Family Law Basic Skills Out of Stock
Co-Sponsored by the Family Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association
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This comprehensive and practice-focused program helps attorneys and LLPs develop a solid foundation for navigating family law cases from initial client contact through final resolution. Learn directly from Colorado’s experienced family law practitioners and judicial officers as they demystify critical procedures, share practical strategies, and clarify the complexities of domestic relations practice. You will leave with a clearer framework for managing cases, advocating effectively, and serving families with confidence and competence.
• Learn directly from Magistrates, District Court Judges, and a Court of Appeals Judge as they provide candid guidance on substantive family law issues, courtroom expectations, and effective advocacy.
• Examine cross-disciplinary issues that arise in family law, including bankruptcy questions, criminal-law impacts, and digital-asset disentanglement.
• Gain practical insights and concrete techniques you won’t find in a textbook, along with tips and best practices that many experienced professionals wish they had known at the start of their careers.
• Build your professional community. Connect in person with peers, judicial officers, mental-health professionals, financial experts, and seasoned practitioners who collectively represent the full ecosystem of family law.
• Volunteer and save. Receive significantly discounted tuition by volunteering with Metro Volunteer Lawyers, either in person or virtually, and help bridge the access to justice gap for very low-income and vulnerable families who would not otherwise have access to essential legal guidance.
IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE HAS ITS PERKS
Continuing Legal Education in Colorado, Inc. (CBA-CLE) values you and your participation in the Colorado legal community. The pandemic taught us that community building comes more naturally in person than it ever could via Zoom. Attending CBA-CLE events in person is a great way to network and meet new colleagues. Did you know that a primary referral source for attorneys is other attorneys?
To encourage community building through in-person attendance, CBA-CLE will be holding a drawing at every live program held in the CLE Classroom, available only to in-person attendees. The winner will receive a CLE Elite Pass for 1 year (a value of $1195 for members/$1495 for non-members) simply by attending live.
DBA MVL Pro Bono Work and Discounted Tuition
Commit to pro bono work for DBA Metro Volunteer Lawyers and attend for only $150.*
The Pro Bono Rate is available to persons attending the CLE in person only, and who do the following within one year of the CLE:
• Take a full referral pro bono case from MVL and complete it; OR
• Volunteer with MVL three times in either the Family Law Court Program or in the Family Law Advice and Guidance Program (FLAG), which has in person and virtual opportunities. Learn more at https://www.denbar.org/mvl
You don’t have to live or practice in the Denver Metro Area in order to participate! You may volunteer with MVL in the FLAG program that provides virtual consultation opportunities.
*If you do not satisfy these terms within the one-year period, you will be invoiced the difference between the reduced and full tuition rate.
CLE CREDITS: This program has been submitted for 18 General CLE Credits, including 1.9 Ethics/Professionalism Credits and 1 EDI Credit.
The program is accredited in Colorado. CBA-CLE staff can provide a Uniform Certificate of Attendance, and it is the attendee's responsibility to complete the accreditation outside of Colorado.
Home studies will be available 2-3 weeks following the live program.
CBA-CLE is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, and employment. To request an accommodation please contact [email protected] at least 14 business days in advance.
Day 1 — Thursday, February 5, 2026
7:30 – 8:00 am
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00 – 8:10 am
Welcome Remarks
Extended by Jody Davis, Esq., CBA-CLE, and Program Co-Chairs, The Honorable Jamin Alabiso, 1st Judicial District Court, Rachel Kranz Caldwell, Esq., Cline Caldwell, LLP; Halleh T. Omidi, Esq., Hogan Omidi, PC
8:10 – 9:00 am
Ethics for Family Law Attorneys
Presented by Janie B. Cox, Esq., Recht Kornfeld PC
Submitted for 1 Ethics/Professionalism Credit
9:05 – 9:30 am
Overview on Running a Family Law Practice and Initial Client Information
Presented by Hannah Jannicelli Westmont, Esq., Beattie, Westmont & Simpson, LLC
9:30 – 9:40 am
Break
9:40 – 9:55 am
Life of a Case
Presented by The Honorable Jamin Alabiso, 1st Judicial District Court
9:55 to 10:15 am
Jurisdiction
Presented by The Honorable Jamin Alabiso, 1st Judicial District Court, and Natalie C. Simpson, Esq., Beattie, Westmont & Simpson, LLC
10:15 – 11:05 am
Disclosures and Discovery (Including Rule 16.2)
Presented by Jennifer G. Feingold, Esq., Feingold Horton PLLC, and The Honorable Michal A. Lord-Blegen, 17th Judicial District Court
11:05 – 11:45 am
Childhood Development and Children with Special Needs
Presented by Kathleen McNamara, PhD, Kathleen McNamara, PhD, PLLC
11:45 am – 12:20 pm
Lunch (included in tuition)
CBA-CLE can provide gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options if attendees note their dietary needs during registration.
