After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder where Kelsey earned her B.S. in Business Administration and Human Resource Management, Kelsey worked as a paralegal in Denver igniting her love of law. Her passion for helping individuals and families through challenging times has been persistent throughout her career and motivated her to further pursue a legal career.
Attending law school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law she received pro bono Honors and was repeatedly on the Dean’s list. Kelsey also traveled to The Hague, Netherlands to study international criminal law. She interned and volunteered for the Midwest Innocence Project, representing individuals with actual innocence claims through investigation and preparation of Habeas Corpus petitions and acting as a Board Member. Kelsey interned with the Missouri State Public Defender Trial Division and the Western District of Missouri Federal Public Defender. Kelsey also spent a semester as a research assistant for the Wrongful Convictions Clinic and as President for the Midwest Innocence Project Student Organization.
As a young lawyer, Kelsey worked in Colorado Springs as a Deputy Public Defender with the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office where she litigated over 50 felony and misdemeanor trials. Those trials included misdemeanor and felony domestic violence matters, DUI’s, aggravated robberies, and both drug misdemeanors and felonies. In addition to trial experience, Kelsey has litigated a number of constitutional motions hearings and written several appellate briefs. In 2019 Kelsey received the Professional of the Year award from ARC of the Pikes Peak Region for the work and assistance she provided for her intellectually and developmentally disabled clients.
Since entering private practice, Kelsey’s representation has focused much on domestic violence matters due to the interconnectedness with divorce and child custody matters. Kelsey strongly emphasizes mitigating information to the prosecutor’s office, ensuring the prosecutor’s office knows who her client is as an individual rather than a case number to obtain favorable plea resolutions or dismissals.
In 2019 Kelsey received the Professional of the Year award from ARC of the Pikes Peak Region for the work and assistance she provided for her intellectually and developmentally disabled clients. Kelsey has advanced conversational and legal Spanish-speaking skills and enjoys communicating with clients and members of the community with Spanish as their first language.
Education
Law School: University of Missouri–Kansas City
Undergraduate: University of Colorado, Boulder
Associations
Colorado Bar Association
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel
Chi Omega
Delta Sigma Pi