Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Born in Illinois and destined for the Mountain West, Mary is a graduate of the University of Wyoming and moved to Denver in 1985. Making Denver her home since then, she and her husband have 2 sons and 2 grandchildren. After a 15 year career in credit customer service, Mary received her Legal Assistant certificate in 2000 and started with Kennedy Childs and Fogg in 2002, remaining with the Childs McCune core group of attorneys since then. She enjoys reading, golf, swimming and travel. She can also be seen almost any morning of the week taking a brisk sunrise walk with her dog, Maisy.

Kim was fortunate to be able to receive undergraduate education in the unique Great Books program at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, from which he graduated in 1977. That broad immersion in liberal arts, and the ability to study philosophy, political thought and language starting with the ancient Greeks, laid the foundation for his core beliefs in equality, freedom and diversity in all aspects of life. The core purpose of the classical liberal arts education is to prepare one to be a “citizen” of the world, in the broadest sense. Through his further education in law at the University of Texas he obtained the license to apply those principles in the structure and operation of the judicial system in our society. Kim practices law in western Colorado, where he spends as much time as possible fly fishing, hiking, skiing and exploring the west. He also enjoys scuba diving and world travel and continues to expand his experiences with the world’s many different cultures.

As a proud Midwesterner, Lisa was fortunate to have the diverse experience of living in several of our great States. She was born in Warren, OH, lived her childhood in Collegeville, PA and Chicago, IL, moving to Denver, CO in 1977. She left Colorado for 6 years and enjoyed San Francisco, CA before coming back to Denver in 1995, where she has resided ever since.

She joined the firm that we now know as Childs McCune in 1995, coming from the law firm of Lillick & Charles in San Francisco. She adds a BA in Elementary Education with a Minor in English from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO to her diverse experience and lends her paralegal skills in the various insurance defense, legal malpractice, product defect and occasional medical malpractice cases the firm defends.

As the proud mother of a daughter who is a 4th grade teacher in a Title I school in the Aurora Public School District, she is exposed to stories that help broaden her experiences. Without diversity, our lives would be one dimensional and shallow.

Mark is an advocate for the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion in the many leadership positions he has held in the Colorado community including President of Kennedy Childs & Fogg PC (the predecessor firm to Childs McCune LLC), President of the Colorado Bar Association and President of the Denver Bar Association. The law firm and these associations are much stronger when we have diverse voices from individuals who are empowered to participate as included and valued members. Mark has always sought and recruited such diverse voices. He was recently a member of the Colorado Supreme Court Task Force on Lawyer and Law Firm Well-Being where the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion is significantly recognized as a key component in lawyer and legal staff well-being.

Erica was born in Halifax, N.S., Canada. In 1994, Erica’s family immigrated to Cheyenne, W.Y. where she completed high school and participated on multiple athletic teams. Following high school, Erica attended Black Hills State University where she ran cross country and track. At Black Hills State University, she majored in Political Science and minored in History and American Indian Studies. In 2014, Erica moved to Colorado to attend the University of Colorado Law School. During law school Erica advocated for indigenous nations through the University of Colorado’s American Indian Law Clinic. She co-authored several articles addressing issues caused by the extractive industry and a strategic plan to solve those issues.

Erica is dedicated to community service and volunteering. She volunteered in the Emergency Department of Boulder Community Health.  Erica also volunteered with Colorado Friendship, through the Meals on the Street Program. Erica is a member of the Yasui Inn of Court, where she holds an executive committee community service position.

Outside of the office, Erica’s interest in running has continued. She enjoys signing up for and running trail races in different cities.

Having been raised in a small farming community, finding her advocacy voice came while raising three children with her husband, a public school teacher. She is motivated to advocate for all people in need of a voice, and has long believed that exposure to others, and the sharing of experiences take individuals beyond their limitations. Having friends describe her family as the “modern family” is a designation she “wears” proudly.

With a paralegal certificate in hand, she joined the law firm of Yu, Stromberg, Huotari & Cleveland, PC and 15 years later joined Montgomery, Little & McGrew, PC. In 2009, she joined Kennedy Childs & Fogg, PC and in 2014 moved to Childs McCune LLC. Having witnessed the evolution of the workplace over her 33+ year career, she is proud to champion Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for all who work and gather here.

“We must be headlights and not taillights.” – John Lewis

Jordan was born and raised in a town of less than 2000 people in western New York State and moved to Colorado after graduating from high school. As an adult, Jordan has spent significant time overseas including many third world countries, which has taught him an understanding and appreciation of various cultures on six of the seven continents.

Jordan’s love of the outdoors and experience as a ski patroller has led him to have a portion of his practice dedicated to representing various companies, nonprofits, and individuals in outdoor industry litigation and in legal risk management. And as a father, he has traveled to the far corners of the earth with his children so each one could in turn break the world record as the youngest person to ski on all seven continents.

Jordan is dedicated to community service, education, and volunteer work, and has been involved with numerous charities and nonprofits. Further, Jordan is an advocate for pro bono legal work, and does substantial pro bono legal work every year.

Dan grew up living in many different communities ranging from very rural areas to large cities in the Southeast, New England, Mid-West, Rock Mountain Region and the West Coast.  In college, at the University of Kansas, Dan’s roommates included diverse exchange students from Nigeria and Egypt.  After law school, Dan served in the U. S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps.  One of his friends with whom he served went on to become the first active-duty female general officer in the JAG Corps.  After his service in the Army, Dan came to Denver where he raised two daughters and has focused his practice on civil litigation and business planning.  Dan has been active in the legal community at the local, state and national level, including his service as President of the Denver Bar Association.  As President, one of his goals was increasing minority membership and participation in the Denver Bar Association.  These life experiences have helped shape Dan’s appreciation for the importance of diversity in all aspects of our lives.  

Steve grew up in Iowa where he attended high school and played on athletic teams where his closest friends and teammates were from very diverse backgrounds. During college, Steve studied abroad at Cambridge University and the London School of Economics and learned to appreciate the importance of integration with persons of different countries, cultures and educational backgrounds. More recently Steve was a visiting professor at the Masaryk University, Faculty of Law in Brno, Czech Republic. This experience allowed Steve to share his background with eastern European law students and faculty and learn a tremendous amount about their culture and heritage. Steve lives in the diverse neighborhood of Park Hill with his wife and two children who attended inner-city schools. Steve has coached youth sports teams and volunteered to assist with numerous programs to break down socio-economic barriers in the city and provide services to those less fortunate in our community.

Chris was raised in Iowa by parents who were ahead of their time in teaching acceptance, diversity, and inclusiveness. He has long supported acceptance and inclusion of traditionally underrepresented and discriminated segments of society. Chris moved to Denver and joined Kennedy Christopher, PC in 1995. In 2014 he was one of the founding members of Childs McCune LLC. Chris is involved in helping the homeless population and looking for ways to improve the situation.

Coming to Denver in 2016 by way of Washington State, Oregon, Michigan, and Illinois, Corinne enjoys meeting new people and has been fortunate to encounter people of diverse backgrounds in her travels. While in college at University of Portland, she helped found “Active Minds at UP,” an organization dedicated to mental health awareness and advocacy. She is a proud participant in the Colorado Supreme Court Task Force on Lawyer and Law Firm Well-Being, which emphasizes diversity, equity and inclusion as critical components of lawyer and law firm well-being. She prioritizes getting to know her co-workers and co/opposing defense counsel to facilitate cooperation, collegiality, and inclusion amongst everyone in the legal profession. Outside of the office, Corinne enjoys cheering for the Colorado Avalanche, travel, snowboarding, reading, working out, and exploring Denver with her fiancé.

