The United States District Court
District of Colorado

Without legislation funding Judiciary operations passed by Congress and approved by the President, the Judiciary entered a lapse of appropriations effective Monday, October 20, 2025. Pursuant to Volume 13, Chapter 2, § 230.50 of the Guide to Judiciary Policy and to avoid a violation of the Antideficiency Act, the Judiciary must reduce its operations and incur only obligations and expenditures necessary to perform "excepted activities." General Order 2025-4, which supersedes General Order 2025-3, defines excepted and nonexcepted activities for the District of Colorado and clarifies that certain contracting activity in support of excepted activities may continue. Unless ordered otherwise by the presiding judicial officer, all cases, hearings, and trials (criminal and civil) will proceed as normal. Some Clerk's Office staff will be furloughed which may result in longer than usual response times from the Clerk's Office. Click HERE to read the General Order.

The United States District Court for the District of Colorado extends the initial October 10th deadline for public commentary regarding proposed amendments to its local rules. All comments, to include those on the additional proposed special amendments, may now be submitted no later than Saturday, November 1, 2025. The proposed amendments can be found by visiting the local rules page on the U.S. District Court website, under the "Local Rules of Practice Open for Comment" column, HERE. Please e-mail comments to LocalRule_Comments@cod.uscourts.gov and be sure to identify the specific local rule amendment to which your comment(s) relate.

With the implementation of General Order 2025-2 last week, which establishes new procedures for access and management of sealed and restricted documents via the Secure Document Storage (SDS) system, the United States District Court for the District of Colorado announces additional proposed special amendments to its local rules and invites public comment. Like the original set of proposed amendments, the SDS-related amendments can also be accessed by visiting the Local Rules page on this website, HERE. All comments on SDS-related amendments must be submitted no later than Saturday, November 1, 2025. Please email comments to LocalRule_Comments@cod.uscourts.gov and be sure to identify the specific local rule amendment to which your comment(s) relate.

On September 24, 2025, Chief Judge Brimmer entered General Order 2025-2 regarding procedures for access and management of sealed and restricted documents (hereinafter referred to as "sealed documents"). Effective immediately, sealed documents will continue to be filed in CM/ECF under existing procedures but will no longer be accessible or viewable by electronic means. Because sealed documents filed in CM/ECF will no longer be accessible or viewable electronically, service cannot be accomplished through CM/ECF. Instead, parties will have to serve sealed documents by other appropriate means as provided by the Federal Rules of Procedure. The Court will serve sealed documents in paper by US mail. A party with the right to access a sealed document in a case who requires a copy of a sealed document must contact the Clerk's Office. Requests for paper copies of sealed documents will be subject to the current docket copy fee rate. For more information and a copy of the General Order please click here.
Any questions about the filing of and access to sealed documents should be directed to the Clerk's Office at 303-844-3433.

Courtroom A-201, Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse
United States Bankruptcy Judge Thomas B. McNamara
The U.S. District Court conducts ceremonies for those individuals requesting a name change as part of their naturalization process to become a U.S. Citizen. All questions regarding the naturalization process should be directed to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at 1-800-375-5283, 12484 E Weaver Pl, Centennial, CO 80111, or contact the USCIS here.

"The Schoolhouse Gate Reimagined: Legal Boundaries of Student Expression"
When: Thursday, November 20, 2025, 12 noon-1:15 p.m.
Where: WEBINAR only
2 General CLE credits requested.

Attorney Jamie Hubbard will explore the evolving legal landscape governing student speech in public schools, focusing on the intersection of First Amendment protections and schools' authority to maintain order, regulate bullying, and uphold educational values. Drawing on key precedents such as Tinker v. Des Moines, Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., and recent lower court decisions, the session will provide attendees with a framework for analyzing when and how schools may regulate student expression—whether it occurs in the classroom, on social media, or beyond the schoolhouse gate. Click HERE to register for this program.

"Attorney Fees in Federal Court: A Colorado Perspective"
When: Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 12 noon-1:30 p.m.
Where: Arraj Courthouse, 901 19th Street, Denver
.4 Ethics/2 General CLE credits granted.

Join us for a special 1.5-hour CLE on everything you need to know about getting—and fighting—attorney fees in federal court. This practical program will review common statutory and contractual fee-shifting provisions and the "prevailing party" standard, before providing detailed guidance on calculating the lodestar, documenting fee applications, and ethical considerations under Colorado Rules of Professional Responsibility 1.5 and 3.3. We'll also explore recent developments including Colorado's new HB25-1090 (effective January 1, 2026) and the addition of subsection (2) to CRS § 13-17-201. The panel will conclude by sharing best practices for both seeking and defending against fee applications, common pitfalls that cost applicants, and what judges really look for when reviewing fee petitions under the Rules of Civil Procedure. Click HERE to register for this program.