20th Annual "Raising the Bar" Celebration

SAVE THE DATE

Wednesday, September 16, 2026
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Denver Art Museum
100 W 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204

Each year, the Colorado Women's Bar Association Foundation (CWBAF) honors women lawyers who have made a difference in our communities and have "raised the bar" for all of us. The 2026 Annual Raising the Bar Celebration will be held on Wednesday, September 16,  2026 at the Denver Art Museum. Please join us at this popular annual event to help us continue our important work.

The Colorado Women's Bar Association Foundation's (CWBAF) mission since 1988 is to promote the advancement of women in the law, and to harness the power of the legal profession to protect and promote the welfare of all women. The CWBAF also works in conjunction with the Colorado Women's Bar Association (CWBA) to implement the CWBA's charitable and educational work.

This year's theme is "Twenty Years of Raising the Bar: Women Who Built, Led, and Transformed Our Legal Community."

Over the past two decades, the CWBA Foundation has honored women who:

• Led at the highest levels of government and the judiciary (2008, 2009, 2011, 2021)

• Built and sustained nonprofit and public-interest institutions (2010, 2013)

• Elevated legal education and innovation (2014, 2017)

• Advanced pro bono and access to justice (2016)

• Promoted women and girls and inclusive excellence (2018)

• Took risks, managed firms, and led through crisis (2019, 2021, 2022)

• Fostered well-being and professionalism (2023)

• Navigated a changing legal landscape (2024)

• Demonstrated courage in the face of adversity (2025)

To reflect the full arc of CWBAF’s history, we are seeking nominees who represent the following pillars, which reflect the past, honor the present, and look forward to our future. We are particularly interested in nominees whose influence extends beyond individual achievement to systemic advancement.

1. The Institutional Builder
   
   A woman who founded, transformed, or sustained an organization that materially advanced justice, equity, or professional excellence.
   
   

2. The Access-to-Justice Champion
   
   A lawyer whose sustained commitment to pro bono, public defense, legal services, or community advocacy measurably expanded access to justice.
   
   
3. The Profession Reformer
   
   A leader who advanced well-being, ethics, mentoring, diversity, legal education, or innovation in ways that strengthened the profession itself.
   
   
4. The Courageous Leader of Today
   
   A woman currently leading through social, political, economic, or institutional adversity with integrity and impact.

Please send your suggestions via email to Wendy Weigler at wweigler@wlpplaw.com by Friday, April 17, 2026. Please include the nominee's name and contact information, along with background on their qualifications, and indicate which pillar applies. Committee members may not be familiar with every nominee's specific accomplishments, so detail is helpful.

PRE-RECEPTION:

5:00 pm  - 6:00 pm  Circle of Minerva Members & Honorees Pre-Reception (By Invitation Only)

RAISING THE BAR EVENT SCHEDULE:

5:30 pm  - 6:30 pm  Registration Opens/ General Cocktail Reception

6:30 pm  - 8:30 pm  Seated Dinner and Awards Program

REGISTRATION:  Sponsorships or Individual Tickets Available. Registration to open soon!

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Unable to fill a full table? Please contact Wendy Weigler or Colleen Schneider to discuss other options. 

Colorado Women's Bar Association Foundation (CWBAF)
P O Box 929, Indian Hills, CO. 80454-0929
Ph: (303) 226-1198
Email: cwbaf@jmsamp.com

Wendy Weigler, Chair Winzenburg Leff Purvis & Payne Email	Valeri S. Pappas Davis & Ceriani PC Email
Jennifer Hunt, 2026 CWBAF President Colorado Department of Law Email	Hon. Melissa Hart
Lauren E. Schmidt Colorado Lawyers Committee Email	Jessica Brown Gibson Dunn Email

Click Here to view the list of Past "Raising the Bar" Honorees.