Rep. Pabon attended Holy Family when it was located in North Denver, from preschool through high school, and later earned his mechanical engineering degree at the University of Colorado. While there, his peers elected him student body president. In that role, he created a university-wide resource center for struggling and at-risk students trying to balance their lives so they could focus on their education.

After working at a startup software company, Rep. Pabon decided he wanted to help people more than machines and enrolled at the University of Colorado School of Law. As a law student, he earned several scholarships and worked for the Legal Aid and Defender Program, helping the poor and disabled obtain Social Security benefits.

After earning his law degree, Rep. Pabon worked as an attorney for five years at a Denver law firm, focusing on real estate and green building development. He became a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and a strong advocate for green technologies and investing in Colorado’s new energy economy.

Rep. Pabon left his 17th Street law firm to provide affordable legal services as a neighborhood attorney. His clients include small business owners, residents, and nonprofit organizations.

Rep. Pabon has worked on higher education issues as vice chairman of the Auraria Higher Education Center Board. He also served as captain of the House District 4 Democrats and worked for two months in 2008 on the Obama-Biden presidential transition team, helping to draft the president’s first executive order on transparency and ethics in government.