Amy C. DeVan, 0917 COBJ, Vol. 46, No. 8 Pg. 112
August, 2017
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Amy C. DeVan is a member of the Colorado Lawyer Advisory
Board. She has served on the board since July 2014 and was on the board’s redesign committee in 2016–17.
PROFILE
Hometown: Brighton, Colorado
Law School: University of Colorado
Lives in: Denver
Works at: Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell
Practice Area(s): Ethics and Professional Responsibility
CBA Member Since: 2001
Describe yourself in five words.
Strong, optimistic, happy, principled, caring.
Why did you become a lawyer?
I tell people, pretending I’m joking but I’m really not, that I graduated with a degree in history and a minor in geography, thinking that I’d like to teach but realizing too late that interacting with a room full of children on a daily basis wouldn’t really suit me. I went to the college bookstore and looked at the books for both the GRE and the LSAT. Te GRE had math; the LSAT didn’t, so law school it was!
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Be present and be engaged, and whatever you do, do your best. When I was in middle school and received a failing grade in algebra (see the answer regarding math above), my mom made me write lines over the summer 100 times every week: “I am not a failure.” It’s a pretty good motto to live by. (But don’t tell her I said that.)
What is one of the most positive experiences you’ve had as a lawyer?
When I struggled a couple of years ago with the need to change my career path, I reached out to all the lawyers I knew to talk to them about it. They, in turn, put me in touch with other lawyers they knew. Not one person I contacted turned me down or said they didn’t have time for me. They graciously gave of themselves, and it renewed my faith in my fellow lawyers and in our profession. I always try to return the favor by making time for others seeking advice.
What do you like the most about your practice area?
Engaging with other lawyers, building relationships, and learning from each other about how we can all be better at what we do every day.
What do you wish you had learned in law school?
I wish law school would teach us about managing client relationships. Law...
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