The United States District Court
District of Colorado

Hon. Philip A. Brimmer, Chief Judge
Jeffrey P. Colwell Esq., Clerk of Court

Our mission is to serve the public by providing a fair and impartial forum that ensures equal access to justice in accordance with the rule of law, protects rights and liberties of all persons, and resolves cases in a timely and efficient manner.

Civil Pro Bono Panel - Details, and Available Cases

PERMANENT PROGRAM FOR COURT APPOINTMENT OF PRO BONO COUNSEL

ANNOUNCEMENT – THE FEDERAL COURT PRISON LITIGATION HANDBOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR ALL ATTORNEYS INTERESTED IN REPRESENTING INCARCERATED LITIGANTS

 

Application for Attorneys to Join the Civil Pro Bono Panel and Sample Motions:

 

Handbooks, Instructions, and Guides:

 

"Panel Periodical" Newsletters:

 

Pro Bono Panel Annual Reports and Recognition of Volunteer Attorneys:

 

 

Cases Available TO ALL ATTORNEYS for Pro Bono Representation:

Case Number Case Name Cause of Action Plaintiff/Defendant Complaint
22-cv-01850-WJM-STV Ashley Beard v. Brinks, Inc., et al. 42:1983 Civil Rights (Employment Discrimination) Plaintiff Complaint
23-cv-00699-RMR-SBP Allen v. Marcotte et al. Cause: 42:12181 American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Plaintiff Complaint
22-cv-00888-NYW-NRN Lerner et al. v. Stancil et al. 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
22-cv-02334-MEH Swietlicki v. Lessar 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
23-cv-00219-RMR-SBP Roos v. Ruffini et al. 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
23-cv-01435-STV Clark v. Spurlock et al. 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
22-cv-01312-RM-NRN Donald v. Pearson et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
22-cv-03374-CNS-STV Salim v. AUSA_SDNY Office 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
15-cv-02849-RM-JPO Ajaj v. United States of America et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
23-cv-00756-GPG-SBP Rocha v. Executive Director Colorado Department of Corrections et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
22-cv-03110-CNS-NRN Abdo v. USA 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
22-cv-02237-RMR-JPO Salazar v. Navarette et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-00908-MEH Strumpf v. Colorado Department of Corrections 42:12101 Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Plaintiff Complaint
20-cv-02516-RBJ-MDB Mohamed v. Jones et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
23-cv-01897-PAB-NRN Lewandowski v. City of Longmont, The et al 42:1983 Civil Rights Act Plaintiff Complaint
22-cv-00164-RMR-NRN Tibbels v. Miller et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
23-cv-02255-SKC-MEH Doe v. Young et al 28:1332 Diversity-Personal Injury Defendant Complaint
18-cv-02160-CMA-STV Martinez et al v. Stevens et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
23-cv-01452-MEH *Limited Representation* Kearns v. Maul et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-02150-SKC-MEH Walker v. Foreman 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-01478-RMR-TPO** Samuel v. State of Colorado 42:1983 Civil Rights Act Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-01429-RMR-TPO Jones v. Deines et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-02231-SBP Suing v. USA et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
23-cv-03425-PAB-CYC Ellis v. Retting et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-02428-STV Marlow v. USA 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
23-cv-02283-STV Rodriguez v. Unknown Mesa County Sheriff's Deputies et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
23-cv-01115-RMR-KAS Curlin v. SER National Jobs for Progress 42:1983 Civil Rights (Employment Discrimination) Plaintiff Complaint
23-cv-00501-SKC-NRN Galvan v. Weld County Jail Correctional Staff et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-02267-CNS-TPO Purves v. Pilot Travel Centers, LLC 42:2000a Title II Civil Rights Act 1964 Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-02284-DDD-TPO Fry v. Denver Public Schools, District No. 1 et al 42:1983 Civil Rights Act Defendants Complaint
24-cv-01730-GPG-SBP Jackson v. 8 Denver Police Dep't Officers, et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-01476-RMR-KAS Ontiveros Molina v. Eagle Steel LLC et al 29:201 Fair Labor Standards Act Defendant Complaint
24-cv-00853-RMR-SBP Johnson v. Clark et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-02016-CNS-KAS Peoples v. Colorado Dept. of Corrections et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-01494-KAS Diaz Deleon v. Linnemeyer et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Defendants Complaint
23-cv-03110-PAB-TPO Chacon v. State Board for Community College and Occupational Education 42:2000 Job Discrimination (Race) Plaintiff Complaint
25-cv-00154-PAB-KAS *Limited Representation* Cooper v. Adams and or Arapahoe County Sheriff Dept 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
25-cv-00492-STV Lamar v. Maul et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
25-cv-00071-GPG-NRN Denson v. Bergman et al 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Plaintiff Complaint
24-cv-02078-CNS-KAS Midland National Life Insurance Company v. Ornelas et al 28:1332 Diversity-Interpleader Action Defendants* Complaint
23-cv-02230-DDD-MDB Diaz v. El Paso County Department of Human Services 42:2000 Job Discrimination (Gender) Plaintiff Complaint

 

Please email COD_ProBonoPanel@cod.uscourts.gov for more information on the available cases.
*The Court is seeking separate counsel for two of the defendants.
**The Court is seeking a Guardian ad Litem who will serve as pro bono counsel.

