Colorado Judicial Institute

A Shared Vision of Judicial Excellence

The Colorado Judicial Institute is one of the only independent and nonpartisan citizen’s groups in the nation devoted to the excellence and independence of its state courts. Established in 1979, CJI was originally formed to preserve Colorado’s merit election system for judges. Its mission has broadened to include public education about the judiciary, support for judicial education, recognition of judicial excellence, and collaboration with the public, the legislature and the judiciary to improve Colorado’s courts.

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ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

CJI actively promotes the expanded use of Alternative Dispute Resolution methods by the judiciary in order to help facilitate the efficient resolution of disputes. Recent projects include the following:

CJI is one of several sponsors of a multi-year study, begun in May 2003, of the savings and other benefits resulting from community-based mediation. The University of Denver is playing a key role in providing research for this project.
In the last few years, CJI has participated in a national effort to develop a Uniform Mediation Act ("UMA"), the centerpiece of which is the creation of a privilege for mediation communications. CJI is co-chairing a task force that will compare the UMA with the Colorado Dispute Resolution Act and the Colorado Model Standards for Conduct of Mediation and make appropriate suggestions to the Colorado Legislature regarding adoption of the UMA in Colorado.
CJI participated with several others in the preparation of a three-part series of articles regarding the UMA and its relationship to the Colorado Dispute Resolution Act and the Colorado Model Standards for Conduct of Mediation. The articles were published in the May, June and July 2002 issues of "The Colorado Lawyer."
In March 2001, CJI convened an ADR conference that explored the public policy implications of using ADR in the courts, federal and state government, the private sector and in communities. Co-sponsors of the conference were the American Arbitration Association, the Colorado Bar Association and the Office of Dispute Resolution of the Colorado Judicial Branch.

CJI and ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

CJI has been participating in a national effort, sponsored by the American Bar Association Section on Dispute Resolution and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, to develop a Uniform Mediation Act (UMA). The UMA has been formally adopted by both groups and will be presented for adoption to the legislatures in all 50 states. CJI will work with other groups, including the CBA ADR Committee, ODR and COCOMO, to provide input to the Colorado Legislature about the UMA and its implications for Colorado.

In several recent legislative sessions, the Community Mediation Coalition (CMC), of which CJI is a part, has actively supported legislation that would provide modest funding for various community-based mediation efforts that have been developed at the local level. The legislative effort has not been successful and CMC is contemplating a study of the benefits of community-based mediation and how one measures the benefits. Several attempts to measure the cost savings resulting from mediation have been made previously and have concluded that cost savings occur but are difficult to measure. The study contemplated by CMC will investigate both cost savings and other benefits. CJI and the CBA ADR committee will support this project and the University of Denver will play a key role in providing research for this project.

CJI is engaged on an ongoing basis in active dialogue with several other organizations interested in ADR. This enables CJI to be visible in the community and to be alert to other possible projects. In addition, CJI is paying particular attention to Colorado's budget crisis and its possible impacts on the availability of ADR in the court system.

CHAIR: Lance Tanaka