Navigating the Judicial Application Process Series – The Application and Preparation – April 2025

This is the second part of a 5-part series on Journeys to the Bench. Throughout the series, we will cover all aspects of the application, interview, and appointment process. At this second session, participants will hear from current and former judges along with former nominating commissioners on tips and strategies for completing the judicial application. The panelist will discuss what worked well for them, what pitfalls to avoid, and what you can do to make your application stand out from the crowd. The panelists hope to assist, encourage, and inspire those seeking to serve as judicial officers on their journey to the bench, and to develop a broad base of interested judicial applicants with various perspectives.

Location: This presentation will be live and held at the law firm of Womble, Bond Dickinson (formerly the law firm of Lewis Roca) at 1601 19th Street, Denver, CO 80202. A virtual option is available; the link will be sent on the day of the event.

Attendees who register for the second series will receive a recording of the first session.

The program is scheduled from 5:30pm – 7:10pm with an opportunity for questions. After, there will be a short reception with the speakers and participants.

List of speakers:

Moderator: Hon. Vincente Vigil, 19th Judicial District Court Judge

Speakers: Hon. Kimberly Schutt, 19th Judicial District Court Judge

Hon. Renee Doak, Weld County Court Judge

Megan Saleebey, Chief Deputy District Attorney for the 17th Judicial District and former 19th Judicial District Court Judge

Kathryn Heffron, Esq., former 19th Judicial District Nominating Committee Member

Speaker bios:

Judge Kimberly Schutt’s appointment as District Court Judge in the Nineteenth Judicial District became effective Jan. 1, 2020. Prior to her appointment, Judge Schutt was a Senior Attorney at Wick & Trautwein, LLC, a position she held since 1997. Her practice consisted primarily of estate planning, general civil litigation, business and nonprofit law, and probate matters. Previously, she was a law clerk for the Honorable William Dressel on the Larimer County District Court (1995-1997). Schutt earned her B.A. from the University of Illinois in 1992, and her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1995.

Judge Renee S. Doak’s appointment to the Weld County Court in the 19th Judicial District became effective January 10, 2023. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Doak was a Deputy District Attorney for the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, a position she held since 2004. Her practice consists of criminal prosecution. Previously, she was a Deputy District Attorney (1999-2004) and Special Deputy District Attorney (1998-1999) for the 20th Judicial District; President/Attorney at Doak & Associates, P.C. (1994-1995); Assistant to the Regional Director for SMH Bar Review (1993-1994); and Law Clerk for Judge Dickran Tevrizian of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1992-1993). Ms. Doak earned her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1989 and her J.D. from Temple University School of Law in 1992.

Kathryn Heffron served as a commissioner on the 19th Judicial District’s nominating committee from 2019 to 2024. Ms. Heffron currently works as an Attorney for Grant and Associates in Greeley, Colorado. Ms. Heffron previously worked for the Office of the Public Defender. Prior to law school, Kathryn worked with various international NGOs. Kathryn served for three years as a United State Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia. She worked in project management for ChildFund in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, following the 2004 tsunami. She also worked as a Program Development Coordinator for International Medical Corps in Mansehra, Pakistan following the 2005 earthquake.

Megan Saleebey is a Chief Deputy District Attorney in the 17th Judicial District, where she is helping to spearhead the launch of the 17th Judicial District Family Justice Center and handling high risk domestic violence and sexual assault cases. From May of 2018 to April of 2024, Ms. Saleebey was on the 19th Judicial District bench first as a District Court Magistrate assigned to the juvenile delinquency and truancy dockets and then as a District Court Judge, handling a wide variety of domestic relations and dependency and neglect and criminal matters. Before taking the bench, Ms. Saleebey was a Deputy DA in Denver for over nine years, where she handled multiple dockets and helped start the Bias Motivated Crimes Team. From approximately 2004-2009, Meghan was the State of Colorado Victim Rights Act Specialist at the Division of Criminal Justice, Office for Victims Programs. While at the Division of Criminal Justice and during a brief tenure at the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance (COVA), Ms. Saleebey helped start what is now the Rocky Mountain Victims’ Law Clinic. In addition to her J.D., which she obtained from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law in 2007, Ms. Saleebey has a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Ms. Saleebey gained experience working in mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice and affordable housing. While on the bench, Ms. Saleebey was appointed as the judicial representative to the Colorado Human Trafficking Council. In addition, she was a member and Co-Chair of the statewide Judicial Well-Being Committee.

Judge Vincente Vigil began his appointment as a district court judge in the 19th Judicial District on Aug. 1, 2019, and currently presides over a felony criminal docket in Division 17. Mr. Vigil has been an attorney with the Law Office of Robert Ray since 2014. Prior to 2014, he was a partner at Man & Vigil and a former Deputy State Public Defender in the Greeley Office. Mr. Vigil earned his undergraduate degree from Colorado State University in 2005 and his J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School in 2008.5:30 pm to 6 pm: Happy hour and food

This event is free to CHBA members when you log into your profile; members of other affinity/diversity bars can use this discount code for $10 registration at checkout: DIVERSITY2025.