In this inaugural episode of our podcast by young lawyers for young lawyers, host Kevin Cheney of Cheney, Galluzzi & Howard speaks with Denver personal injury attorney Jennifer Chamberlain of Bowman & Chamberlain, LLC. How did you find your groove? What's it like opening a law firm? What advice do you have for up and coming attorneys? Tune in and find out!  

Is it okay to get to law school and not really have a direction? It is. Todd Rogers, Assistant Dean for Career Development at Colorado University, did everything he thought he was supposed to do in law school only to discover that he wasn’t on the right path. After switching gears as a 3L, he figured it out. Todd talks about the importance of pre-graduation work experience, important things to know about the legal market post Great Recession, the reliance of the Rocky Mountain Region, what’s on the horizon for law students, and how to get a job.

Todd Rogers has led the Colorado Law Career Development Office (CDO) for over eight years. In that time, through the coordinated efforts of students, alumni, faculty, and staff, Colorado Law's percentage of graduates employed in full-time, year or more JD required or preferred positions has improved by over 30%.

Find out more about Todd Rogers 

Christina Brown discovered in law school that she wanted to work in the removal defense field of immigration law. Specifically, she wanted to concentrate on the humanitarian work within immigration. Helping asylum seekers, victims of violence and persecution, and obtaining V Visas and U Visas – this is where she found her passion. Problem was, many firms do not want to take on this type of work. So, Christina founded The Law Office of Christina Brown LLC. They warned her that the  practice she envisioned would not be successful, they were wrong. Find out what’s involved in a typical immigration case and what it takes to prepare yourself and your client for an asylum trial. 

Find out more about Christina Brown 

There are so many constructs of law school that weigh on students’ mental health. That is why Johnnie Nguyen and his fellow council members voted unanimously to make mental health their primary policy issue for the 2019-20 year. Johnnie is the first Coloradan elected chair of the American  Bar Association’s Law Student Council where he represents the interests of more than 120,000 law students from the nation’s 204 ABA-accredited law schools. Johnnie and host Kevin Cheney discuss the value of the ABA’s Young Lawyer Division, how to navigate law school while connecting with mentors and juggling responsibilities, and what it is like to be a first-generation law student at the University of Colorado Law School (’21). 

Find out more about Johnnie Nguyen 

A career is rarely a straight line. It’s okay to not have a master plan. Be flexible and don’t fear making changes. Honorable S. Kato Crews is a Magistrate Judge with the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, appointed by the District Judges in August 2018. Tune in to find out how he got there and some of the lessons he learned along the way. Throughout his career, Judge Crews has sought-out meaningful ways to impact the community. He has served on the board of directors of numerous non-profit organizations and regularly makes himself an available resource to students for mentoring and guidance.

Find out more about Judge S. Kato Crews 

We’re back from our short hiatus with a real truth-teller. Jay Kamlet is part of a new breed of real estate lawyers. Throughout his career, he has engineered $15 billion worth of property negotiation in Colorado and nationwide. But it wasn’t easy to get there. A common theme of our show is that careers are rarely a straight line. Jay Kamlet describes how he got established, navigating multiple economic downturns including the Great Recession, and weathering the many fluctuations the Denver real estate market has experienced in the last 30 years. And he reminds us that it's never too late to "re-market your passion." 

Family law can be a challenging practice area with a high emotional toll, but also much emotional reward. Danaé Woody didn’t set out to become a practicing lawyer. She was fascinated by the academics of law and recognized how much a person can do with a law degree. But she figured out what worked for her. Now she owns her own practice, Woody Law Firm, LLC, where she focuses on family law. She was recently the past Chair of CBA’s Young Lawyer’s Division. Find out how she got where she is and her advice for young lawyers.

Denver native Meranda Vieyra has been working in law firms since she was eighteen. When she noticed that most of the law school graduates heading to solo and small firms needed help promoting themselves, she took a chance and decided to fill this hole in the market. In 2016, she opened Denver Legal Marketing, the only legal marketing agency in Colorado that focuses on solo and small firms. A true entrepreneur, today Meranda is innovating the field of legal marketing, making sure that lawyers doing good work get the right type of promotion they need to sell their services.

Much of the stress that law students feel comes from the notion that they must have every step of their journey figured out. A theme of our show is hearing from successful attorneys who all seem to say a variation on the same thing: let that go. As a mentor once told our guest Nicholas Troxel, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” (One of host Kevin Cheney’s new favorite quotes btw) Being open to course-changing opportunities is key to finding your niche. Nick had made up his mind that he was going to law school in Los Angeles, but then he came over the hill and saw Boulder for the first time and decided CU was where he belonged. But one decision made early on has stuck – Nick is a born entrepreneur. He knew he wanted to found his own firm. Today he is co-founder of Troxel Fitch, LLC. In this episode, Nick gets down into the details of what’s entailed when striking out on your own in the legal world.

