| Shortly before I was born, my father was diagnosed with terminal heart disease. He held on though and ultimately died when I was 16 months old. When my mother went back to teach in a public school outside of Detroit, we faced our share of struggle, but we didn't fall through the cracks. We benefited from family, our community and, critically, the social safety net.
We also had the support of family here in Colorado, where we would often come to visit my bubbe, aunties, uncles and cousins. That spirit of resilience, commitment to family, and value of community is built into the core of the progressive I am today.
I'm fortunate that despite early hardships, the system worked for us. My sister and I were able to go to good public schools and, ultimately, I got to attend the University of Michigan as a political science major. I went to law school in Chicago where I was able to work for Judge Anne C. Williams on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. It was also at that time that I reconnected with a crush from my childhood named Johanna, who I'm now proud to call my wife.
After graduating I worked as a litigator where I tried and arbitrated a range of consumer protection and landlord tenant matters. I've successfully argued landmark appeals, including Robins v. Spokeo, Inc., 742 F.3d 409 (9th Cir. 2014) and Wigod v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 673 F.3d 547 (7th. Cir. 2012), and I led the charge against the Bitcoin exchange, Mt.Gox, following its infamous $475 million collapse (see Vice News - Bankrupt Bitcoin Exchange's CEO Ordered to Face Texas Justice). I've also had the honor of serving as an adjunct law professor at my alma mater, Chicago-Kent College of Law. In 2011, just before our oldest son was born, we relocated to Colorado to be closer to family. I continued my work opening a Denver office of my firm before starting my own consumer practice in 2015.
I live in Wash Park with my wife, two sons and our dog Maisy. My wife and I are both small business owners. We're proud DPS parents where we are on the PTA and also members of Rodef Shalom. On Sunday, I assist with flag football at South High School and volunteer for a number of activist causes. I've had the honor of serving for the past several years as Co-Captain of House District 6B for the Denver Democratic Party where we have implemented true grassroots organizing to bring real and effective change to the state (and resist policies that set us back!).
Also, in the interests of full disclosure, I'm an insufferable dad joke teller, a below average speller, and a Ms. Pac man wizard. |