DBA Young Lawyers Division board members (from left) Sarah Oviatt, Lucia Padilla, and Gillian Bidgood at last year’s Attorneys’ Night Out event.

he Denver Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division will once again team up with the Legal Center for People with Disabilities and Older People to hold the 6th Annual Attorneys’ Night Out on Thursday, June 23. This annual fundraiser has become a successful tradition that both groups look to build on this year. Attorneys’ Night Out takes on additional significance this year as the Legal Center celebrates its 35th anniversary as Colorado’s federally mandated Protection and Advocacy System, protecting the rights of children and adults with disabilities.

This year’s event will once again be hosted by Blake Street Tavern and will feature a complimentary Glenlivet Scotch tasting to go along with heavy hors d’oeuvres for all attendees. In addition to the money raised through ticket proceeds and donations, the Legal Center and the Young Lawyers Division will host a live and silent auction during the evening. Last year, featured auction items included museum memberships, artwork, restaurant discounts, and vacation packages. In total, more than $22,000 was raised for the Legal Center at the 2010 event—a number both groups hope to surpass this year.

Since 1977, the Legal Center has been dedicated to serving the legal needs of people with mental and physical disabilities, people with HIV, and older people throughout Colorado. The Legal Center seeks to simplify the legal system and make it more accessible for disabled and older people who otherwise would be overwhelmed by the inherent complexities of the law. The Legal Center strives to advance this systematic change by working closely with health care providers, offering direct legal representation, and advancing our laws through improved legislation.

For the past five years, the Young Lawyers Division has been proud to partner with the Legal Center to organize and sponsor Attorneys’ Night Out. The Young Lawyers Division is a group of young or newly admitted attorneys in the Denver area that collaborate in community service projects and professional development activities. Attorneys’ Night Out is not only an important fundraising event for the Legal Center but also an excellent opportunity for lawyers in Denver to combine a professional networking opportunity with an event that supports the legal needs of our less fortunate fellow citizens.

Each year, Attorneys’ Night Out brings together the needs of the Legal Center and the mission of the Young Lawyers Division in a lively social setting. Due to the overlapping interests of the two groups, the Young Lawyers Division provides volunteers to staff the event and encourages all of its members to attend and donate to the Legal Center. Last year, more than 150 attorneys from around the metro area came together at Attorneys’ Night Out to support the Legal Center.

For additional information regarding this year’s Attorneys’ Night Out, please contact Joshua D. Anderson, Director of Development for the Legal Center for People with Disabilities and Older People, at janderson@thelegalcenter.org or (303) 722-0300. D

A Seat at The Bar is a column that will highlight activities and happenings of sections and committees of the Denver Bar Association. If you have a story or idea you would like to share in A Seat at The Bar, please contact Docket Editor Sara Crocker at scrocker@cobar.org.