12:20 – 12:35 pm
Collaborative Law
Presented by Emma A. Fletcher, Esq., Harrington Brewster Mahoney Smits, P.C.
12:35 – 1:25 pm
Parental Responsibilities and CFIs/PREs
Child and Family Investigator (CFI) and Parental Responsibilities Evaluator (PRE)
Presented by Kathleen McNamara, PhD, Kathleen McNamara, PhD, PLLC, Adeline M. Sulentich, Esq., Hogan Omidi, PC, and The Honorable Kristen Tarrin, Esq., 22nd Judicial District
1:25 – 2:15 pm
Property Division
Presented by Luke S. Abraham, Esq., Sherr Puttmann Akins Lamb PC, Emily P. Koekkoek, Esq., Sherr Puttmann Akins Lamb PC, and Jessica Landay, ASA, CVA, MAFF, ABV, Harper Hofer & Associates
2:15 – 2:25 pm
Break
2:25 – 3:05 pm
Intersection of Criminal and Family Law
Presented by The Honorable Bryce D. Allen, 1st Judicial District Court, and The Honorable Ryan P. Loewer, 1st Judicial District Court
3:05 – 4:00 pm
Evidence and Trial Tactics
Presented by The Honorable Stephanie Scoville, 2nd Judicial District Court, and The Honorable Ted Tow III, Colorado Court of Appeals
4:05 – 5:00 pm
Child Support, Child Support Services, and Parentage
Presented by Jennie A. Campbell, Esq., Hogan Omidi, PC, Lara Delka, Esq., Denver City Attorney’s Office, Linda Nickels, Esq., Denver City Attorney’s Office, and Sahar P. Safi, Esq., Hogan Omidi, PC
5:00 pm
Adjourn
Day 2 — Friday, February 6, 2026
8:15 – 8:45 am
Continental Breakfast
8:45 – 9:30 am
Am I Solving the Problem. . .or Have I Become the Problem?
Presented by Daniel N. Deasy, Esq., Ammarell Deasy, LLP, and Shawn M. Moussou, Esq., Ammarell Deasy, LLP
Submitted for .9 Professionalism Credit
9:35 – 10:15 am
Separation Agreements and Parenting Plans
Presented by Erika R. Kemmerley, Esq., Sherr Puttman Akins Lamb PC, and Kate M. Lewis, Esq., Cooper | Ramp | Cage | Bucar | Lewis
10:20 – 11:15 am
Maintenance
Presented by Banafsheh Lari, Esq., Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C.
11:15 – 11:25 am
Introduction to the Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program (COLAP)
Presented by Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program representative
11:25 – 12:00 pm
Lunch (included in tuition) and Open Forum for Questions
CBA-CLE can provide gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options if attendees note their dietary needs during registration.
12:00 – 12:25 pm
Digital Divorce — Untangling Accounts
Presented by Katherine (Katy) Ellis, Esq., The Harris Law Firm, PLLP
12:25 – 1:05 pm
Intersections Between Family Law and Bankruptcy
Presented by Diana A. Ray Esq., Diana Ray Law, P.C., and Jared C. Walters, Esq., Chapter 7 Panel Trustee, The Law Office of Jared C. Walters, LLC
1:05 – 1:50 pm
Trial Preparation
Presented by Robin Lutz Beattie, Esq., Beattie, Westmont & Simpson, LLC, and Courtney M. Baldwin, Esq., Beattie, Westmont & Simpson, LLC
1:50 – 2:20 pm
Low Income Issues in Family Law Cases
Presented by Rebekah Pfahler, Esq., Colorado Legal Services
2:20 – 2:30 pm
Break
2:30 – 3:00 pm
Mediation, Arbitration, and Parenting Coordinators/Decision-Makers
Presented by Courtney J. Cline, Esq., Cline Caldwell, LLP, and Rachel Kranz Caldwell, Esq., Cline Caldwell, LLP
3:00 – 3:55 pm
Managing a Diverse Client Caseload
Presented by Samer A. Bandak, Esq., Best Interest Family Law Firm, LLC, Maha A. Kamal, Esq., Colorado Family Law Project, Meggin Rutherford, Esq., Setter, Roche, Smith and Shellenberger LLP, and Nicola Winter, Esq., Geigle | Morales, LLC
Submitted for 1.0 EDI Credits
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Views from the Bench
Panelists include The Honorable Angela R. Arkin (ret.), Judicial Arbiter Group, Inc., The Honorable Karen F. Hübler, 2nd Judicial District Court, and The Honorable Echo D. Ryan, 18th Judicial District Court
Moderated by The Honorable Jamin Alabiso, 1st Judicial District Court
5:00 pm
Closing Remarks and Adjourn
- CLE Pass Price *FREE! - exclusions may apply
- Standard Price $779.00 USD
- Member Price $584.00 USD
- General Credits 18.00
- Ethics Credits 1.90
- EDI Credits 1.00