Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel
An Independent Office of the Colorado Supreme Court
Promoting Professionalism. Protecting the Public.
As we’ve previously noted, on January 2, 2024, a break-in at the Ralph Carr Judicial Center resulted in significant damage to the building, including to the 5th floor where our offices are located. Fortunately, many of the services we provide are available electronically. While we continue to receive mail at the building, when possible, please use email and phone services to communicate with our office. We appreciate your continued patience.
The attorney and LLP registration system opened at the beginning of December. One new addition to the registration process this year is multifactor authentication (MFA) at the time of login. While MFA is new to the registration process, you have likely used it before when logging into other secure accounts. We’re pleased to add this layered security to the registration process.
If you have not yet completed your attorney/LLP registration for 2025, now is a good time to do it. The deadline for registration without a late fee is February 28, 2025. Please go to: https://csc.attorneyregistration.com/ . A separate reminder email will be sent next week as well.
Again this year, with the attorney and LLP registration statement, we included a link to an online demographic survey hosted by Survey Monkey. If you have not completed this voluntary and anonymous survey, please do so in the coming weeks as the survey will close at the end of the attorney/LLP registration cycle. Higher participation will allow us to better understand and monitor shifts in the demographics of the Colorado bar.
To complete the survey, click here.
On December 12, 2024, the Colorado Supreme Court adopted amendments to Colorado Licensed Legal Paraprofessional Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15B, 5.4 and 8.4. The amendments to Rules 1.15B and 8.4 serve to update the language of both of those rules to conform to Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15B and 8.4(g). The amendment to Rule 5.4 updates an internal reference to C.R.C.P. 250.7, which addresses CLE compliance. The adopted amendments can be found here.
On January 8, 2025, the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued ABA Formal Ethics Opinion 514 A Lawyer’s Obligations When Advising an Organization About Conduct that May Create Legal Risks for the Organization’s Constituents. This Opinion discusses ethical considerations for a lawyer who is representing an organization and whose advice for the entity will impact the constituents who will be acting on the organization’s behalf.
The Opinion considers the lawyer’s ethical obligations to both the organization as well as the lawyer’s obligations when interacting with nonclient constituents. Opinion 514
In Al-Hamim v. Star Hearthstone, LLC, the Colorado Court of Appeals addressed the issue of a self-represented litigant’s use of artificial intelligence (AI), where the AI tool manufactured or “hallucinated” cases. In this landlord-tenant case, as recited in the Court of Appeals opinion, Mr. Al Hamim’s opening brief included citations to eight cases that the Court of Appeals could not locate. After Mr. Al Hamim was ordered to produce copies of the cases, he admitted he relied on AI to assist in his preparation of the opening brief, that the citations were hallucinations, and that he failed to inspect the brief. He apologized to the court. The Court of Appeals decided not to impose sanctions on Mr. Al-Hamim, but noted, “A lawyer’s or self-represented party’s future filing in this court containing GAI-generated hallucinations may result in sanctions.” ¶41, 2024 COA 128.
Ryann Peyton, the Executive Director of the Colorado Attorney Mentoring Program, discusses the Colorado Supreme Court Well-Being Recognition Program and ways to get involved.
Be a Leader in Lawyer Well-Being!
It’s time to prioritize our well-being as lawyers and legal professionals. The legal profession is renowned for its rigorous demands and high-stress environments, but this shouldn’t come at the cost of our mental and physical health. We must take proactive steps to ensure our well-being remains a top priority.
The Colorado Supreme Court Well-Being Recognition Program for Legal Employers is a step forward in shifting the culture of well-being in Colorado’s legal profession. Through this first-of-its-kind Program, the Colorado Supreme Court recognizes individual lawyers, solo practitioners, and legal employers for implementing well-being strategies and recommendations encompassing six specific goal areas of lawyer well-being.
Are You In?
By taking this annual pledge to prioritize Colorado’s six-point lawyer well-being framework for building a better future, you’re not just making a commitment to your organization, but to the entire legal community. Let’s work together to create a culture where lawyer well-being is valued and prioritized.
Take advantage of access to education, resources, support, and technical assistance to incorporate well-being strategies into your organization. New in 2025 is our Well-Being Speakers Bureau, a vetted list of speakers and consultants to make finding good well-being resources easier for your organization.Did you take the Pledge in 2024?Good for you! Now take it again! The program is designed to be built upon year over year. If you participated in 2024, please make sure to take a new pledge for 2025.Brief informational webinars are available to organizational leaders seeking additional information. You can reach out directly to program director Ryann Peyton at r.peyton@csc.state.co.us with specific questions or to schedule a webinar for your organization. Visit https://coloradolawyerwellbeing.org for more information and to take the 2025 pledge!
Jan. 30 Common Ethical Dilemmas in Family Law Practice, Family Law Section, virtual (Erin Robson Kristofco)
Feb. 26 Succession Planning – Where to Begin, El Paso County Bar Association, virtual (Jon White)
March 12 Legal Ethics, CU Law School/Spring Ethics Class, live in Boulder (Jessica Yates)
March 12 Attorney & LLP Panel CLE Program, CBA/DBA Professionalism Coordinating Council, Hybrid (moderated by Jessica Yates)
March 27 Succession Planning: What You Can Do Today, CBA-CLE, live at CBA-CLE Classroom (Jay Fernandez and Greg Sapakoff)
