Professional Associations & Leadership Positions

El Paso County Family Law Section (Chair 2006 - 2008)

Colorado Bar Association Family Law Section Executive Council (Elected to 2-year term in 2008).

El Paso County Bar Association (Elected to Board of Trustees in 2008. Membership Chair 2006 - 2008, Web Site Chair 2007 - Present)

Ben Wendelken American Inn of Court (Executive Committee 2005 - 2009)

Colorado Bar Association

Bar Membership

Colorado Supreme Court

U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals

California Supreme Court (1991-2008)

Professional Experience

Family Law Attorney (2000 - Present). Formerly a sole practitioner, now a member of Black & Graham, LLC who focuses exclusively on Colorado Springs divorce & family law. Represented hundreds of clients in all aspects of their Colorado divorce and paternity cases, both at the initial trial and for post-decree matters.

Senior Trial Counsel (1998 - 2000). Supervised cases of six prosecutors in Army's busiest jurisdiction, prosecuted major crimes as JAG officer at Fort Carson, Colorado, including contested rape, kidnapping, larceny, drugs. Was lead prosecutor for two high-profile first degree murder trials. Deployed to Hungary & Bosnia in 1998.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (1996 - 1998). Prosecuted, in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, civilian offenses involving Fort Carson, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

Trial Defense Counsel (1994 - 1996). Defended numerous contested trials as JAG officer at Fort Hood, Texas and other installations, including attempted murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery, larceny, graft, drug distribution and assault. Won full acquittals in several cases. Deployed to Haiti in 1995 as the sole defense counsel in theater.

Trial Counsel (1993 - 1994). Successfully prosecuted child sexual assault, larceny, assault, drug distribution, and others as JAG officer at Fort Hood, Texas.

Legal Assistance Attorney (1992 - 1993). Represented hundreds of clients in family law, such as divorce, paternity, child custody, child support, and other areas of the law, as JAG officer at Fort Hood, Texas.

Education

UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, California
1991 - J.D. (top 15% of class).
Associate Editor, UCLA Environmental Law Journal.
American Jurisprudence Award for Business Associations.
Intern for U.S. District Judge Wm. Matthew Byrne, Jr. (Central District California) 1990.
Summer Associate at McKenna, Conner & Cuneo, Los Angeles, California 1990.
Summer Clerk at Westside Legal Services, Santa Monica, California 1989.

University of Southampton, England
1988 - B.Sc. (Honors), Politics and International Studies.
Captain, University debating team.
Chairman, University of Southampton Conservative Society