Jim Chalat has been selected for the Colorado Super Lawyers list each year that members of the Colorado bar have been considered for the distinction. He has earned this recognition through his success on behalf of his clients, in and out of the courtroom. In February of 2010, Mr. Chalat's client, a victim left paraplegic by a drunk driver, was awarded $18.5 Million following a district court bench trial. In June of 2007, Mr. Chalat obtained a $10.1 Million jury verdict, one of the largest verdicts ever awarded in a Colorado medical malpractice case.
A Colorado lawyer since 1977, Mr. Chalat is Board Certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a nationally esteemed organization. He is a sustaining member of American Association for Justice (formerly the American Trial Lawyers Association) and the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association. Jim Chalat is rated "AV" (highest rating) by Martindale-Hubbell, the authoritative resource for information on the worldwide legal profession. He has also been rated 10 out of 10 by Avvo.
Mr. Chalat has published numerous professional articles, including the definitive articles on U.S. ski law and Colorado ski law. He has frequently been interviewed as a national expert on ski litigation, and he is also a popular speaker for Continuing Legal Education, speaking on ski litigation, attorney ethics and malpractice, and general trial tactics.
Author: "Ski Law in Colorado: The Timorous No Longer Stay at Home," 31 The Colorado Lawyer 9 (Feb. 2002); "Restitution in Criminal Actions: Considerations for Civil Trial Lawyers" (Co-Author), 50 Trial Talk Issue 6 (October 2001); "Ski Law for beginners, intermediates, and experts" (Co-Author), 37 Trial No. 8 26-35 (August 2001); "The Nine Commandments of Malpractice Prevention" (Co-Author), 22 Trial Lawyer 183-198, 1999; "Liability of Skier for Collision with Another Skier," 46 Am. Jur. Proof of Facts 3d 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," Vol. 27, No. 2 The Colorado Lawyer 5 (February 1998); "Colorado Narrows Construction of the Inherent Danger Rule," 45 Trial Talk 10-15 (April 1996); "$2,150,000 Verdict-General Negligence-Skiing Accident," 9 National Jury Verdict Reporter, Issue 12 (11/94). Section Contribution: Stein, ed. Closing Argument, The Art and The Law, 331 Jury-Function, p.53-56 (Clark Boardman Callaghan, Cum. Supp. 1995). Publisher: "Ski Safety News" (1989—). (Certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy)