Colorado Legal Legends 2016: A Fireside Chat with the Honorable Thomas J. DeMarino Out of Stock
Our Fireside Chat Series
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April 2016
Colorado Legal Legends 2016: A Fireside Chat with the Honorable Thomas J. DeMarino
Our Fireside Chat Series
Program Highlights:
Colorado Legal Legends: Our Fireside Chat Series
Personal words of wisdom, encouragement, advice and ethics from Colorado's most distinguished and honored legal professionals who have become our living legal legends and role models for future generations.
Personal words of wisdom, encouragement, advice and ethics from Colorado's most distinguished and honored legal professionals who have become our living legal legends and role models for future generations.
Program Description:
You are cordially invited to join us on April 13, 2016, for a fireside chat and luncheon with the Honorable Thomas J. DeMarino, a Colorado Legal Legend, who will share with us his personal and practical advice and his professional words of wisdom instrumental in his becoming one of Colorado's most admired and leading legal minds. This is a unique opportunity for you to hear Judge DeMarino speak from the heart and leave you with thoughts and words to live by to enhance your professional and personal life.
Agenda:
11:15 – 11:45am
Registration
11:45am – 1:00pm
A Fireside Chat and Luncheon with the Honorable Thomas J. DeMarino
Interviewed by John Sbarbaro, Esq.
1:00pm
Adjourn
Honorable Thomas J. DeMarino:
In 1944 at 7 years old, I listened intently to stories of combat my Dad’s friends told of warzones in Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. I set a goal then to serve in the U.S. Army.
- In 1951 at 14 years old I was a freshman in Greensburg High School (PA). I heard stories of Army Rangers and Airborne paratroopers from a new kid in school, whose Dad was an Airborne Ranger and Rifle Company Commander in the Korean War (“Conflict”). I set a goal then to become an Airborne Ranger Infantry officer in the US Army.
- In 1954 at 16 years old, I was a junior year in High School. I won the Pennsylvania Championship in Oratory. I was a four year member of Greensburg High School Chapter of National Forensic League (NFL) and I competed in Debating, Oratory and Student Congress. In my Senior Year I won a seat in Student Congress to represent Pennsylvania at the national NFL Championships at San Jose State University. There I won one of three Outstanding Speaker Awards that were given.
- I faithfully watched the “Perry Mason” TV show each week in High School. I set a goal then to become a courtroom trial lawyer, which would utilize my experiences in forensic competition in high school. I set a goal then to become a judge in a courtroom when my days of trying cases ended.
- I played a lot of football in High School and in Division 3 football at Dickinson College, where I played in the starting lineup as an offensive guard and defensive middle guard for 4 years. I loved playing football. It whetted a competitive spirit that I drew upon later in courtrooms as a trial lawyer.
- In 1962 I was in the first mock jury trial competition at the Dickinson School of Law at Penn State University and won the first Abel Klaw Advocacy Prize that was given. I anticipated becoming a trial lawyer one day.
- In 1963 I was admitted to practice law by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
- After deferments from active duty to attend Law School, I entered the US Army at Ft. Benning, Georgia as a First Lieutenant in 1963. I graduated from Ranger and Airborne Schools and served as a Rifle Company Commander in Korea in 1964. I mustered out of the Army at Ft. Carson on May 30, 1965. I was then ready to use my Army combat planning experiences to prepare me for legal planning operations in courtrooms.
- In June 1965 I interviewed law firms in Denver. In “cutting to the chase” I had 20 law firm interviews in one week. Among others, they included Walter Gerash, Dale Tooley, Louis Rovira, Joseph Quinn, Hugh Burns, Bill DeMoulin, Jim Tilley and Margaret Bates (later Margaret Bates Ellison). I did not have time to await their replies, because they all said they would let me know their decisions. I had no idea how long that would take. So, I created my own list of the 20 law firms that I interviewed that in the order I wanted. The first one was Margaret Bates, because I learned that she was an original member of the Yegge, Hall, Bates and Schulenberg Law Firm, which was an insurance defense law firm. However, in 1965 she was a sole practitioner. Therefore, I concluded that she had no one else but me to train as a trial lawyer in tort and workers’ compensation litigation. I figured that I could learn everything I needed to know about trial law from her. I finished my 20 interviews in one week. I returned to Miss Bates’ office the next week and told her I wanted to work for her more than anyone else. The next day she offered me a job that I accepted. I took the Bar Exam and in August 1965 she assigned me a workers’ compensation hearing on 10/01/65 at 1:00 pm, which was Robert Parmley v. Viner Chevrolet Co and Maryland Casualty Co. On 10/01/65 I was admitted to practice law by the Colorado Supreme Court at 9:00 am and tried my first case at 1:00 pm, re Parmley, and won. The issue was compensability of a strangulated hernia.
