Colorado Supreme Court
Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel
Promoting Professionalism. Protecting the Public.
70,000 have visited the Judicial Learning Center. Have you?
The
Colorado Judicial Learning has hosted thousands of school children and
delegations from around the world since opening three years ago.
By JAMES CARLSON
Have you checked out the Colorado
Judicial Learning Center yet? If not, you're behind tens of thousands of
Coloradoans, a group of Mexican prosecutors and even a delegation from
Macedonia.
Since opening in the spring of
2013, the Learning Center has hosted roughly 70,000 visitors, from school
groups to international officials. That's more than 1,600 per month. In a grand
courthouse filled with beautiful art and architecture, the coolest part might
be this small gem tucked in the atrium of the Ralph L. Carr
Judicial Center.
"There's nothing like this
in the country," said Chris Hudson, Supervising Law Librarian at the
Colorado Supreme Court Library.
Visitors can
view a short film in an ultra-wide-screen theater demonstrating how America’s
laws guarantee our freedom and what life would be like without those rules.
(The movie includes some choice clips from Animal House and My
Cousin Vinny.) There’s also a kiosk allowing visitors to listen and watch
judges talk about their experiences. Judge Terry Fox of the Colorado Court of
Appeals offers a particularly inspirational tale of her journey from
immigrating to the country as a child to discovering a joy of the law.
The center has
drawn interest locally and internationally.
Around 400 people, many Colorado school children, go on a library led
tour of the center every month. An additional 1,600 people visit the center on
their own time. Outside of the area, Wyoming officials have visited multiple
times as they contemplate a similar space for their state supreme
court building. The center has been a stop for contingents from Bulgaria
and Mexico. A group from Macedonia were studying the concept and considering
replicating it back home.
Meanwhile, the
center is changing as well. The already high-tech center will be enhanced soon
by a Jeopardy-like touchscreen game about the Constitution.
"There's no moss growing on
this rock" said Dan Cordova, the Colorado Supreme Court Librarian.
James
Carlson is the Information Resources Coordinator for the Office of Attorney
Regulation Counsel.