The Bench Builders Judicial Committee has changed its meeting for this month to the fourth Thursday of the month from 12:15-1 p.m. New members always welcome!
Building the Bench: The Magistrate Pathway
At this special Bench Builders Judicial Committee meeting, we are excited to have a discussion with one district court judge and two current magistrates who began their judicial careers as magistrates. This conversation will highlight the magistrate's role as a meaningful pathway to the bench.
We will discuss how to prepare for the role, the skills and insight gained through the experience, and how serving as a magistrate judge can shape a trajectory to county and district court appointments. The discussion will also center on how expanding this pathway can help build a judiciary that reflects the communities it serves.
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Ashley Ratliff was appointed as a District Court Magistrate in Adams County in June 2022 and is currently assigned to a Criminal Court Docket. Prior to that, she presided over a Juvenile Dependency and Neglect Docket for three years where Magistrate Ratliff created a committee of stakeholders to Celebrate Family Reunifications and Foster Youth Emancipation celebrations; this effort is now known as Celebrating the Finish Line. Magistrate Ratliff was also the recipient of CASA’s Judicial Officer of the Year award in 2025. Over the course of her almost 20 year-career, Magistrate Ratliff has been recognized for both her trial work and her scholarship in the realm of juvenile and family law. Magistrate Ratliff is an author, editor, and nationally recognized expert in comprehensive, holistic, child-centered advocacy for youth and families. Working alongside national organizations, Ms. Ratliff co-authored guidelines, standards of practice and reports for the U.S. Department of Justice as well as national and local practitioners alike. She also co-edited and authored the seminal textbook, Criminal Defense-Based Forensic Social Work, which is the first publication of its kind in the field. She earned a Master of Social Work at San Diego State University simultaneous with her Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law.
Judge Vise was appointed as district court judge in 2024 in the 11th Judicial District. She presides over a mixed docket in Salida, Colorado. Prior to her appointment, she was a district court magistrate, also in the 11th Judicial District, presiding over district court civil cases, domestic relations cases, and juvenile delinquency cases from 2022 to 2024. Before joining the bench she was an appellate attorney and trial attorney in Denver with the Colorado Public Defender’s Office.
Judge LaQunya Baker-McKay received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a concentration in Media Studies and a Minor in African American Studies from The College of Charleston. During that time Judge Baker-McKay interned with the United States House of Representative Jim Clyburn before attending law school at the Charlotte School of Law in Charlotte, North Carolina. After interning with the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office in Charlotte, Judge Baker-McKay decided to serve as a Deputy State Public Defender for the State of Colorado in Golden. Following her time as a public defender, Judge Baker-McKay practiced as a general civil litigation association in state and federal courts throughout the United States before returning to criminal defense with the Office of Alternate Defense Council.
After briefly serving as a part-time Magistrate for the Denver County Court bench, Governor Jared Polis appointed Judge Baker-McKay to the Arapahoe County Court bench on July 1, 2022. On July 28, 2023, Judge Baker-McKay was sworn in as the first Black woman to the Arapahoe County District Court bench following her appointment by Governor Polis. Judge Baker-McKay presides over a Criminal docket and a Competency docket. She is currently adjunct faculty with the University of Denver and has had the pleasure of teaching law students since 2021.
In addition to her current service on the Colorado Bar Association – Criminal Law Section Executive Board, Judge Baker has been a long-time member of the Sam Cary Bar Association. She previously served as the President of the Young Lawyers Division for Sam Cary, the Vice President of the organization, and Parliamentarian. Judge Baker is a proud member of the First Cohort for the Judicial Equity Project with the Colorado Supreme Court Administrator’s Office.
The Bench Builders Judicial Committee engages membership in the diversification of Colorado’s bench; promotes a well-qualified, diverse judiciary; advocates for the appointment of judicial officers who will further the CWBA’s mission; actively engages in the appointment of judges by interviewing short-listed candidates for Colorado’s state district courts, the Colorado Court of Appeals, the Colorado Supreme Court, Federal District Court of Colorado, and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals; and provides feedback on and endorsements of the candidates to the Governor's Office. The newly envisioned Bench Builders meets monthly to identify additional opportunities for diversification of the bench and to create pipelines for members to become judicial officers. The Committee will partner with the Officer of Communication for opportunities for community education regarding the judicial nomination and evaluation processes.
For more information, contact our Bench Builders Judicial Committee Co-Chairs Rebecca Cohn and Cynthia Sánchez.
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