Colorado court official receives NCSC’s Distinguished Service Award

(Williamsburg, VA) May 18, 2017 – Sherry Stwalley, director of Court Services for the Colorado Judicial Branch, is the recipient of the National Center for State Courts' (NCSC) 2016 Distinguished Service Award, one of the highest awards presented by the organization. The award is presented annually to those who have made significant contributions to the justice system and who have supported the mission of NCSC. She is being presented the award today during a ceremony at the Ralph L. Carr Justice Center.

Ms. Stwalley, who has been director of Court Services for the Colorado Judicial Branch since 2013, has partnered with NCSC on a wide variety of projects, including workload for trial court judges, court staff and probation staff, and for family and children’s issues. She serves on NCSC’s Court Consulting Services Advisory Committee and has worked on several consulting projects around the country.

Her career at the Colorado Judicial Branch started in 1985. Five years later, she led a project -- to provide computerized self-help information to pro se litigants – that won the National Justice Achievement Award.  In 2003, she became the branch’s director of planning and analysis, and served as its legislative liaison from 2002 to 2013. As the liaison, she successfully worked to secure more than 70 new judgeships -- a 35-percent increase -- and helped obtain funding for the construction of the Ralph L. Carr Justice Center, the headquarters of the Colorado Court System.

The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a nonprofit court organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts.