I am exactly right where I want to be right now. I am a practicing property law attorney in Salida, Colorado. I have had many opportunities in life, and some great experiences, but this is the path I eventually chose.
Before going to law school I served for twenty years in a variety of positions in the United States Army. I was an airborne infantryman, a helicopter pilot and a public affairs officer. I found the Army to be both challenging and rewarding at the same time. The Army also offered me many educational opportunities, which I took full advantage of.
After my military career I attended graduate school at the University of Missouri where I studied photojournalism. This was a natural path, as I had commanded a team of Army photojournalist during Desert Storm. I did not complete my studies though. Instead, I chose to move to South Korea to join my wife, Caron, who was serving there as an Army nurse. While there I worked for TIME, Newsweek, The Washington Post and Reuters, among other publications as a photojournalist. I was fortunate to travel throughout Asia photographing some very interesting stories. I was also fortunate to have had a photo selected for a cover of TIME magazine.
After Caron and I returned to the United States I gave serious thought to attending law school. I was 47-years-old at the time and the challenge seemed daunting. With Caron’s encouragement I applied and was accepted to the University of Denver College of Law, now the Sturm College of Law. I knew we wanted to finally settle in Colorado, so Denver was a good choice.
Law school was every bit as difficult as I had imagined, but it was much more interesting and rewarding than I could have ever imagined. After law school I joined the Office of the City Attorney in Colorado Springs. I served a variety of clients to include; the City planning department, real estate services, the parks department and the airport. The work was always interesting. One day I would be negotiating with a major developer on the construction of a highway, then working with the parks department to acquire a new park. Most of my work centered around land use, property law and real estate. Those were the areas of law I found most interesting and rewarding.
In 2008 Caron and I decided to move to Salida, Colorado, and believe we made a good decision. We love the area and the people who live here. I am still an attorney for the Colorado Springs Airport, and do most of my work remotely while traveling back to Colorado Springs every other week. I am also establishing my private practice with a focus on the law I know best; property, land use and real estate law. My office is six blocks from out cottage, and I am fine with that. I can either walk or bike to work.
My objectives are pretty straight forward. I want to create a reasonably, profitable law practice based on value to the client, not the billable hour, and to become the preeminent source for property law in this region of Colorado. I also want to enjoy everything Salida and the surrounding area have to offer. I want to contribute to our community. Most importantly though, I want to lead a balanced life.
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