States Magistrate Judges, the United States District Court for the District of Colorado is seeking applications for appointment to a Denver-based magistrate judge merit selection panel. Applications are due by close of business on Friday, September 12, 2025. More information and application instructions may be found HERE.

Effective Monday, July 14, 2025, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathryn A. Starnella's chambers will move to A542 on the 5th floor of the Arraj Courthouse. All future hearings before Judge Starnella will now be heard in courtroom A501.

The United States District Court is seeking applicants for appointment to the court's Committee on Conduct. The Committee on Conduct presides over attorney disciplinary matters as defined in D.C.COLO.LAttyR 6(c). The Court anticipates there will be 3 vacancies on the Committee this fall. For more information, please visit the Attorney Discipline page of the court's website available HERE.

The national Judiciary Integrated Financial Management System (JIFMS) will be temporarily unavailable from Wednesday, June 11, 2025, through Thursday, June 26, 2025, due to essential system upgrades.

During this period, financial operations of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO), courts, and judicial agencies will be impacted. Specifically, Treasury-issued checks and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) disbursements originating in JIFMS—including jury disbursements, restitution payments, eVoucher payments, and judiciary travel reimbursements—will be delayed until the upgraded system goes live on Friday, June 27, 2025.

Additionally, while JIFMS is offline, the Court will be unable to process transactions supporting the deposit and withdrawal of funds in the Court Registry Investment System (CRIS). As a result, registry funds collected during this time cannot be invested, which may affect earned interest.

For vendors supporting court administration, the Court is proactively managing this downtime by issuing solicitations, awards, and procurement obligations either before or after the outage. During the system downtime, purchase and award activities will be limited to emergency or critical procurements only. Invoices or vouchers submitted after June 4, 2025, should expect payment no earlier than July 7, 2025.

The Court remains committed to financial integrity and fulfilling its obligations promptly. We appreciate your patience and sincerely regret any inconvenience this temporary disruption may cause.

"The Judge Decides: Considerations for Bench Trials and Hearings Where the Court is the Factfinder"
When: Thursday, August 28, 2025, 12 noon-1:15 p.m.
Where: Arraj Courthouse, 901 19th Street, Denver
2 general CLE credits requested.

Trying a case in front of a single judge is a far different experience than doing so before a jury. In this panel presentation, we'll hear perspectives from both the bench and practitioners who are frequently in trial. With an eye towards both civil and criminal practice, the panel will discuss all that goes into a successful bench trial. Click HERE to register for this program.

"Trial Skills: Opening Statements"
When: Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 12 noon-1:15 p.m.
Where: Arraj Courthouse, 901 19th Street, Denver
2 general CLE credits requested.

After a fantastic program in 2023 on Attorney-Conducted Voir Dire, the FFA is pleased to continue our series on Trial Skills with a program on opening statements! Experienced trial practitioners Kenzo Kawanabe and Dru Nielsen, as well as Chief Magistrate Judge Scott Varholak, will discuss strategy behind opening statements, best practices for powerful delivery, and pitfalls to avoid. The panel will illustrate these principles by conducting demonstrations of effective opening statements, benefitting both newer and experienced attorneys. Click HERE to register for this program.

"Handling Surprises at Trial"
When: Thursday, October 9, 2025, 12 noon-1:15 p.m.
Where: Arraj Courthouse, 901 19th Street, Denver
2 general CLE credits requested.

No matter how much you prepare for trial, there will always be something that surprises you. In this CLE we will hear from a panel of trial attorneys about how they handled the unexpected at trial. Join us for a conversation involving war stories, tips, and tricks from seasoned trial practitioners. Click HERE to register for this program.