Lawrence Bowling

Commission: meets standards (7–0)

The Twenty-Third Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance finds by a vote of 7-0, with one commissioner absent and two commission vacancies, that Judge Lawrence Bowling MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.

Judge Bowling presides over a diverse docket in Douglas County, including civil, criminal, misdemeanor, and traffic cases. The Judge strikes a balance between docket efficiency with a busy caseload and respect for each individual’s situation. Overall, Judge Bowling scored higher than average for all County Judges and demonstrated strong ratings in all performance areas (fairness, demeanor, diligence, communications, case management, and application and knowledge of law). Judge Bowling reliably displays a calm temperament and respectful demeanor. Having a sense of compassion and human understanding for those who appear before him and treating those involved in the case with respect were among Judge Bowling’s highest ranked categories. Survey participants consistently remarked on Judge Bowling’s strengths, especially noting his knowledge of law and impartiality. Across the board, the feedback on Judge Bowling’s performance is exceptional.

The Commission met with the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, Probation Department, and the Chief Judge for feedback on Judge Bowling’s performance. The Commission personally interviewed Judge Bowling and reviewed his written self-evaluation. Members also observed Judge Bowling in court and reviewed 2026 Judicial Performance Survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys. The 2026 Judicial Performance Survey included question, “Based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Bowling meets judicial performance standards?” Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 92% answered yes, meets performance standards and 8% answered no, does not meet performance standards. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 86% answered yes, meets performance standards, 11% answered no, does not meet performance standards and 2% answered, no opinion. Sixty individuals responded to the 2026 Judicial Performance Survey expressing their opinions of Judge Bowling’s performance. Based on these findings, the Commission unanimously agrees that Judge Bowling meets judicial performance standards.

Judge Bowling was appointed to the Douglas County Court in January 2011. He received his law degree from the University of Denver in 1993 and his undergraduate degree from Colorado Technical College in 1981. He worked as a field engineer in the oil and gas industry prior to attending law school and his legal experience prior to being appointed included six years in general private practice, two years as a deputy district attorney, four years as an assistant county attorney and four years as both a district court and county court magistrate in Arapahoe County and Douglas County. Judge Bowling volunteers as a presiding judge for the Colorado Bar Association High School mock trial competition each year and is an active member of several committees dedicated to improving the delivery of mental health services to the mentally ill.

State evaluation page · 2026 survey report (PDF)

Commission: meets standards (7–0)

The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance finds, by a vote of 7-0 (with three commissioners not participating), Judge Lawrence Bowling MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.

Judge Bowling presides over a diverse docket in Douglas County, including civil, criminal, misdemeanor, and traffic cases. The Commission applauds Judge Bowling’s successful case management during the pandemic. The Judge skillfully strikes a balance between docket efficiency with a busy caseload and respect for each individual’s situation. Overall, Judge Bowling scored higher than average for all County Judges and demonstrated strong ratings in all performance areas (fairness, demeanor, diligence, communications, case management, and application and knowledge of law). Judge Bowling reliably displays a calm temperament and respectful demeanor. Having a sense of compassion and human understanding for those who appear before him and treating those involved in the case without bias were among Judge Bowling’s highest ranked categories. Survey participants consistently remarked on Judge Bowling’s strengths, especially noting his knowledge of law and experience. Across the board, the feedback on Judge Bowling’s performance is exceptional.

The Commission met with the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, Probation Department, and the Chief Judge for feedback on Judge Bowling’s performance. The Commission personally interviewed Judge Bowling and reviewed his written self-evaluation. Members also observed Judge Bowling in court and reviewed 2022 Judicial Performance Survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys. The 2022 Judicial Performance Survey included question, “Based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Bowling meets judicial performance standards?” Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 97% answered yes, meets performance standards and 3% answered no, does not meet performance standards. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 94% answered yes, meets performance standards and 4% answered no, does not meet performance standards. Eighty- seven individuals responded to the 2022 Judicial Performance Survey expressing their opinions of Judge Bowling’s performance. Based on these findings, the Commission unanimously agrees that Judge Bowling meets judicial performance standards.

Judge Bowling was appointed to the Douglas County Court in January 2011. He received his law degree from the University of Denver in 1993 and his undergraduate degree from Colorado Technical College in 1981. He worked as a field engineer in the oil and gas industry prior to attending law school and his legal experience prior to being appointed included six years in general private practice, two years as a deputy district attorney, four years as an assistant county attorney and four years as both a district court and county court magistrate in Arapahoe County and Douglas County. Judge Bowling volunteers as a presiding judge for the Colorado Bar Association High School mock trial competition each year and is an active member of several committees dedicated to improving the delivery of mental health services to the mentally ill.

State evaluation page · 2022 survey report (PDF)

Commission: meets standards (10–0)

The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (10-0) agrees that Judge Lawrence Bowling MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

Judge Bowling was appointed to the Douglas County Court in August 2010. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Magistrate in the 18th Judicial District, an Assistant County Attorney in Jefferson County and a Deputy District Attorney in the 18th Judicial District. He received his law degree from the University of Denver in 1993 after earning an undergraduate degree from Colorado Technical College in 1981.

The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Bowling, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court, reviewed comments received from interested parties during the evaluation, and reviewed survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who had experience with him. Among the survey questions was, "Based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Bowling meets judicial performance standards?" Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 96% answered yes, meets performance standards and 4% answered no, does not meet performance standards. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 95% answered yes, meets performance standards and 5% answered no, does not meet performance standards. Twenty-six attorneys and fifty-seven non-attorneys responded to the judicial performance surveys expressing their opinions of Judge Bowling’s performance. Judge Bowling is currently handling a civil docket in Douglas County. Based on the Commission's overall evaluation, Judge Bowling has demonstrated he meets or exceeds performance standards in all categories. Judge Bowling received extremely high marks in all areas. He was described as having excellent case management and as being knowledgeable about the law, reasonable, fair, compassionate, and extremely respectful of those who appear before him. Based on these findings, the Commission unanimously agreed that Judge Bowling meets judicial performance standards.

State evaluation page · 2018 survey report (PDF)