It’s amazing the things you can discover at a lunch and learn. Philip Nickerson had his sights set on B2B sports marketing, but while studying the business of sports at Baylor, he became interested in negotiating principles which led to his aha moment – what about law school? Now Philip has recently concluded his two-year federal clerkship for Judge S. Kato Crews where he was the only black clerk. Discover what brought him to this amazing experience and hear his advice for other attorneys of color who may be seeking clerkships or even just looking for mentors. For more information about federal clerkships and open positions, check out oscar.uscourts.gov

What role does a lawyer have in social justice? A significant one. Not only are attorneys able to effectuate change, but they can also help educate and empower non-lawyers to speak for themselves. As a family law attorney, Raquel Hernandez has been on the front lines in the battle for LGBTQ rights and marriage equality. In honor of National Coming Out Day (October 11), we are proud to bring you Raquel’s personal parallel journeys to becoming an attorney and to understanding her identity as bisexual.

Please Note: This episode contains a detailed description of one person’s journey to coming out as LGBTQ. Part of that story depicts an episode of bullying which includes offensive language. The CBA does not condone the use of this language; however, we have not edited it out in an effort to remain true to this personal story.

If you are interested in connecting with other out attorneys, contact the Colorado LGBT Bar Association. If are questioning your sexuality and are looking for assistance, please contact the Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program (COLAP) at 303-986-3345 or the LGBT National Helpline at 888-843-4564

Sometimes law schools have a difficult time helping students find their career path. Laura Wolf knew that she wanted to work in civil rights but wasn’t quite sure how to get there. After extensive research in the Almanac of the Federal Judiciary, she landed a federal clerkship with Judge R. Brooke Jack­son. From there she worked for prominent Denver civil rights firm Rathod Mohamedbhai where she became Partner. Now she has co-founded Wolf Guevara LLC where she is “committed to ensuring that each and every person in our community is afforded the right to dignity, equity, and opportunity.” Laura has also founded Spark Justice Careers  where she helps individuals on their path to careers in civil rights. Laura Wolf is the 2020 recipient of the prestigious Gary McPherson Outstanding Young Lawyer award which recognizes a young Colorado lawyer for his or her outstanding contributions to the legal profession and the community.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you first started out? Denver civil litigation attorney, Tanya Sevy, gives practical advice on how keeping an open mind can get you to your dream job a lot faster than tunnel vision. From her clerkship with Judge Ross B.H. Buchanan to her current position as a member of the Trial Section at Moye White, Tanya details her career path, the highlights of her clerkship, and walks us through the day-to-day of a civil litigation attorney.  

Linda Chalat began her career with a degree in chemical engineering. Handling hazardous materials during her first job piqued her interest in RCRA law (the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Ultimately, she was inspired to go to law school to better understand RCRA laws and “why they were written so badly.” A self-described math and science nerd, she was delighted to discover the union between the technical and the legal aspects of what she was doing in the realm of chemical engineering.

So what does any of this have to do with Personal Injury Law? Well, it’s all part of the journey to discovering what really makes you tick. When asked how she went from RCRA law to personal injury, Linda says it was “a clear-cut case of love at first sight.”

Linda’s advice to young lawyers: Personal injury practice is rewarding emotionally, but not necessarily financially. At least not in the beginning. But the diversity of cases keeps it engaging.

Linda also has valuable words of wisdom on how technology is now and will continue to impact the practice of law, how to find case management software that is the best fit for you, being a woman in male-dominated industries, and why volunteering is so important and what you can do to help organizations such as Metro Volunteer Lawyers and the Legal Aid Foundation.

There are a lot of misconceptions, particularly among young lawyers and law students, around what mentorship is and isn’t. Mentorship doesn’t have to be formal or exclusive or just a status symbol for sycophants. Mentorship is a means to help build a better you both professionally and personally.

In smaller communities where there are fewer lawyers and fewer opportunities to network, finding mentors is especially important. Today Kevin Cheney speaks with two all-stars from Grand Junction, Judge Lance Timbreza and attorney Lauren O’Dell, who offer practical advice on the how, why, and when of mentorship.

A mentor doesn’t have to be older and wiser or have every answer. Seek out a variety of mentors with specific strengths. Even a peer or colleague who you can trust to tell you the truth could be considered a mentor. And finding a mentor can be as simple as “Hey, I saw you in court today. You were great. Can we grab a coffee sometime?”

Both Lauren and Judge Timbreza share their career journeys, the benefits of having diversity in your experiences, and emphasize the wealth of knowledge, connections, and assistance that can come from being involved in the Young Lawyers Division.

