Melissa was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1968. She attended Colorado State University (graduating in 1990 with a B.A. in Political Science) and obtained her law degree from the University of Denver in 1994, where she served as an Editor on the Denver Journal of International Law and was a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Estate and Gift Taxation. Melissa studied overseas and attended the University of London while serving as an intern in the House of Commons in London, England in 1990. Melissa has been practicing in the areas of estate and trust administration and litigation, guardianships and conservatorships, and estate planning since early 1995. In addition to practicing in these areas, Melissa regularly acts as a private fiduciary in the capacities of personal representative, trustee and conservator and is also the Public Administrator for the City and County of Denver. She is a member of the Colorado (Trust and Estate Section - Council Member 2007-2008) and Denver Bar Associations and is a regular speaker on trust and estate related issues and has authored several articles on related subjects. Melissa is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, the Colorado Bar Foundation, has an AV rating with Martindale Hubbell, and is recognized in the Best Lawyers in America.

Admissions:
Colorado 1994

Education:
University of Denver School of Law, J.D., 1994
Colorado State University, B.A., Political Science, 1990

Experience
City and County of Denver, Deputy Public Administrator
Managing Editor, Denver Journal of International Law 1993-1994
Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award, Estate and Gift Tax, Fall, 1993

Membership: Colorado Bar Association
Denver Bar Association
American Bar Association

Peer Recognition: