19th Annual "Raising the Bar" Celebration
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
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 2025 Annual Raising the Bar Celebration will be held on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at an exciting new venue, the Denver Art Museum. Please join us at this popular annual event to help us continue our important work.

This year's theme is "Profiles In Courage: Honoring Women Who Raise the Bar by Speaking Truth to Power, Breaking Barriers, and Leading Through Adversity." Now more than ever, it takes courage to stand up for what we believe in. We want to honor those women who are demonstrating courage in their work and their commitment to justice. Please help us celebrate the superheroes among us who are raising the bar by bravely standing up, leaping over obstacles, and charging forward in the face of adversity.

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.

We are thrilled to have four amazing women to honor this year:

Amanda Gonzalez               Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder	Abigail Hinchcliff  Partner, Olson Grimsley Kawanabe Hinchcliff & Murray
The Honorable Nicole Rodarte Denver County Court	Shannon Stevenson Colorado Solicitor General, Office of the Attorney General

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 deadline is Friday, September 12, 2025. 

EVENT IS SOLD OUT!

Email CWBAF@JMSAMP.com to be added to a waitlist.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

PLATINUM SPONSOR Parker Lipman LLP

GOLD SPONSORS
Holland & Hart LLP, Olson Grimsley, Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP

SILVER SPONSORS
Buchalter, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, Dorsey Whitney LLP, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Husch Blackwell LLP, Judicial Arbiter Group, Inc., Morrison Foerster, The Harris Law Firm, Venable LLP, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP

BRONZE SPONSORS
Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C., Colorado Bar Association / Denver Bar Association / CBA-CLE, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Garnett Powell Maximon Barlow, Gene Commander Inc/Gallantry Coaching & Consulting, Lathrop GPM LLP, Snell & Wilmer, Taft/Sherman & Howard, University of Colorado Law School, University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, WilmerHale

CIRCLE OF MINERVA SPONSOR Bartlit Beck LLP

WINE/COCKTAIL SPONSORS Sheri Betzer, Kristin Bronson, Jessica Brown, Miko Brown, Sarah Chase-McRorie, Alison Connaughty, Hetal Doshi, Emma Garrison, Hon. Alfred Harrell, Hon. Elizabeth Harris, Justice Melissa Hart, Suneeta Hazra, Jennifer Hunt, It's Not That Serious, Jim Miller, Alan Molk,Theresa Moore, Valeri Pappas, Roxane Perruso, Lauren Schmidt, Rob Schultz, Shannon Stevenson, Constance Talmage, Kevin Traskos,Kimberly Utesch, Hon. Sarah Wallace, Wendy Weigler, Maureen Witt

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, 2024 CWBAF President Colorado Department of Law Email	Hon. Melissa Hart Colorado Supreme Court
Lauren E. Schmidt Email	Jessica Brown Gibson Dunn Email

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