 

Effective December 1, 2014, the U.S. District Court adopted Local Attorney Rule 15, titled Civil Pro Bono Representation, which implements the court's Civil Pro Bono Panel Plan. The Plan is a program consisting of volunteer attorneys willing to represent individuals of limited financial means (not strictly limited to the "indigent") in civil matters whenever requested by the Court and without compensation. As a means to assist attorneys in providing pro bono services, the court has established a panel of attorneys who are members in good standing of the Bar of the district court and who have agreed to accept pro bono appointments to represent pro se litigants (plaintiff or defendant) in civil cases.

The following are some of the unique aspects of the Panel program:

• Individual lawyers, law school clinical programs, or law firms can join the Panel.

• Participants can specify how many cases will be accepted per year, and no more than that amount will be assigned – either on an individual basis, or as a law firm.

• If a law firm joins the program, it can assign to the individual cases that it accepts any attorney or attorneys from within the firm that it chooses, as long as the attorneys are members of the District Court bar and in good standing.

• A Panel member (Individual or Law Firm) can specify which types of cases/causes of action he/she/it will accept, from the following categories: Civil rights cases Consumer rights/ credit reporting/ foreclosure cases Employment discrimination claims FOIA/Privacy Act cases Prisoners' rights cases (42 U.S.C. § 1983 or Bivens) Social Security appeals Other categories (counsel can choose from approximately 100 different specific causes of action listed on the Civil Pro Bono Panel Application, The Causes of Action on the Pro Bono Application form are also listed on the U.S. District Court's Civil Cover Sheet located on the Forms page) The clerk strictly limits case assignments to those specified by the Panel member.

• If one case has already been accepted by counsel, a new one will not be assigned unless specifically permitted by counsel or law firm in the Panel application;

• Counsel may choose to have additional co-counsel assigned to assist him or her, or counsel may request a mentoring attorney – or may serve as a mentoring attorney;

• The Court initiates the appointment process by granting a pro se litigant's (prisoner or non-prisoner) motion for appointment of counsel, and after the case has undergone initial review for merit through the process required under D.C.COLO.LCivR 8.1 and 28 § 1915A. Cases are randomly assigned by the clerk, according to counsel's preferences. Appointed Panel members have a five-day period of time to run a conflicts check, review the case, gain internal approval, etc., before contacting the Clerk's office and accepting or rejecting the case.

• After a Notice of Appointment is entered in the case by the clerk, indicating the draw of the name of the appointed attorney (as an individual or as the coordinating attorney for a law firm), the attorney then has 30 days to formally enter an appearance in the case, or file a Notice Declining Appointment. Please note that Reimbursement funding for costs incurred by counsel (not attorney fees) will be available from the Faculty of Federal Advocates, derived from the 2013 Renewal fee for district court bar members. Visit the Faculty of Federal Advocates website for more information HERE. Please also be aware that under D.C.COLO.LAttyR 2(b)(1), effective December 1, 2016, counsel are permitted -- either on a pro bono basis, or for a fee -- to represent both incarcerated individuals and "pro se" non-prisoner unrepresented parties on a limited basis, following the procedures set forth in Local Attorney Rules 2(b)(1), 5(a) and 5(b). For more information on Limited Representation, including an Instruction Guide with the applicable rules, forms, checklist, and FAQs, visit the Limited Representation page HERE.

 

With adoption of the Civil Pro Bono Plan, the Court now seeks applicants to the Civil Pro Bono Panel – attorneys, law firms, non-profit organizations, and clinical legal education programs at law schools that are willing to accept appointment to represent pro se parties of limited financial means in civil actions may apply to join the Panel. The Application Form can be found through a link to the Forms page on the Court's website HERE. You may submit a completed application either by mail to the Clerk of the Court, United States District Court, Attn: Ashley Sheehan, Civil Pro Bono Panel Administrator, Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse Annex, 901 19th Street, Denver, Colorado 80294; or you may submit the application as a pdf document by e-mail to: COD_ProBonoPanel@cod.uscourts.gov.

Sample forms that unrepresented parties may use to submit a motion (request to the court) for appointment of counsel from the Civil Pro Bono Panel can be found on our Forms Page under the heading "Civil Pro Bono."