Shana Beggan

Shana Beggan grew up outside of Chicago, Illinois, raised in a large family (1 of 6 children) filled with public servants. Shana moved to Colorado for law school. Throughout law school,while starting a family, Shana interned in numerous legal venues from the Office of Attorney Regulation to the District Attorney's Appellate Division, private highly respected litigation firms, and corporate in-house counsel litigation groups. Upon graduating with honors from law school, Shana clerked at the Colorado Supreme Court. After her clerkship, Shana returned to the Denver District Attorney's office, specializing in appellate work, prosecuting violent juvenile offenses, felony crimes against children, domestic violence and homicide cases, and gang cases. She also taught at police academies and participated in the Courtrooms to Classrooms programs. Shana later entered private practice as a partner at Alonzi Pellow Beggan, LLC. Outside of work, Shana volunteers extensively and enjoys outdoor activities with her family in Colorado's natural playground.

Autumn Bernhardt

Autumn Bernhardt Over the course of a 20+ year career, Autumn Bernhardt has been a lawyer, professor, author, and rancher.  In addition to ADR and other consulting services, Autumn now trains clients in natural resources stewardship and cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary communication. Autumn most recently taught at the University of Wyoming College of Law but has also served as an Assistant Tribal Attorney for the White Mountain Apache Tribe, a Colorado Assistant Attorney General, and a judicial law clerk

Megan Bishop

Megan Bishop is a Texas Law alum who began her career as an investigator with the D.C. Public Defender Service. She then proudly served seven years as a Colorado State Public Defender. Today, Megan is a private criminal defense attorney in Denver. She defends against all levels of accusations, but is most known for her litigation in appeals and DUI chemical testing. When not working, Megan enjoys dance, design, music editing, and giving pen recommendations that no one asked for. 

Monica Frascona

Monica Frascona After attending Georgetown University Law Center, Monica began her career as a deputy district attorney in Southern California. She has since gained broad experience in private practice, representing clients in labor-relations disputes at arbitration and before state and federal agencies and courts; representing clients in employment litigation; AG investigations; product-liability lawsuits; and contract, business, will and trust, and insurance-coverage disputes.

Katie Hecker

Katie Hecker has dedicated her legal career to providing compassionate, competent, and proactive representation for children and the accused. In 2022, Katie joined the Colorado Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR) as the office’s first Youth Justice Attorney. In this role, Katie specializes in providing training and guidance for attorneys who are appointed as guardians ad litem (GAL) in delinquency, direct file, and truancy cases, and works on statewide policy regarding youth justice issues. Prior to joining OCR, Katie represented adults and children accused of crimes as an attorney in the Brighton office of the Colorado State Public Defender from 2011 to 2017. After her time as a public defender, Katie worked at the State Court Administrator’s Office where she provided support and training to Colorado’s problem-solving court teams. Katie’s love for working with children led her back into direct practice as a GAL from 2018 to 2022, during which time she also served as a part-time magistrate in Denver County Court. Katie is a proud alumna of the University of Michigan and Northeastern University School of Law. She dabbles in too many hobbies to count, none of which she has mastered.

Aaron S. Hockman

Aaron S. Hockman joined the Colorado Office of Administrative Courts in January 2023, and was appointed Supervising Administrative Law Judge for the General Services Unit beginning July 2024. He is also a part-time Magistrate for Denver County Court.

Judge Hockman was formerly an Administrative Law Judge for the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings, Chief Trial and Appellate Counsel for the Wyoming Office of the Guardian ad Litem, and began his legal career began as an Assistant Public Defender in Northeast Wyoming. He is a member of the Colorado LGBT+ Bar Association, Denver Bar Association, and 2024 CODACC class.

Education:  University of Wyoming – Bachelor of Art in History; Bachelor of Art in Criminal Justice; and Juris Doctor. 

Allen Jones III

Allen Jones III

is a dedicated attorney and community leader who is honored to join the COBALT Class of 2025. A 2023 graduate of the University of Colorado Law School, Allen has called Boulder home since 2020 and actively contributes to its vibrant community. He serves as a Boulder City Council appointee to the Colorado Chautauqua Association Board of Directors, a member of the Parks and Open Space Foundation, and a Board Member of the Boulder County Bar Association.

