The Colorado Trial Lawyers Association announced Thursday the election of Sommer Luther of The Gold Law Firm to the position of president.
She leads a team of other newly-elected officers including Michael Nimmo of Denver Trial Lawyers – Wahlberg Woodruff Nimmo & Sloane as president-elect; Deborah Taussig of Debbie Taussig Law, LLC as vice president; Jason Jordan of Jordan Law as secretary; and Thomas Neville of Ogborn Mihm as treasurer.
“CTLA works to ensure that everyone in Colorado has equal access to justice,” Luther said. “It is this commitment that inspires me. Our members are like family. This is not my organization. This is our organization. Together, we take the necessary steps to protect the right to trial by jury.”
Luther, an active CTLA member for the past 14 years, specializes in personal injury and medical malpractice litigation throughout the state. She has presented at many continuing legal education seminars and received CTLA’s New Trial Lawyer of the Year Award in 2011. Luther holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and law degree from the University of Denver College of Law.
Newly-elected officers will serve a one-year term.
Judicial Announcements
Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed Meredith Ann Patrick Cord and Dulce Denise Peacock to the El Paso County Court in the 4th Judicial District. They fill vacancies created by the resignations of judges Regina Walter and Stephen Sletta.
Cord currently serves as a district court magistrate judge in the 4th Judicial District, a position she has held since 2013. Her docket is primarily comprised of domestic relations, juvenile and quasi-criminal contempt actions. She previously practiced domestic relations law with the law firm of Johnson & Cord, probate, estate planning, and family law with the law firm of Kane Donley & Johnson and family law with the law firm of M. Patricia Marrison. She also served as a deputy district attorney in the 4th Judicial District District Attorney’s Office.
Cord earned her bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University in 1996 and her law degree from Case Western Reserve University in 2001.
Her appointment is effective Jan. 7.
Peacock currently serves as a district court magistrate judge in the 4th Judicial District, a position she has held since 2002. She presides over juvenile delinquency and family law matters. She previously was in private practice with Dulce Denise Peacock, representing clients in family, juvenile, and criminal matters and with Warren Mundt & Martin representing clients in civil, family, juvenile, and criminal matters. She was also a member of the U.S. Air Force, serving as an assistant staff judge advocate and as area defense counsel. Peacock earned her bachelor’s degree from Columbia College and her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Her appointment is effective Jan. 7.
The 3rd Judicial District Nominating Commission has nominated candidates for a Las Animas County Court judgeship created by the retirement of Judge Bruce Billings, and a district court judgeship created by the retirement of Judge Claude Appel, both effective Jan. 8.
For the county court judgeship, nominees Matthew Holmes of Trinidad, John McKisson III of La Veta and John Mochel of Highlands Ranch were selected.
And for the district court judgeship, nominees Christopher Gregory of Fort Collins, Dawn Mann of Pueblo and John McKisson III of La Veta were selected by the commission.
The 10th Judicial District Nominating Commission has also nominated three candidates for a Pueblo County court judgeship created by the resignation of Judge Valerie Haynes, effective Aug. 17. Nominees Roberto Silva, Alex Steiner, and Margaret Vellar, all of Pueblo, were selected in a meeting Aug. 29.
For all of the above positions, under the Colorado Constitution, the governor has 15 days from Aug. 30 to appoint nominees as judges.
The 8th Judicial District Nominating Commission nominated three candidates for a district court judgeship created by the retirement of Judge Devin Odell, effective Oct. 6. Nominees Laurie Kazue Dean, Kent Spangler and Juan Villasenor, all of Fort Collins, were selected by the commission on Aug. 28. The governor has 15 days from Aug. 29 to appoint a judge.
The 19th Judicial District Nominating Commission has nominated three candidates for a district court judgeship created by the retirement of Judge Elizabeth Strobel, effective Jan. 8. Nominees Arnold Hanuman of Berthoud, Ryan Kamada of Windsor, and Meghan Saleebey of Aurora were selected by the commission during a meeting at the Weld County Courthouse on Aug. 24. The governor has 15 days from Aug. 27, to appoint one of the nominees to the judgeship.
Comments regarding any of the nominees may be sent via e-mail to the governor at [email protected].