Where did you go to Law School?

University of Denver – Sturm College of Law. Go Pioneers!

Where do you work?

I am the General Counsel of Denver Public Schools.

Why did you become a lawyer?

I became a lawyer to stand up for kids in the juvenile justice system. Before law school I spent nearly a decade working with at-risk youth. In the detention centers where I worked, I watched guardian ad litems sit with their clients, listen without judgment, and fight for what the law and basic decency require. That was the job I wanted.

Today I get to do that work at scale. In the DPS Legal Office, we serve kids every day through policy, training, and problem solving that keep students safe, learning, and seen. The mission that drew me to law still drives me. I want to help children have a better future.

How do you de-stress?

I like to spend time with my wife and our two teacup schnauzers (Bark Obama and Oliver Brown v. The Board of Education).

If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?

Frederick Douglass. I would love to hear how he used his personal story to change minds. I would ask how he built coalitions with people who did not agree with him and how he decided when to push and when to partner. I have a feeling it would be a long dinner.

What is one item on your bucket list?

I love chasing eclipses and other astronomical phenomena. My wife and I are going to Mallorca, Spain to see the total eclipse in August 2026 and are planning a trip to Luxor, Egypt to see the eclipse in 2027. Both are bucket list items for me.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Choose integrity over convenience, relationships over ego, and habits over hacks.

What is your favorite law school memory?

I loved my time in the Criminal Defense Clinic, where I spent three semesters during law school. It was the first place I counseled clients and saw how important public services is. Had some important wins there and some hard losses too.

What’s your favorite book and why?

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. I took a college seminar where I read Volumes I and II in the original early modern Spanish. I am still not sure whether I loved the book, the feat of finishing it, or the classroom experience discussing it the most. The book is hilarious and heartbreaking.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

In my free time I like to be outdoors or on the road. I love to camp, travel the world, and take long road trips. I recently spent eight days camping across Iceland. I also make about eight pilgrimages a year to Minnesota, as a proud Vikings season ticket holder.