Annual report highlights the clients who guide the long-established work of seeking justice for low-income Coloradans
June 26, 2026 (DENVER) – Colorado Legal Services highlighted in its annual report released today the many facets of the organization that has, for more than a century, served our communities statewide.
People who represent themselves in civil court are significantly less likely to succeed, which can put their basic needs like housing and safety in jeopardy. Having advice, education, or representation from attorneys helps Coloradans in crisis secure a safe place to live, access to food, greater financial stability, necessary medical care, and other basic needs.
“For more than 100 years, Colorado Legal Services has ensured thousands of low-income Coloradans each year have advocates whose expertise, compassion and tireless dedication helped bring about positive outcomes in dire circumstances,” said Matt Baca, executive director of CLS. “Even as we and other legal aid organizations nationwide face ongoing threats to our funding at the federal level at a time of increasing need for our services, we continue to play a crucial role in providing access to justice to our communities around Colorado.”
Colorado Legal Services closed 8,418 cases in 2025. But that is only a piece of the bigger picture: 16,464 people lived in those households and were impacted through those cases – that’s almost enough people to fill a sold-out Ball Arena. And nearly 40% of CLS clients were survivors of domestic violence, underscoring the need for the work to ensure basic safety. The following is part of the note a CLS client shared about her experience; her full quote can be viewed in the report:
“Thanks to CLS, I have been able to feel accompanied in a process that otherwise would have been overwhelming. Their work is not only professional, it is human. Today, in sharing my experience, I also want to acknowledge the importance of organizations like this one, which make it possible for victims like me to have access to dignified and quality legal support.”
The organization also closed cases for 2,236 seniors, 3,873 people with disabilities, and 612 veterans in 2025. And an estimated 12,017 people attended the more than 400 outreach events CLS staff attended and/or organized, up from 8,333 estimated attendees in 2024.
That work could not be completed without the hundreds of partners, service providers, community organizations, funders, and grantors who help us ensure services are coordinated and responsive to community needs.
“True access to justice requires lawyers to answer the call to represent the most vulnerable in our society,” said Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Monica Márquez at the 2025 Champions of Justice awards reception. “Without lawyers and now LLPs [Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals] bringing cases and representing litigants in court, law is just an empty promise, and that’s because justice is not self-executing. It requires our collective involvement and our collective investment as a society both at a local level and a national level.”
The report also highlighted the following:
- $4.8 million secured for CLS clients, up from more than $3.9 million in 2024. While not every case involves getting money back to clients, some cases do involve monetary justice for clients. This could include modified child support, corrected or increased benefits, tax refunds or credits, or defending someone against a predatory lending practice.
- Volunteer contributions totaled nearly 15,000 hours, representing an estimated value of over $714,000 in donated legal services.
Read the annual report below or view the PDF here.