Colorado native, but child of the military who has lived all over the world, CBA President-Elect Joi Kush always knew that she wanted to be an attorney and represent those who need a voice. In 2014 she joined the CBA YLD Executive Council with the goal of bringing a greater Colorado perspective to the group. Law school may teach students how to think like a lawyer but often stops short of teaching students how to practice law. That’s where Joi says the CBA continued her education and helped her become a better attorney. Hear about her journey from study abroad to JAG training to finding her path to family law and how the “big bar” (CBA) helped her get to where she is today. Joi also describes the ins and outs of how the CBA works and the value of being a member.

Guest

Joi Kush

Host

Kevin Cheney 

Today we are thrilled to have a member of the Colorado Supreme Court, Justice Carlos Samour. Before being appointed by Governor Hickenlooper in 2018, Justice Samour was a judge in the 18^th Judicial District. For eleven and a half years during his tenure as District Court Judge, Justice Samore presided over criminal, civil, domestic relations, juvenile delinquency, and dependency and neglect cases. Before his appointment to the District Court bench, Justice Samour worked as a prosecutor in the Denver District Attorney's Office for approximately ten years. Prior to becoming a prosecutor he worked in a civil practice for about five years at Holland & Hart LLP and his first job out of law school was a one year clerkship with the Honorable Robert McWilliams in the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th circuit.

Bruce Smith is the 20th dean of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, having served in that role since July 2016. Previously, he was professor of law and Guy Raymond Jones Faculty Scholar at the University of Illinois College of Law, where he was dean from 2009-14. From 1996-2001, he practiced in the litigation group at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington, D.C., where he focused on intellectual property litigation and sports law, representing the NFL, NHL, and NBA, among other clients. Dean Smith currently serves on a number of educational, civic, and corporate boards, including the board of advisors of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS), the board of directors of the Center for Legal Inclusiveness (CLI).

Host:

Kevin Cheney

Karen Hen is an associate attorney working on a variety of civil cases including personal injury, sexual assault, premises liability, wrongful death and medical malpractice. Prior to joining the firm, Karen clerked at the Second Judicial District Court for the Honorable Edward Bronfin. During her time at the court she had the opportunity to clerk in the civil, criminal, and domestic rotations. While in the civil rotation, Karen witnessed numerous jury trials where she gained insight and knowledge on how jurors view facts, parties, attorneys, and, most importantly, how they reach their verdicts.

Karen was recently appointed to the Executive Council of the Colorado Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. Karen is a member of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. She is also a member of the Colorado Bar Association, the Denver Bar Association and the Intellectual Property Inn of Court. She is licensed to practice law in Arizona and in Colorado.

Host:

Kevin Cheney

John Gleason’s practice emphasizes legal and medical ethics, regulatory and administrative matters, as well as standard of care in legal matters, and ethics issues in business or government. He is also an adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Mr. Gleason served as Regulation Counsel for the Colorado Supreme Court from 1999 until his retirement in 2013. As Regulation Counsel he managed an office of the Supreme Court responsible for the regulation of Colorado attorneys and magistrates.

In 2013 the American Bar Association Center for Professional Responsibility selected Mr. Gleason for the Michael Franck Award. The Franck Award is the highest honor bestowed annually to one recipient whose career commitments in legal ethics and lawyer professionalism demonstrate the best accomplishments of lawyers.

In 2013 the Arizona Supreme Court selected Mr. Gleason for the court’s Award of Merit for his work as Independent Bar Counsel in the prosecution and disbarment of former Maricopa County District Attorney, Andrew Thomas. The widely publicized case is regarded as one of the most significant lawyer discipline cases in history.

In August 2015 the ABA Center appointed Mr. Gleason as Chair of the ABA/CPR Policy Implementation Committee. The Policy Implementation Committee focuses on the implementation of recent revisions to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the Model Code of Judicial Conduct, the policies of the Multi-jurisdictional Practice Commission and other models and policies developed by the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility.

Mr. Gleason is a member of the Justice Sonia Sotomayor Inn of Court

In his week's episode, we are proud to feature Elie Zwiebel, founder of Zwiebel Law. Elie specializes in Education Law and Juvenile Justice, and the intersection between the two. He works to end the School to Prison pipeline and devotes much of his time to working for various non-profits doing work in that arena.

Chris Brock is Managing Attorney of Probate Power, at Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition’s probate and estate planning legal program. CCDC is Colorado’s leader in disability rights. Prior to joining CCDC, Chris worked as a law clerk for the Honorable A. Bruce Jones in Denver District Court and as a Dean’s Fellow at the University of Colorado Law School. He is admitted to the Colorado Bar and is a member of the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations, where he belongs to the Trust and Estate and Elder Law Sections. Chris focuses his practice in the areas of special needs planning, estate planning, and probate administration. 

Non-monogamy is an umbrella term for every practice or philosophy of non-dyadic intimate relationship that does not strictly hew to the standards of monogamy. An openly non-monogamous relationship is one where partners agree that they want to be together and are open and honest about the fact that they have other partners. Although polygamy is illegal in Colorado, there are many other types of relationships where more than two people enter into a domestic relationship or arrangement.  