Before his legal career, Allen worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman Bobby Scott, focusing on trade policy, telecommunications, and criminal justice. At the University of Colorado, he led the Silicon Flatirons Student Group and worked with the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic, honing his legal and analytical skills. Now a licensed Colorado attorney, Allen represents homeowners in the Marshall Fire mass tort action, as well as practices bankruptcy, insurance bad faith claims, all with a general focus towards consumer protection.

An avid outdoor enthusiast, Allen enjoys hiking, especially Mount Sanitas, building trails with the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance, snowboarding, and cycling competitively with Primal Audi Denver. He also treasures time with his Eclectus parrot, Riley.

Allen looks forward to contributing to the COBALT program while continuing to serve and engage with his community.

Asma Keeler

Asma KeelerAsma Kadri  Keeler is currently Deputy Legal Counsel for Governor Jared Polis. Prior to serving as counsel for the Governor, Asma was a staff lawyer at various ACLU affiliates including Wisconsin, Colorado, and New York. She worked to advance a full range of civil liberties and domestic human rights issues through litigation in state and federal courts, but also through integrated advocacy efforts. Asma takes a particular interest in reproductive health issues and women’s rights. During her time as a litigator, she worked to  protect the civil rights and liberties of young girls in public school systems, in health systems, and in the workplace. She has spoken on the inhumanity of detaining children in carceral settings, combatting sexism in U.S. schools, and keeping families together in the U.S. immigration system. Asma currently coaches East High School students for a statewide constitutional law competition and is a board member for the Washington College of Law's War Crimes Research Office. 

Asma earned her undergraduate degree from Loyola University Chicago and her J.D. , magna cum laude, from the American University Washington College of Law.  She clerked for Justice Thomas P. Mann at the Fairfax Circuit Court after law school

India Kidd-Aaron

India Kidd-Aaron has dedicated her career to better understanding the intersection between federal and state laws, how they affect the private sector, and inevitably, how they affect Main Street. She started her career in federal government during the 2008 financial crisis. There she gained an appreciation for the complexities of regulating the financial industry and specifically securities. After obtaining her law degree, she worked in the highly regulated financial industry where she gained practical experience applying, navigating, and adhering to laws and regulations. Most recently, India expanded this knowledge with her work as a securities attorney

Katelyn Konecny

Katelyn Konecny is a Senior Lead Deputy District Attorney for the Seventeenth Judicial District in Adams County, where she has served as a prosecutor for twelve years and tried over 55 jury trials. In addition to her caseload, Katie supervises a team of attorneys in a felony courtroom, where she promotes attorney development, helps develop trial strategy, and analyzes complex legal issues. Katie was recognized by the Colorado District Attorney’s Council with the “Outstanding Faculty of the Year” award in 2021 for her prolific state-wide training efforts. From 2015 to 2021, Katie was an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law where she taught trial practice at the eleventh ranked trial advocacy program in the nation. Katie lives in Denver with her husband and young son.

Aditi Kulkarni-Knight

Aditi Kulkarni-Knight is a commercial litigator at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, where she serves clients in all stages of complex commercial litigation, including discovery, motions practice, settlement negotiations, trial and arbitration, and federal and state appeals. Aditi frequently represents energy companies, technology companies, public utility companies, private equity companies, and individuals and has defended clients against claims including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, conspiracy, fraud, and negligence. She also represents clients in environmental litigation, including lawsuits alleging environmental contamination based on common-law theories and cases involving CERCLA contribution and cost recovery. Aditi is also experienced in representing both companies and individuals in SEC, DOJ, and other government investigations.

