The United States District Court
District of Colorado

The District of Colorado is pleased to share that the judges of the Court have selected Ms. Kyla Hamilton as the next Chief U.S. Probation Officer for the District of Colorado. Ms. Hamilton has served as the District's Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officer for the past three years. She will replace current Chief U.S. Probation Officer, Elizabeth Russell, who is retiring at the end of May. Ms. Hamilton's first day as Chief will be on Monday, June 2, 2025.

The United States District Court for the District of Colorado announces the designation of Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak as the Chief Magistrate Judge for the District of Colorado.

The chief magistrate judge is designated based on seniority and has a four-year term. In addition to the normal duties as magistrate judge, the duties of the chief magistrate judge include: coordinating and leading regular meetings of the magistrate judges; being available as a liaison between the magistrate judges and the chief district judge, the clerk of the court, the U.S. Probation Office, and other stakeholders who work with the magistrate judges; providing support and guidance to newly appointed magistrate judges; helping to ensure an even distribution of work among the magistrate judges; and meeting periodically with the chief district judge to discuss administrative matters.

United States Magistrate Judge Cyrus Y. Chung was sworn into office on January 6, 2025 by Chief Judge Philip A. Brimmer. A formal investiture will be planned for a later date. Judge Chung's chambers are in C-254 of the Byron G. Rogers Courthouse, and he is assigned to courtroom C-205. His chambers telephone number is: 303-335-2761. Cases assigned to Judge Chung will be identified on the docket by his initials CYC.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, and the Clerk's Office, will remain open during normal business hours Thursday, January 9th. Individual judicial officers may choose to close their respective chambers to honor the memory of former President James E. Carter, Jr. Any changes to scheduled hearings will be reflected in CM/ECF.

Effectively immediately, U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Prose's chambers have moved to A532 on the 5th floor of the Arraj Courthouse. All future hearings before Judge Prose will now be heard in courtroom A502.

"How to Safely Use AI to Excel in Law"
When: Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 12 noon-1:15 p.m.
Where: Arraj Courthouse, 901 19th Street, Denver
2 general/.6 ethics CLE credits granted.

This presentation will cover how to navigate the risks and effectively use Generative Artificial Intelligence ("GenAI") in legal practice. Click HERE to register for this program.

"The Fundamentals of Federal Indian Law: A Twenty-First Century Lens"
When: Thursday, March 27, 2025, 12 noon-1:15 p.m.
Where: Webinar
2 general/EDI CLE credits requested.

Join Native and Indigenous law advocates to discuss the fundamentals of Federal Indian Law and its importance today. Panelists will discuss the origin, principles, and policies of Federal Indian Law and its potential relevance to your practice as a federal practitioner in the state of Colorado. Click HERE to register for this program.

"The Certification of State-Law Questions in the District of Colorado"
When: Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 12 noon-1:15 p.m.
Where: Arraj Courthouse, 901 19th Street, Denver
2 general CLE credits requested.

A federal court's authority to certify state law questions to state high courts is an extremely important consideration in both civil and criminal federal practice. By way of certification, a federal court may ask the state court to answer an unsettled question of state law and then use that answer in deciding the federal case. Although certification is far from an everyday occurrence, state-law questions have been certified to the Colorado Supreme Court by both the District of Colorado and the Tenth Circuit in recent years. Click HERE to register for this program.