Katherine Ellis

I was born in Washington, D.C and then spent five years in Germany as an army brat. When we finally moved to the States, we moved to Minnesota, where I was lucky enough to grow up right on the Mississippi River.

I earned a double major in International Affairs and Foreign Languages from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Although I loved the Pacific Northwest, I could not resist the pull of the mountains and moved to Colorado for graduate school.

I competed in speech and debate throughout high school and college, and finally decided I should try law school. The University of Denver was the perfect choice for me because I could earn my master's degree in international studies along with my law degree and because it gave me an excuse to live in Colorado. 

While in law school, I focused on learning practical skills by participating in moot court, interning with a district court judge, and working in the Environmental Law Clinic. I competed in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition for three years and the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition for two years. I was an editor for the Denver Journal of International Law & Policy for three years, serving as Sutton Colloquium Editor and then as Editor-in-Chief. While I was earning my Juris Doctor, I also earned a masters of arts in international studies from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

After graduating, I clerked at the Colorado Court of Appeals for the Honorable Russell Carparelli for one year before entering private practice. While in private practice, I have focused almost exclusively on family law cases. I find family law particularly fulfilling because it allows me to assist clients with difficult, deeply personal issues. As an attorney, I believe it is important to use my training and knowledge to help my clients achieve fair and reasonable results in their cases. I also feel strongly that it is our duty as attorneys to provide our clients with realistic expectations about their cases. I always remember that, for my clients, the case at hand is very important to their lives and those of their children.

In my free time, I enjoy taking advantage of the many beautiful outdoor opportunities that Colorado provides - especially skiing and playing in the mountains. I volunteer through the Colorado Appellate Pro Bono project and continue to support public speaking programs for students. I am currently serving as a vice-chair of the International Law Section of the Colorado Bard Association. Since 2011, I have been honored to serve as the Regional Administrator for the Rocky Mountain Region of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, which is the largest moot court competition in the world. I am also on the board of the Council for American Students in International Negotiations (CASIN).