Parenting, for example, can only include two individuals under Title 19. However, there are often three or more people actively parenting any one child. Through instruments such as trusts, contracts, co-habitation agreements, and pre or post-marital agreements, non-monogamous relationships can have protections under the law. Ultimately, non-monogamous relationships are complex to protect especially considering current Colorado law is averse to addressing them.  

Enter Laurence Gendelman. Trained in a large family law firm, Laurence gained experience working with high-asset, high-conflict, and complex divorces and child custody issues. He also advocated for and advised clients regarding the division of complex financial assets including executive compensation packages and retirement benefits. 

In 2016, Laurence transitioned his practice to probate, trust, estate law, working with a team of four other attorneys representing clients with estate planning, estate and trust administration, uncontested and contested guardianships and conservatorships, and probate litigation matters. 

After gaining extensive experience in these practice areas and learning law firm management and operations, Laurence established Gendelman Law Group, LLC in 2017, where he represented clients in trust, estate, probate, and family law matters. In 2020, Gendelman Law Group, LLC and Klimas Law Firm, LLC, joined forces to create Gendelman Klimas, Ltd., the firm Where Family is Everything. 

Vikrama (Vika) Chandrashekar is the President of the South Asian Bar Association of Colorado and a member of the Trial Section of Moye|White. He handles matters across a wide range of industries concerning general commercial litigation, with an increasing focus on bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, and restructuring. Vika has significant experience in property, real estate, and landlord/tenant disputes, complex business disputes, construction matters, and with municipal/governmental issues. On the bankruptcy side, Vika has successfully litigated adversary proceedings and counseled clients through complex bankruptcy issues under both Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. He enjoys the intricacies of trial work and relishes the opportunity to appear in the courtroom.  

Before joining Moye White, Vika worked at a local firm where he represented cities, municipalities, school districts, and other public entities involving civil rights and tort claims. In this role, Vika defended government entities and employees against a variety of claims in federal and state court. He worked to identify and execute strategies that benefit his clients at all phases from pre-litigation through case resolution by dispositive motion, trial, settlement, or appeal. He has also worked for the Denver City Attorney’s Office and the 20th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

In his conversation with Kevin, he discusses his day-to-day as a member of the trail section for a large firm, the South Asian Bar Association, the Supreme Court’s new rules on EDI and other professional responsibilities training for attorneys, and his advice on law students considering commercial litigation. 

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Established by former CBA President, Kathleen Hearn Croshal, the CBA’s Greater Colorado Task Force works to eliminate the barriers to participation in programs, leadership, and communications for CBA members who practice outside the Denver metro area, thereby improving the CBA’s value and relevance to its membership. In this episode, Kevin speaks with a member of the GCTF, Daniel St. John. Dan discusses the work of the GCTF, the ongoing lawyer shortage outside of the Denver metro area, and the legal needs of greater Colorado.

Community involvement is important to Dan. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Fort Collins Breakfast and on the Executive Council of the Colorado Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. Dan was the president of the Larimer County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and a member of the executive committee of the Larimer County Bar Association from 2016 to 2018. He is an active volunteer with all of these organizations. Dan is also a member of the Law Club of Denver, an organization dedicated to teaching legal ethics. Finally, Dan serves as a Commissioner on the Eighth Judicial District Judicial Performance Commission and, in that capacity, reviews local judges and makes retention recommendations when they stand for retention. 

Dan’s practice focuses on general civil litigation, common interest community law, landlord-tenant law, real estate law, general business law, and civil appeals. Dan is licensed to practice law in Colorado and Wyoming.  

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Kyle Robinson is in-house counsel for CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest healthcare non-profits in the world. On this week's episode of Gettin' Legal With it, join Kyle and your host Kevin Cheney as they discuss Kyle's career path into health law. They discuss what skills and education can be useful when considering going into health law and what Kyle's most valuable extracurricular activities were in law school. Additionally, they discuss the difference between being "in-house" and working for a traditional law firm. Finally, they discuss how COVID has impacted health care from the changing nature of where practicing medicine takes place to vaccine mandates.

 The Colorado Bar Association's Podcast: Getting Legal with It Sidartha Rathod on Apple Podcasts

Join host Kevin Cheney with guest Siddhartha Rathod as they discuss criminal justice reform, civil rights law, and running your own law firm. Siddhartha is the co-owner and co-founder of Rathod Mohamedbhai, LLC, one of the preeminent civil rights law firms in region. 

Join Kevin Cheney and Mallory Hasbrook for a discussion about Mallory's career in oil and gas law along with estate planning and probate. They also discuss Mallory's term as chairwoman of the CBA YLD Executive Council, and her advice for law students and young lawyers.

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