The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance agrees, by a vote of 7-1, with one member absent and one vacancy on the Commission, that Judge Colleen Clark MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS . The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance and service to the legal profession and to the public.
After meeting with Judge Clark, and after reviewing her prior work and assessing feedback from attorneys and non-attorneys, the Commission determined that she meets judicial performance standards. Judge Clark was described as fair, calm, punctual, and courteous. Some respondents expressed concerns that Judge Clark can be at times slow to make rulings, appears to be visibly frustrated at times, and has opportunity to grow with how she engages with pro se litigants. Judge Clark, who currently presides over a criminal county court docket in Arapahoe County, has recently transitioned back to this docket from an 80/20 civil/small claims docket in Littleton, but brings over twenty years of prior experience in criminal law. Judge Clark assured the Commission that she is committed to all parties being treated with dignity and respect, punctuality, as well as her continued commitment to ensure all parties feel heard and respected. Judge Clark is excited about her return to the criminal docket, is confident in her ability to serve the citizens of Arapahoe County. The Commission concluded Judge Clark’s legal knowledge base is stable.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Clark, reviewed rulings she authored, observed her in court, reviewed comments from interested parties during the evaluation, and analyzed survey responses from both attorneys and non-attorneys who had experience with Judge Clark. Attorney and non-attorney respondents, although low in numbers, found mixed issues in some areas. The Commission found similar consistent with from past evaluations.
Judge Clark was appointed to the bench October 6, 2016. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she was a magistrate and a municipal court judge, and before that time, she worked as a prosecutor in many jurisdictions across the state and specialized in crimes against persons, mostly children. Judge Clark currently serves on the Colorado Supreme Court Task Force on Wellbeing and the Senior Judge Standing Committee, is a member of the National Association of Women Judges, is a member of the International Association of Women Judges, has served two terms on the board of the Colorado Women’s Bar Association. Judge Clark has provided trainings for the Sam Cary Bar Association, the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, the Colorado Judicial Institute and the Sturm College of Law in her previous term. Judge Clark was a member of the Leadership Cherry Creek 2020 class. She received her undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Rochester and her juris doctorate from Boston University.
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