2024 retention · County Court · Denver County
The state did not publish a 2024 survey report: too few responses. This evaluation is not ranked.
Commission: meets standards (5–0)
The Denver County Court Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 5-0 that Honorable Judge Isabel Pallares MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The Colorado statutory judicial performance criteria are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Judge Pallares has a reputation for treating parties with respect and discretion. She consistently uses judgment-free language in her courtroom and strives to protect privacy in cases touching on someone’s immigration status, medical issues, and mental health concerns. She prides herself on her legal acumen, research and writing skills, and is frequently asked to help colleagues statewide in this regard. Judge Pallares places importance on her courtroom demeanor and recently attended the National Judicial College’s training on enhancing bench skills. She is known for giving frank feedback and helping new lawyers improve their skill sets, including by leading through example and thoroughly explaining her decisions. Judge Pallares is working to improve docket management and on balancing each party’s right to speak with the importance of courtroom efficiency. Outside of the courtroom, she has served on the Judicial Well-being Standing Committee since 2019 and won the 2022 Colorado Supreme Court Wellbeing Award, which recognizes judicial officers who support their colleagues' wellbeing. She created the “Chamber Chats” program through which diverse judicial officers meet regularly with other diverse judges for open discussions and support. She is heavily involved in several bar associations, including the Hispanic, Women’s, LGBT and Sam Cary bars. She also speaks to student groups frequently about her experience and the judicial system.
In evaluating Judge Pallares, the commission used live, livestream and recorded courtroom observations, conducted a personal interview with the judicial officer, case management data and reviewed surveys from attorney and non-attorney courtroom participants, comments received from interested parties during the evaluation, and the judicial officer self-evaluation, with supporting documents when submitted, to inform its decision for meets/does not meet performance standards.
Judge Isabel Pallares was appointed to the Denver County Court in 2017. She received her undergraduate degree from Boston University where she graduated magna cum laude and her law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law. Before her appointment, Judge Pallares interned with both the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and for Federal District Court Judge Daniel B. Sparr and clerked for the Denver District Court Chief Judge Michael A. Martinez. She was Chief Deputy District Attorney for Denver in the Sexual Assault Unit. She volunteers as a member of Our Courts, a group that provides nonpartisan information to the public about state and federal courts. Judge Pallares is active in the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado, the Colorado Hispanic Bar, the Colorado Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Bar, the Colorado Women’s Bar, the Sam Cary Bar and the South Asian Bar Association of Colorado. She currently serves as an At-Large Director for the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association. In 2022, Judge Pallares received the Colorado Supreme Court Wellbeing Award. In 2024, Judge Pallares received the Denver Bar Association Judicial Excellence Award.
2020 retention · County Court · Denver County
4 percentile · rank 36 of 37
composite 0100
3 percentile · rank 97 of 100
composite 0100
23 39th percentile among peers · 21st percentile statewide
380
Composite index 5.86 among peers (4.17 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
2.80 of 4 · 6.76 percentile
1.504.00
2.93 of 4 · 6.76 percentile
1.503.95
30.00% 4.05 percentile
0.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 30.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 2.80median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 2.60median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Communications | 3.00median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Diligence | 2.60median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Demeanor | 2.60median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Fairness | 4.00median 3.90 | 3.90 |
Commission: meets standards (10–0)
The Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance, on a vote of 10-0, finds that Judge Isabel Pallarés MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
After meeting with Judge Pallarés, reviewing her work, and assessing feedback from attorneys and non-attorneys, the Commission unanimously voted that she meets judicial performance standards. The Commission had previously notified Judge Pallarés about concerns regarding demeanor. The Commission was impressed with her prompt, proactive efforts to address those concerns.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Pallarés, reviewed orders she authored, reviewed survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who had experience with Judge Pallarés, and select members of the Commission observed Judge Pallarés in court, either live or via recordings. Those surveyed were asked, "based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Pallarés meets judicial performance standards?" Of the 12 attorneys responding to the surveys, 30% believe that Judge Pallarés meets performance standards, 50% believe she does not meet performance standards, and 20% had no opinion. Judge Pallarés received ratings below the statewide average among all County Court judges standing for retention with regard to the areas surveyed: (1) case management, (2) application and knowledge of law, (3) communications, (4) diligence, and (5) demeanor. Of the 11 non-attorneys responding to the survey, 100% believe Judge Pallarés meets performance standards.
Mayor Hancock appointed Judge Isabel Pallarés to the Denver County Court bench in 2017. She earned an undergraduate degree from Boston University, where she graduated magna cum laude, and she earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado School of Law. After law school, Judge Pallarés interned at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, served as a judicial intern for a federal judge, and as a served as a law clerk for Chief Judge Michael A. Martinez of the Denver District Court. Before taking the bench, Judge Pallarés served the citizens of Denver as the Chief Deputy District Attorney for the office’s Sexual Assault Unit. She volunteers as a member of Our Courts which is a joint activity of citizens, lawyers, and judges to provide nonpartisan information to the public about our state and federal courts. Judge Pallarés has demonstrated a commitment to community service and is active in the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado, the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, the Colorado Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Bar Association, the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, the Sam Cary Bar Association and the South Asian Bar Association of Colorado. She currently serves as an At-Large Director for the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association.