- Miss Bates told me that I was expected to actively participate in the Denver and Colorado Bar Associations’ because the Bar Associations depend on their members for their vitality and success in all of their functions. It should be noted that Miss Bates was later given the Colorado Bar Association’s Award of Merit, the highest award that CBA gives to one of its members. After Miss Bates, I practiced law with a partner, Bill Knapp, and then in 1979 I became the Managing Attorney as insurance defense counsel for Travelers Insurance Company in its Denver Office. Our office was responsible for Travelers’ litigation throughout Colorado. That tenure was from 1979 to 1992. Thereafter I practiced law as insurance defense counsel in tort and workers’ compensation litigation until 1999. In sum, from 1965 through 1998 I tried to conclusion many tort bench and jury trials and workers’ compensation claims throughout Colorado. I also tried to conclusion jury trials in the United States District Court for the 10th District.
- I then applied for a judgeship opening in 1998, as an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) with the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation. I was appointed and have served here from 01/04/1999 to present. I was Chief Prehearing ALJ from 11/01/99 – 06/01/13. My docket consists of presiding over cases in prehearing conferences, settlement conferences and arbitration hearings. It is all very exciting and fulfilling to me.
Colorado Bar Association (1965-present): Board of Governors (1985 – 1990, 1995-96, 2000-01);
Litigation Section (1965 – 1998), Executive Council (1983-1989);
Workers Compensation Section (1983 – present), Founder and First Chair (1983-84), Recipient of Lansford Butler Award (1997);
Interprofessional Committee (1970 – 1998), chair (1982-83);
Evidence Code Review Committee (precursor of Colorado Rules of Evidence, which were promulgated by the Colorado Supreme Court on 01/01/80) (1970 – 1976), chair Article 8 Hearsay Subcommittee.
Denver Bar Association (1965-present): President (1997-98),
First Vice-President (1988-89),
Barristers Benefit Ball (Founder and First Chair, 1988-89),
DBA Award of Merit (1995).
Colorado Defense Lawyers Association (1965-1998): President (1976-77); Vice President (1975-76);
Workers Compensation Committee (Founder and First Chair, 1980 – 81);
Exceptional Performance Citation (Conferred by Defense Research Institute, 1977).
American Arbitration Association (AAA) (1990-1997): National Panel of Arbitrators
National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) (1980-1992):
Faculty Member (1980-81); Berkeley Teacher Training Program (1989).
Fellows of Colorado Bar Foundation (1990 – Present).
Fellows of American Bar Foundation (1997-Present).
Publications: “Primer on Permanent Disability in Colorado Workers’ Compensation Law”, published by Denver Law Journal (1980);
Colorado Workers’ Compensation Law and Practice, published by Colorado Legal Publishing Co., Inc. (1984) and Annual Updates (1985 – 1990).
Denver Lyric Opera (1970-75). President, (1972-73), Board of Directors (1970-75).
Colorado Mountain Club (1965-1995). Member of various committees and several terms on Board of Governors.
Colorado Mountain Club Foundation. Treasurer (1972-73).
Denver Barbarians Rugby Football Club. (1967–1975). Founding member (1967).
Denver Lacrosse Club (1965-1975).
- CLE Pass Price *FREE! - exclusions may apply
- Standard Price $79.00 USD
- Member Price $59.00 USD
- General Credits 1.00
- Ethics Credits 1.00
- EDI Credits