Law Stars
SAVE THE DATE!
DU Law Stars will be held on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at the Sheraton Downtown.
DU Law Stars is the Sturm College of Law’s premiere fundraising event, taking place each year in the fall. Money raised from the event supports the Student Law Office and Judicial Fellows Program. There are a variety of ways to get involved with Law Stars and support this important tradition. To learn more about the event and find out how you can get involved, click on the links to the left.
- Award Descriptions
- Beneficiaries
- Committee
- Event Details
- History
- Honorees
- Sponsors
- Nominations
- Parking Map There are several options for parking in the vicinity of Wings Over the Rockies. Valet parking is available for $5 at the front entrance.
- Sponsorships, Recognition and Table Sales
- Videos
History of DU Law Stars
DU Law Stars was created by the University of Denver Sturm College of Law Alumni Council to honor distinguished alumni and faculty, raise funds for the Student Law Office (SLO) and the Judicial Fellows Program, and to unite DU Law Alumni in a celebration of their peers.
Each year, a commemorative video is made of each honoree highlighting their accomplishments. Several alumni and friends serve on the creative team. They write the scripts, perform the voice-overs, select the music, emcee the event and add a humorous and personal element to Law Stars. We guarantee that no matter what happens, the event concludes by no later than 9:00 p.m. Our motto is “Jordan Wine and Out by Nine” because Tom Jordan of Jordan Winery (a Denver Law alumnus) generously donates all of the wine for the Law Stars dinner.
DU Law Stars Awards
- Outstanding Alumni Award
Granted to a DU Law graduate who has demonstrated professional achievement, humanitarian service to the community and outstanding loyalty to the College of Law.
- Alumni Professionalism Award
Awarded to a DU Law graduate for exemplifying ethical conduct and professionalism, dedication to pro bono activities and/or community service and loyalty to the College of Law.
- Robert B. Yegge Excellence in Teaching Award
Given to a teacher for their outstanding contributions to the legal educational mission and for fostering DU Law’s relationship with the community.
- Thompson Marsh Award
Presented to a College of Law graduate, based on outstanding accomplishments. Recipients may have pursued careers that are not associated with the law or legal profession. This is not an annual award, but one that is awarded occasionally as deemed appropriate by the Sturm College of Law Alumni Council, the DU Law Stars nominating committee and the dean of the College of Law.
- Bruce B. Johnson Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Given to a young alumnus of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law less than ten years out of law school at the time of the awards ceremony. The honoree should be enthusiastically committed to the College of Law’s mission, dedicated to upholding the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct, and be known for his or her outstanding contributions to the legal or greater community. This is not an annual award, but one that is awarded occasionally as deemed appropriate by the College of Law Alumni Council, the DU Law Stars nominating committee and the dean of the College of Law.
DU Law Stars Beneficiaries
- The Judicial Fellows Program
Tightened state budgets have taken a significant toll on the availability of law clerks for judges, particularly in the state district courts. These jobs are extremely valuable not just for judges, who need help researching and drafting their rulings, but also to our recent graduates. Clerkships provide excellent training in legal analysis and advocacy, as well as first-rate mentoring and networking opportunities. In response, and with the support of our Alumni Council, the Sturm College of Law has established the DU Judicial Fellows Program. The Judicial Fellows Program pays recent graduates of the Sturm College of Law to work for local judges, providing 20 hours of legal research and writing per week for a term of six months. The Fellows are compensated by the Sturm College of Law and the courts are charged nothing. The Sturm College of Law administers and supports the program. This popular program was recently expanded to 21 Fellows representing the First, Second and Eighteenth Judicial Districts and the Denver Probate Court. For the 2010-2011 academic year, due to generous gifts from alumni and friends, the law school was able to employ seven additional Fellows.
- Student Law Office
The University of Denver College of Law established its legal aid dispensary in 1904 and was the first school in the nation to offer students academic credit for providing legal services to low-income clients. Working to empower low income individuals and communities, the Student Law Office provides an effective learning environment in which students become highly competent and ethical lawyers through real-life representation. The program supports a sustained level of productive work wherein self-directed students learn from practice to develop the core characteristics of professionals and to provide high quality legal services to low-income clients and communities. Today, the University of Denver’s Student Law Office (SLO) has six in house clinics, including: criminal defense, civil litigation, civil rights, community economic development, environmental, and mediation and arbitration. For more information visit the Student Law Office’s website at http://www.law.du.edu/clinics.