YOUNG LAWYERS DIVISION NEWSLETTER
SUMMER 2021
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The Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the Colorado Lawyers Committee (CLC) has a long-standing reputation of bringing young lawyers and law students together to learn, inspire, and grow their community impact. The CLC YLD is open (without charge) to any lawyer or law student who is under 40 years of age or has been in practice fewer than 8 years.
The past year has offered plenty of challenge and disruption, but the YLD is committed to fostering a space where young lawyers can come together in their efforts to be positive change agents for CLC’s mission of aiding the poor and underserved. As we continue to navigate these unusual times, the YLD has been busy and we have plenty of updates to share!
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2021-2022 YLD CHAIR AND CHAIR ELECT |
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September will bring new leadership to the YLD. Thank you to Ryan Thurber (Polsinelli PC) for your wonderful leadership this past year and a half as YLD Chair.
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Cait is a 2012 graduate of the University of Colorado Law School graduate. She practices Civil and Commercial Litigation at Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP. Cait is a member of the Special Projects Team on the YLD and participates with the Nonprofit Legal Audit Clinic, Election Call Center, YLD CLE Series and YLD Lunches with Legends. |
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YLD CHAIR ELECT
Mack Wilding
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Mack is a 2016 graduate of the University of Colorado Law School. He practices Civil and Commercial Litigation at Fortis Law Partners LLC. Mack is a member of the Hate Crimes Education Team and participates with the Hate Crimes National Team, Hate Crimes Education Task Force and Special Education Subcommittee. |
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WELCOME NEW YLD BOARD MEMBERS |
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Five new members were elected to the Young Lawyers Division Board this Summer.
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Hannah is a rising 2L at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law School and joined the YLD Board as the new DU Law School Representative. Hannah is working with the PR & Membership team. |
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John Ellis
John is a rising 2L at the University of Colorado School of Law and joined the YLD Board as the new CU Law School Representative. John is working with the PR & Membership team.
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Therese Fox
Therese is an Associate at Arnold & Porter where she represents public and private companies and investors in connection with a variety of corporate and financial matters. Therese is the new Co-Chair of the PR & Membership team.
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Stephen Robin
Stephen Robin is an Associate at Sherman & Howard L.L.C. in the firm’s litigation, trials and appeals practice. Stephen is the new Co-Chair of the Legal Night team.
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Whitney Wolfe
Whitney Wolfe is an Associate at The Harris Law Firm P.C. where she practices family law. Whitney is the new Co-Chair of the Legal Night team.
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THANK YOU OUTGOING BOARD MEMBERS |
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Over the past few months, we have said goodbye to the following YLD Board members: Lauren Carboni (Foley & Lardner LLP) was a founding member of the YLD Board and served her time on the Fundraising & Events team, Legal Night team and as Chair. We thank you for your years of dedication to the YLD! Abby Hinchcliff (Colorado Attorney General’s Office) was a founding member of the YLD Board and served her time on the Strategic Planning team and as Chair. We thank you for your years of dedication to the YLD! Annika Adams joined the YLD Board as our first DU Law School Representative. We wish her the best of luck as she begins her legal career with Highlands Law Firm. Anjie Zhi joined the YLD Board as the CU Law School Representative. We wish her the best of luck as she begins her legal career with Ballard Spahr LLP.
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YLD LUNCHES WITH LEGENDS SERIES |
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The Young Lawyers Division continues to offer a series of one-hour lunch talks with local legal legends to help inspire young lawyers on their path to greatness. Over the past several months, we have been fortunate to speak with former Colorado U.S. Attorney John Walsh, Judge, Deputy District Attorney and Adjunct Professor Karen Steinhauser and Congressman Joe Neguse. Join us again in September after the summer hiatus. We thank all of our Legends for sharing your time and wisdom with us. As a reminder, this free event is held via Zoom and you do not need to be a member of the YLD to attend. All are welcome!
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Former U.S. Attorney
John Walsh
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YLD HOSTS GEEKS WHO DRINK EVENT |
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On June 24th, the YLD hosted its first ever virtual Geeks Who Drink Pub Quiz. Six rounds of the finest trivia in the land, covering topics such as pop culture, music, history, food and drink. Teams of young lawyers battled it out head-to-head for fun prizes. The big winner of the evening was Team Defenders: Michael LaGarde, Sri Pernankil and Elie Zwiebel. Congrats!
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CWBA SUPPORTS YLD GRANT PROGRAM |
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This spring, the Colorado Women’s Bar Association (CWBA) partnered with our Young Lawyers Division to fundraise for the YLD Grant Program. CWBA matched the first $1,000 of donations in the months of March, April and May. We are excited to announce that we were able to raise a total of $2,000 for the YLD Grant Program! Thank you to the CWBA for supporting our efforts of assisting young attorneys in their pro bono work through our Grant Program. The YLD Grant Program funds YLD members to assist in their efforts to further the CLC mission of making a difference for children and the underserved through education, advocacy, and systemic change. Members can apply for grants to help defray costs in pro bono representation, fund materials or space for clinics or other direct services or provide scholarships for trainings that assist lawyers in providing pro bono services. Apply for a Grant here.
