Mayor John Hickenlooper announced his appointment of Kerry Steven Hada as Denver County Court Judge. The appointment fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Melvin Okamoto, who leaves the bench November 30.

"Denver is fortunate to have so many qualified and experienced judicial candidates from which to choose," Hickenlooper said. "Kerry Hada brings a unique combination of skills and experience to the Denver County Court bench," Hickenlooper said. "He will be a great asset to the Court and to the Denver community."

Hickenlooper received a final list of judicial nominees for the vacancy last week from the Judicial Nomination Commission.

Hada, a private practice attorney with the Law Offices of Kerry S. Hada, P.C., has more than 20 years of experience in law. Following brief stints with the Johns Manville Corp. and Merck Corp. in 1988 and 1989, he launched his own firm in 1989, where he has specialized in criminal, family law and civil trial work. He is a strong proponent of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Hada served as an Airborne Ranger infantry officer with the U.S. Army from 1971-1974. He is a founding member and past president of both the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado and the Minoru Yasui American Inn of Court. He is a faculty instructor for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and a member and past president of the Arapahoe County Bar Association. Hada is currently the Denver Bar Association Board of Governor’s representative to the Colorado Bar Association.

Hada also serves as a mentor and companion to youth through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado.

Hada received his undergraduate degree in business marketing from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was a nationally ranked skier. He earned a master’s degree in business management from Colorado State University and his law degree from the University of Denver College of Law. He is also a graduate of Wheat Ridge High School.