James H. Chalat

Partner

Location:

Denver, Colorado

Phone:

(303) 502-5007
(866) 701-7292

Fax:

(303) 861-0506

E-mail:

E-mail Me

Jim Chalat, a Colorado lawyer since 1977, is senior attorney of Chalat Hatten Law Offices, Denver Colorado. Mr. Chalat specializes in Personal Injury, Ski Cases, Legal Malpractice Law, Medical Malpractice Law, and Military Medical Malpractice. He is Board Certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a nationally esteemed organization, and is a sustaining member of American Association for Justice and Colorado Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Chalat has published numerous professional articles, including the definitive articles on U.S. ski law and Colorado ski law. He is also a popular speaker for Continuing Legal Education, speaking on ski litigation, attorney ethics and malpractice, and general trial tactics.

Areas of Practice

Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff
Legal Malpractice
Medical Malpractice
Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
Products Liability Law
Professional Malpractice Law

Litigation Percentage

100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Certified Legal Specialties

Civil Trial Lawyer, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1988

Bar Admissions

Colorado, 1977
Michigan, 1983
U.S. Federal Courts, 1977
U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit, 1981
U.S. Supreme Court, 1981

Education

University of Denver College of Law, Denver, Colorado
- Doctor of Jurisprudence - 1977
- Law Review: Administrative Law Review, Assistant Editor
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- B.G.S. - 1974
- Honors: With Distinction

Published Works

The Nine Commandments of Malpractice Prevention (Co-Author), 22 Trial Lawyer 183-198, 1999
Liability of Skier for Injury to Another Skier, 46 Proof of Fact 1, (West's), 1998
Liability of Ski Area Operator for Skiing Accident, 45 Am Jur Proof of Facts 3d 115 (West's), 1998
Colorado Ski Law, 27 Colo. Lawyer, No.2, at 5-18, February, 1998
Closing Argument, The Art and the Law, Clark Boardman Calahan Cum. Supp., Section 331 Jury-Function, p. 53, 1995
"Expert Testimony and the Dancing Ballerina", 7 The Expert Witness Journal No. 2, February, 1995
"$2,150,000 Verdict - General Negligence - Skiing Accident", 9 National Jury Verdict Reporter Issue 12, November, 1994
"The Constitutional Foundations of Modern American Tort Law,", 16 The Colorado Lawyer 970, September, 1987
"Michigan's Ski Law,", 63 Mich. B. J. 355, May, 1984
Ski Safety News (1989-Present)
Development of Standard of Care in Colorado's Ski Law, The Colorado Lawyer, March, 1986

Representative Cases

Representative Clients

National Federation of the Blind, Colorado Center
Colorado Center on Deafness
Former Olympic Athletes and Professional Skiers

References

The Hon. Wiley Y. Daniel, District Court Judge, United States District Court for the District of Colorado
The Hon. Sandra I. Rothenberg, Judge, Colorado Court of Appeals
Dr. Ved P. Nanda, Vice Provost for Internationalization, Evans University Professor Thompson G. Marsh Professor of Law University of Denver Sturm Coll
Dr. Thomas D. Russell, Professor of Law, University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Classes/Seminars

Survey of Ski Law in United States, Recreation & Adventure Program Law & Liability, 2006
Ski Law in the United States: A Practical Guide to Ski Accident Litigation, Recreation & Adventure Program Law & Liability, 2005
Ski Law in the United States, Law Education Institute, 2005
How to Try a Medical Malpractice Case in Colorado, Colorado Bar Assoc. CLE, 2004
Faculty, Avalanche Liability Law & Ski Law in the United States, A Practical Guideline to Ski Accident litigation for non-U.S. Attorneys, XXXI SKILEX 2004, Obergurgl/Solden Austria, 2004
Civil Litigation Update, Colorado Bar Assoc. CLE, 2003
Faculty, "Preventing Legal Malpractice",, Colorado Bar Assoc. CLE, 2001
Nine Commandments of Malpractice Prevention, Ethics 2001 Conference, 2001
Faculty, Recreation Tort Law, Colorado Tort Law Update,, CLE in Colorado, 2000
Faculty, Current Topics in Legal Ethics, Colorado CLE Seminar, University of Colorado School of Law, Boulder, Colorado, 2000 - Present
Faculty, Current Topics in Legal Ethics, Colorado Continuing Legal Education Seminar, University of Colorado School of Law, Boulder, Colorado, September 1, 1999 - September 30, 1999
The Nine Commandments of Malpractice Prevention, National Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Practicing Law Institute, Vail, Colorado, January 1, 1999 - January 31, 1999
Presentation, Lead Defense Counsel, Moot Court, Jones v. Clinton, American Inns of Court, Thompson G. Marsh Inn, February 1, 1998 - February 28, 1998
Faculty, Avoiding Malpractice - The Nine Commandments of Avoiding Legal Malpractice, LEX LEGIS, December 1, 1997 - December 31, 1997
Faculty, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, 1995 - 1996
Trial Advocacy for the Occasional Litigator, National Business Institute
Faculty, National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Western Regional Session, 1994 - 1995
Adjunct Professor, University of Denver College of Law, 1985 - 1987
Presentation, Ski Law, Accredited by the Colorado Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education, Counties of Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Pitkin, Routt and Weld
Presentation, Ski Law, Accredited by the Colorado Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education, Southwest Colorado
Presentation, Ski Law, Accredited by the Colorado Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education, Ninth Judicial District
Presentation, Ski Law, Accredited by the Colorado Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education, Fourteenth Judicial District
Presentation, Ski Law, Accredited by the Colorado Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education, Texas Trial Lawyers Bar Association
Presentation, Ski Law, Accredited by the Colorado Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education, Dartmouth College Bar Association
Presentation, National Ski Patrol
Presentation, Jackson's Hole Ski Patrol
Presentation, Winter Park Volunteer Ski Patrol

Honors and Awards

Recipient, Pro Bono Award, Denver Bar Association
Thursday Night Bar Volunteer, Pro Bono Award, 1985

Professional Associations and Memberships

National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Member and Diplomate, 1980 - Present
American Association for Justice, Sustaining Member, 1982 - Present
National Board of Trial Advocacy, Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, 1988 - Present
Colorado Supreme Court Grievance Committee, Special Assistant Disciplinary Counsel
Jefferson County Juvenile Review Board, Member
Thompson G. Marsh Inn of Court, Member/Master
American Inns of Court, Member/Master
Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, Eagle Member
American Bar Association, Member
Colorado Bar Association, Member
Denver Bar Association, Member
Michigan Bar Association, Member
First Judicial District Nominating Committee, Appointee

Pro Bono Activities

Pro Bono Program, Denver Bar Association