Fostering a legal community that embraces the differences in people and treats all equally is important to Julia (she/her). After spending her childhood in rural New Hampshire, Julia studied abroad at the University of Bologna in Italy during her undergraduate years and at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands during law school. Living in different countries exposed her to the cultural richness of meeting people from different backgrounds and demonstrated how different societies can
choose to form their legal systems in diverse ways. Julia was able to watch proceedings at the International Criminal Court in the Hague and witnessed first-hand how nations can work together to promote peace and prosecute crimes against humanity.

Julia is passionate about access to justice for underrepresented and indigent people and volunteers her time taking on pro bono cases. She also enjoys volunteering her time with the high school mock trial program coordinated by the Colorado Bar Association. These students come from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds from counties all over the state and advocate with equal competence in the courtroom. Encouraging young adults to participate in our legal system with such enthusiasm and skill is invigorating.

Julia is the mother of three beautiful children and has lived in Colorado since 2003. With her family, she enjoys many of the outdoor activities that the mountains have to offer.

Becky’s a Legal Assistant for the firm and hails from Kansas. She joined the team in February 2021 as a legal assistant in both the litigation and health care practice areas. Becky prepares and processes legal documents such as motions, complaints, summons, subpoenas, discovery, and notices. She also assists the attorneys in their trial preparation, organization, and files documents with all State and Federal Courts.

Her past work experience has helped enhance her personal skills and enables her to work well with different generations and people from all walks of life. Becky is patient, receptive, observant, and respectful. She is also very enthusiastic and encouraging, with an incredible work ethic.

When Becky is not spending time working with her Childs McCune family, she enjoys spending time with her two sons, grandsons, Church family, reading, and riding her horse.

Cameron, originally from Miami’s diverse cultural tapestry, found his true home amidst Colorado’s Rocky Mountains after enrolling at Colorado College. His academic journey led him overseas to Granada, Spain, and the London School of Economics, enriching his global perspective.

While pursuing a law degree at the University of Colorado, Cameron became deeply involved in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. He became involved with CU’s Entrepreneurial Law Clinic, offering pro bono legal services to emerging startups. Additionally, he volunteered at other entrepreneurship programs designed to empower immigrants in launching their businesses, aiding those with English as a second language to achieve their entrepreneurial aspirations.

Outside of his professional life, Cameron is an avid snowboarder, mountain biker, and hiker, often joined by his fiancé and dog. He treasures his visits back to Miami, where he enjoys spearfishing.

Cristel strongly believes in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal field.  At the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Cristel served on the Internship Committee, reviewing resumes, interviewing candidates, and mentoring interns.  Cristel embraced the opportunity to create a diversified team of interns each semester.  Born and raised in the Florida Keys, Cristel loves spending time outdoors, gardening and walking her dogs, and spending time with her family.   

Levi believes in the importance of allowing people to be their true self and bring their own personalities and experiences to the conversation.  He believes that we are best as a society when we lift each other up as a community, embrace the aspects that make us each an individual, and acknowledge that our differences are what make us complete. Being from Montana and rural communities, Levi appreciates the different perspectives and experiences our diverse backgrounds provide and believes this is key to solving problems, big and small.  Overall, Levi is an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our lives, and wants to cultivate supportive environments where everyone feels they have the ability to succeed and be themselves.

As the eldest daughter of immigrant parents, Karin has lived (and understands those who have) a life that began with very little, and both the richness and challenges of a multi-cultural and lingual way of life.  In the 1940s, her mother’s family escaped the Nazi occupation of Romania while her father’s family fled the persecution of Jews in Iraq.  Both families settled in what is now modern-day Israel.  She credits her parents for teaching her to speak Hebrew fluently as her first language.  In fact, the correct pronunciation of her name in Hebrew is “KAHR-ihn.”  In addition to Hebrew, both Spanish and Romanian were spoken in her home, allowing Karin to absorb two additional languages.  Twice Karin spent time studying in France to fuel her love of language and culture.  The diverse history, culture, and traditions of others was central to Karin’s childhood and has had a profound impact on the way she and her husband raise their two young children to be inclusive and intrigued by all humans.