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YLD RACIAL JUSTICE SUMMIT |
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The Colorado Lawyers Committee recently formed a Racial Justice Task Force to reexamine our motivations and processes to ensure that all our actions, internally and externally, support the goal of a responsible, strong, and racially equitable community. Join the YLD and members of the Racial Justice Task Force as they host the first ever YLD Racial Justice Summit at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law on September 8th. The focus of the event is to bring together law students and YLD members of the various bar associations to brainstorm racial justice efforts. The event will take place in person on campus with speakers, an informative brainstorming session and then networking to wrap up the evening. Registration for the event will be coming soon.
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COLORADO COVID SMALL BUSINESS LEGAL PROGRAM
Since June 2020, the Colorado Lawyers Committee has partnered with the Colorado Attorney General, the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), the CBA/DBA, the Denver Chamber and the law firms of WilmerHale, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP and Messner Reeves LLP to provide legal help for small businesses adversely impacted by COVID. Small businesses provide half of Colorado’s jobs and have been especially hard-hit by the COVID-19 economic crisis, with minority and women-owned small businesses being hit the hardest. The program matches volunteer lawyers with small businesses that need limited legal advice regarding COVID-19 related issues. Since inception, almost 250 businesses have applied for assistance and over 200 volunteer lawyers have offered to provide limited legal representation to help small businesses get back on their feet. Over the summer, the program will be transitioning into a post-pandemic small business legal clinic with the help of OEDIT and many community partners that will provide a free one-hour consultation to small businesses in need. If you are interested in volunteering with the new program or know someone who needs small business legal assistance, please visit the website today!
DENVER LEGAL NIGHT
Denver Legal Night is now virtual! To honor the many needs of our community while maintaining safety in the current times, Denver Legal Night is now offered remotely. The virtual clinics continue to be a success and have served over 1,400 people since switching formats in April 2020. Instead of meeting in person at Centro San Juan Diego, volunteer lawyers consult over the phone to help determine significant legal issues, refer individuals to legal services, and answer other questions about the legal process. Interpreters are available to conference in, if needed. If you know of interpreters or Spanish-speaking lawyers willing to help, please contact Kathleen McCrohan.
Every first & third Wednesday of the month
45 min phone consultations with up to 4 clients per clinic
5:00pm - 8:00pm
HATE CRIMES EDUCATION
The Hate Crimes Education Task Force is hard at work during the summer months! They are preparing for presentations to corporate groups and government agencies to entice more lawyers to volunteer. The team is also continuing to promote the program to schools across Colorado in preparation for virtual presentations this coming school year. If you are interested in volunteering in a Hate Crimes presentation or, if you know of a middle school or high school that might be interested in having a virtual Hate Crimes presentation in grades 7 through 12, please contact Connie Talmage.
OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
The CLC has more than 25 projects in five different areas: Poverty & Public Benefits, Civil Rights & Criminal Law, Children’s Rights & Education, Community Development and Immigration. For more information, check out our website.
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2021 COLORADO LAWYERS COMMITTEE ANNUAL LUNCHEON |
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Mark your calendars for the 2021 Annual Awards Luncheon on October 21, 2021 at the Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center.
We are delighted this year to honor Peter H. Schwartz, a partner with Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, with the 2020 Outstanding Sustained Contribution Award for his longstanding support and extensive contributions to the work of the Lawyers Committee. The Lawyers Committee also announced two recipients of the 2020 Special Recognition Award: Michelle Berge, General Counsel at Denver Public Schools, and Paul Hartmann, owner of Hartmannphoto, LLC. Michelle served as Chair of CLC’s Greeley Legal Night Clinic for almost ten years. Paul has generously provided expert pro bono photographic service to the CLC since 2011. His beautiful photos are displayed in our Annual Report and on our website.
The awards will be presented at the CLC’s Annual Luncheon on October 21, 2021, at the Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center. Nominees for the CLC 2020 Law Firm of the Year, 2020 Team of the Year and 2021 Pandemic Heroes Award will be:
Law Firm of the Year Nominees:
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Polsinelli PC
Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP
The Harris Law Firm P.C.
Team of the Year Nominees:
Hate Crimes National Team
Immigration Task Force Probation Disclosure Subcommittee
Preparing Asylum Seekers for Success (PASS) Pilot Program
Young Lawyers Division CLE Series Planning Committee
Pandemic Heroes Award Nominees:
Colorado COVID Legal Relief Program
Denver Legal Night
Hate Crimes Education Task Force Steering Committee
Immigration Habeas TRO Subcommittee
Young Lawyers Division Lunches with Legends Steering Committee
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Another highlight of the Luncheon will be our Keynote Speaker, Lee Gelernt, Deputy Director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and Director of the Access to the Courts Program. Over the past two years, Mr. Gelernt has argued several groundbreaking challenges to current administration policies, and successfully argued the first case challenging the President’s travel ban on individuals from certain Muslim-majority nations.
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Denver Legal Night
August 4th from 5-8pm
August 18th from 5-8pm
September 1st from 5-8pm
September 15th from 5-8pm
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Training
Hosted by Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) and CLC
August 25th from 9-11am
September 10th from 9-12pm
YLD Racial Justice Summit at University of Denver Sturm College of Law
September 8th, time TBD
CLC Annual Luncheon
October 21st from 11:30-1:30pm at Hyatt Regency Convention Center
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