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kswan@kghllaw.com
Kate Swan joined KGHL in 2003. Her practice consists of negotiating and litigating civil law and family law matters.
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Prior to coming to KGHL, she served as a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Y. Daniel. She also worked as a law clerk and Summer Associate at Jorden Burt, LLC in Washington, DC from 2001 to 2002. Prior to that, Kate was a Legislative Assistant and Legislative Correspondent for three years in the Office of U.S. Senator John F. Kerry, where she also served on the Senate Small Business Committee staff.
Kate graduated in 2003 from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was the Executive and Articles Editor for the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy. She completed her undergraduate work in 1997 at Wellesley College, where she graduated magna cum laude, earned Honors in Political Science, and was awarded the Class of 1964 Scholarship for Service with Women in Government.
Kate is a member of the Denver, Colorado, and American Bar Associations, as well as the Women’s Bar Association, and the Hispanic Bar Association. She is active on the board of the Young Advocates Network of the Colorado Lawyers’ Committee, and recently completed the Downtown Denver Partnership’s leadership program.
Kate enjoys traveling, skiing, bicycling, and shoe shopping, and lives in Denver’s Stapleton neighborhood with her fiancée, Bryan, and their dogs Valentine and Murphy.
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I have represented clients in negotiations, mediation, and litigation involving issues of maintenance, property division, and child support. I have also provided counsel and represented clients seeking to modify or obtain restraining orders.
Represented a client in his appeal of the Colorado Division of Labor's denial of unemployment compensation.
Represented client seeking payment of credit life insurance benefits in negotiations with insurance company.
Represented client in his appeal of the Colorado Division of Labor's denial of unemployment compensation.
Worked with team of attorneys representing plaintiff in section 1983 case involving use of excessive force by members of a local police department.
Served as co-counsel for student accused of sexual assault by another student.
Represented immigrant clients seeking to obtain overtime pay owed them by their former employer.
Metro Volunteer Lawyers Family Law Court Program: represented pro bono domestic relations clients with issues involving marriage dissolution, child custody, child support, maintenance and property division.
- Kelly Garnsey Hubbell + Lass LLC (Denver, Colorado): Associate, 2004-present; Law Clerk, 2003
- U.S. District Court, Colorado: Law Clerk for Judge Wiley Y. Daniel, 2003-2004.
- Jorden Burt, LLC (Washington, D.C.): Law Clerk and Summer Associate, 2001-2002.
- United States Senate: Legislative Assistant and Correspondent for Senator John F. Kerry, serving on both the Senator's personal staff and the Small Business Committee staff, 1997-2000.
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 2003
Honors: Articles Editor of Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy, Fall 2001;
Articles and Executive Editor, Spring 2002
B.A., Wellesley College, 1997, magna cum laude
Honors:
Honors in Political Science; Awarded the Class of 1964 Scholarship for Service with Women in Government
Admitted to practice in Colorado, United States District Court for the District of Colorado.
- Denver, Colorado, and American Bar Associations: Member.
- American Trial Lawyers Association: Member.
- Women's Bar Association and Hispanic Bar Association: Member.
- East High School (Denver Public Schools): Volunteer, A+ Angels mentoring and tutoring program.
- Served as poll watcher during 2004 presidential election.
Conversational Spanish; can muddle through in Italian.
What do you like best about your job?
I like helping people get through difficult situations. I also really like working with this group of talented and fun individuals. This is a really collaborative environment – we work together to come up with creative solutions to unusual problems, and we have a good time while we do it.
What’s your favorite thing about living in Denver/Colorado?
Denver is home! My family has been in Colorado for many, many generations, and I cannot imagine living anywhere else.
Name one co-worker whom you would not want to face in a trial, and explain why.
I would not want to face any of my co-workers, but I especially would not want to face Woody Garnsey in trial. Woody has an incredible ability to remember minute details and figures, and he is great at oral argument.
If you were something other than an attorney, what would you be?
A high school social studies teacher.
Name the last great book you read.
Plainsong by Kent Haruf.
What was your favorite class in law school, and why?
Religion and the Law, which was taught by a Baptist minister and a rabbi, who were both excellent instructors. We never did get a priest to come in to complete the circle, which was too bad because Georgetown was crawling with them. The class was great because the subject matter is incredibly pertinent in today’s political landscape.
Favorite comic strip?
Calvin and Hobbes. No doubt. I love how that kid views the world. I wish Gary Watterson would revive the strip.
What is your favorite movie about lawyers, and why?
I really like The Verdict with Paul Newman. I love how he takes this case hoping to get a quick settlement, but then discovers that he still has the integrity, conviction, and gumption to fight a hard fight for justice against a tough, and deep-pocketed opponent. What a great film.
Who would win in an office arm-wrestling contest?
I hate to admit it, but probably Jerremy. He’s the youngest and the sneakiest.
What was your proudest moment as a lawyer?
It wasn’t a particularly glorious moment, but I was probably happiest when a motion for summary judgment, combined with a motion for sanctions, both of which I wrote, turned the tide of the case and led to a favorable settlement for my client.
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