Alex Leach

Alex Leach(she/her) is the Nondiscrimination Coordinator at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment where she works to ensure compliance with civil rights laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Alex is also an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Denver and MSU Denver where she teaches classes on the intersection of social work and law. She obtained her B.A. in Anthropology from Dartmouth College and then pursued a dual Master’s program in Social Work and Public Health at the University of Michigan. Alex received her J.D. from the University of Denver. In her spare time, Alex enjoys hanging out with her dogs Penelope and Graham, writing, and exploring new hobbies

Krista Maher

Krista Maher(she/her) is the First Assistant Attorney General of the Labor Unit in the State Services Section of the Colorado Department of Law.  Ms. Maher represents the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Personnel and Administration, and the Board of Assessment Appeals in a general counsel role and represents them in a variety of administrative matters and district court and appellate litigation.  Prior to joining the Attorney General’s office in 2014, Ms. Maher was a civil litigator with the law firm of Montgomery, Kolodny, Amatuzio & Dusbabek, LLP, where she worked with national and local clients on a variety of litigation matters.  Before working in private practice, Ms. Maher served two years as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Steven L. Bernard of the Colorado Court of Appeals.  Ms. Maher received her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Davis School of Law in 2008 and received her Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 2001.  She is licensed to practice law in Colorado and California.  Ms. Maher is also a longtime member of the Colorado Women’s Bar Association and currently serves as the co-chair of the CWBA Professional Advancement Committee.  She also serves on the High School Mock Trial Committee of the Colorado Bar Association.

Abbey Moffitt Hruby

Abbey Moffitt Hruby owns A. Moffitt Law, specializing in criminal law and plaintiff personal injury. She also serves as the co-founder and Legal Director of Expunge Colorado, a non-profit dedicated to helping Coloradans move forward from their criminal records. Through her practice and Expunge Colorado, Abbey has guided hundreds of individuals through the record-sealing process with success.

In 2022, she testified before Colorado Senate and House committees, advocating for Clean Slate legislation. Licensed to practice in Colorado and her home state of Iowa, Abbey earned both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Iowa. During her final semester of law school, she moved to Silverthorne, Colorado, to intern at the Dillon Public Defender’s office. After graduation, she launched her legal career as a Deputy Public Defender in Golden, Colorado.

Abbey actively participates in professional organizations, including the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, and Colorado Women Owned Law Firms (W.O.L.F.). She resides in Littleton with her husband, Mitch, and their Border Collie, Storm.

Andrea Cristina Rigo

 Andrea Cristina Rigo is a founding partner at Rathod | Mohamedbhai LLC. Her practice is exclusively in the areas of plaintiff’s employment discrimination and constitutional civil rights litigation. She advocates for the rights of employees in the workplace, and for the civil rights of all individuals against governmental and institutional abuses of power. Andrea focuses much of her practice on discrimination in educational institutions.

As a first generation Brazilian-American, Andrea’s unique voice makes her an effective advocate for her clients and adds perspective to an increasingly diverse legal landscape. Andrea currently serves on the Board of Directors for a local nonprofit, Youth Celebrate Diversity, which focuses on building self-confidence and leadership skills for diverse high school students. She also provides pro bono representation to underrepresented persons with immigration and other legal issues.

Prior to founding Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, Andrea was a senior associate at Denver-area law firm, where her practice focused on commercial litigation, insurance bad faith, and construction defect law. While there, Andrea oversaw litigation and trial strategy for complex commercial cases. She regularly worked closely with Spanish-speaking business owners to ensure that their narratives were not misunderstood. Andrea left behind a partnership opportunity to follow her passion and open Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC.
 
Andrea frequently uses her foreign language skills, working with Portuguese and Spanish-speaking victims of abuse and discrimination. Andrea’s ability to represent litigants from multiple cultures, in multiple languages, across a broad array of practice areas makes her a powerful advocate for the community.
 
As hobbies, Andrea enjoys distance running, international travel, hiking, and dancing. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law cum laude and her BA from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Ronnie Mondragon

Ronnie Mondragon has worked for the Colorado Judicial Branch since he finished law school. He participated in Creighton University’s dual degree program, obtaining an M.S. in Government Organization and Leadership as well as a J.D. in August 2017. Afterward, he started working as a Law Clerk for the 12^th Judicial District in Alamosa, where he was born and raised. In 2019, he transitioned to a Research Attorney role, and in 2023, he became a Supervising Research Attorney. Ronnie takes pride in assisting the 12^th Judicial District judges in resolving cases in the community he grew up in and returned to immediately after finishing school. During his time with the 12^th Judicial District, he has had an opportunity to assist with various types of cases, including civil, criminal, and water. He has also had the honor of joining his local Access to Justice Committee and the Maestas Case Commemoration Committee. In his spare time, Ronnie enjoys hanging out with his wife and daughter, watching sports, and trying new restaurants and coffee shops around Colorado and New Mexico.

Maria Jose Murray

Maria Jose Murrayis a bilingual LPP based in Durango, CO. She obtained her first Law Degree from a University in Chile, a LLM from Loyola Marymount University, and an ADR Certificate from Colorado State University. In addition, she has completed extensive training in child development, DV, child abuse, substance abuse, mental health issues and high conflict management. Her areas of focus as a family and child advocate are legal services for low-income families in high conflict, mediation, child and family investigations, advisory consultation, and parenting coordinator/decision maker.  Also, she provides restorative services in juvenile and adult cases.

As a family advocate she has worked for local non-profits assisting victims of domestic violence and as a Court employee she has had the privilege of providing services to juveniles in pre-trial services, adult drug court participants, families involved in DR, PR and D&N cases.

Maria Jose has been involved in some initiatives close to her heart such as DV Board Member, Co-Chair of the 22^nd JD local ATJ Committee and DR Best Practices Coordinator, A&V Federal Grant Work Group, Judicial DR Institute Planning Committee, NM ADR Committee among others.

Besides working on her Court referrals, Maria Jose is committed to public service by providing volunteer mediation services to the Courts in New Mexico, Local Colorado Bar Associations and Tribal Land Organizations.

When she isn’t driving to a remote location for in-person services or assisting a family in distress, Maria Jose is spending time with her children (5) and husband, crocheting or attending to her plants to balance her appreciation for the beauty of simple things and her ability to support those individuals involved in complex situations.

Matt Nykiel

Matt Nykiel is an attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center, where he works to address the incompatibility of fossil fuels and a stable climate. Since graduating from the University of Colorado Law School, he has worked on environmental issues in the Northern Rockies, in Idaho and Montana, and in the Southwest, in Colorado and New Mexico, on topics including water and air quality, electric utility generation, federal oil and gas leasing, and forest stewardship. Matt was raised in Colorado Springs and lives with his partner, daughter, and pup (Frisbee) in Salida, the homeland of Indigenous Peoples including the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) and Tséstho’e (Cheyenne). Matt feels fortunate for the love and support of his family and friends, near and far.

Matthew Skeen

Matthew Skeen was born and raised in Colorado and received both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder. Admitted to the bar in 2013, he clerked for a year for the Honorable Dennis A. Graham on the Colorado Court of Appeals. After clerking he practiced at Skeen & Skeen, P.C. where he joined his father, mother, and brother representing debtors, creditors, and trustees in bankruptcy litigation. In 2021 he started working part-time for the CBA as a Program Attorney and designed, launched, and managed the bankruptcy component of the Federal Pro Se Clinic. Following a 2023 sabbatical in Busan, South Korea, Matt returned to assume responsibility as Managing Attorney of the FPSC. In addition to Korea, Matt has lived in Chile, Spain, and Germany. He enjoys spending time in the mountains and cooking for his wife and three sons.

Lane Towery

Lane Towery is a Carr Fellow at the Colorado Attorney General's Office, where he works on appeals and trial matters of all kinds. His work has often focused on constitutional issues and issues affecting children, like defending the Colorado universal pre-K program's non-discrimination requirement from a constitutional challenge and serving on the trial team in a multi-state MDL alleging Meta knowingly harmed young users. Before becoming a lawyer, Lane was a teacher, school founder, and school board member—all on the Navajo Nation and in Gallup, New Mexico. Lane attended Duke University and the University of New Mexico School of Law, and clerked for a federal district judge in a border courthouse in southern New Mexico. He was born in Denver and recently moved back with his wife and two daughters.