The 1891
The Colorado Women's Bar Association (CWBA) is an organization of women who inspire change, appreciate our differences, and foster a great community.
The CWBA is an active organization that provides networking events, professional education opportunities, and community-focused projects for lawyers and legal professionals with all levels of experience.
We are an organization of attorneys, judges, and law students working together to “advance women in the legal profession and women generally.” The CWBA is member-focused, providing a forum for idea exchange and learning together.
The CWBA Publications Committee works to inform members of the CWBA about activities and projects, to spur debate and member engagement on issues of special concern to women lawyers and women generally, and to recognize the achievements and contributions of women lawyers.
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Diversity and inclusion are core values for the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, and we strive to incorporate these values into all aspects of our work including advocacy, communications, workplace environment, vendor selection, hiring, promotion, and retention. We appreciate and value ideas that come from a diverse legal environment and want to bring a diversity of thought, experience, and expertise to everything we do. We believe that an inclusive bar provides an atmosphere that allows all individuals to attain their greatest potential and achieve the greatest benefits for clients.
Full terms of service and disclaimer here.
ABOUT THE CWBA
Meet The CWBA Publications Committee
Katherine Carroll
Publications & History
Committee Co-Chair
Katherine is an associate attorney at Antommaria Ilevska Elder, LLC where she practices family and probate law. She is the current co-chair of the EmpowHERment and PublisHERs committee of the CWBA, and treasurer of the Larimer County Bar association Young Lawyers Division. Katherine worked as a radio and television journalist before pursuing her law degree. She earned her B.A. in journalism and political science from the State University of New York at New Paltz in 2017 and her J.D. from Touro University in 2022. In 2023, Katherine and her partner moved to Colorado with their rescue dog, Moose.
Anna Sturges
Publications & History
Committee Co-Chair
Anna “Annie” Sturges is an active-duty veteran who litigated criminal court cases and administrative hearings for the Air Force before becoming a labor and employment attorney in the Denver office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister (previously Sherman & Howard). Her L&E practice focuses on workplace safety and health compliance pursuant to OSHA and MSHA standards. More broadly, she advises companies on compliance with state and federal labor and employment statutes and advocates for clients in all aspects of employment litigation, including defending claims of discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, WARN Act notice, and wage and hour violations. Annie graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2015 and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Bloomington, in 2018. In 2024, she was selected as the American Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Military Lawyer Award recipient for 2024 and continues to donate her time and pro bono work to support veterans through the National Veterans Legal Services Program. She has been an active member with the CWBA for years, including serving on the EmpowHERment and PublisHERs Committee since 2023.
Julia Kneeland Lazure
Under Pressure
Editor
Julia Kneeland Lazure is a partner at Kneeland & Lazure Law, LLC, where she works with individuals and families to navigate major changes in their lives, so they can have peace of mind and plan for their futures in the areas of estate planning, business law, and family law. She graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law, and prior to joining Kneeland & Lazure Law, LLC, Julia worked at Denver District Court as the Family Court Facilitator and served as a judicial law clerk. In addition to volunteering with the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, Julia serves on the planning committee for the Alternative Dispute Resolution Annual Continuing Legal Education Conference; volunteer guest lectures and provides trainings at Denver District Court; and is the Immediate Past President of the Junior League of Denver, a women’s training and civic leadership organization.
Maria Brooks
Inside the CWBA
Editor
Maria L. Brooks is our favorite Denver Broncos fan. She’s a certified paralegal since 2003 and is a CWBA member at the allied professional level. She currently works remotely part-time as an executive assistant for a cannabis attorney in California, and full time as a legal assistant for Icenogle, Seaver, Pogue in the Denver Tech Center where the attorneys on staff serve as general counsel for over 200 cities, towns, districts, and highway authorities across the state of Colorado. Maria is a captain of multitasking, scheduling wizard, and workflow guru with over 20 years of experience in the legal field. When not playing fantasy football, she enjoys spending her time volunteering as a sponsor at local churches in the Aurora area to help young women recover from drug and alcohol addiction.
Rachel Crass
Case Law Updates
Editor
Rachel Crass is in her final year of law school at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, where she is pursuing certificates in International Legal Studies and Constitutional Rights and Remedies. As an elite athlete representative for an Olympic sport for fourteen years and the Colorado state chairperson for another international sport, Rachel's focus is primarily on international sports law and remedying human rights violations related to the Olympic and Paralympic movement for women, LGBTQ, disabled, and persecuted athletes in the United States and worldwide. Outside of law school, Rachel is an employee with the City and County of Denver and lives in Arvada with her husband, three children, and a menagerie of furry, scaly, and finned friends.
Kate Noble
Professional Spotlight
Editor
Kate Noble is a CWBA Publications Committee member and a legal editor with Colorado Bar Association CLE, the nonprofit educational arm of the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations.
Hanna Yearout
Outside the Law
Editor
Hanna Yearout currently works as a legal assistant for Ogborn Mihm, LLP and a 2L at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law starting the Fall of 2020. She obtained her bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Colorado - Boulder. During her undergraduate studies she attended the School of International Training in Geneva, Switzerland where her thesis was "Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict: Consequences of a Pervasive Yet Invisible Reality." On her free time, Hanna also actively serve as a Wish Granter for Make-A-Wish Colorado, visiting with wish kids to help determine his or her one true wish and working with wish families throughout the wish process.
Amy Petri Beard
Book Club
Leader
Amy Petri Beard is currently employed with the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office as a Senior Deputy District Attorney. She is a 2016 COBALT graduate, on the Colorado Bar Association’s High School Mock Trial Committee, is one of the Adams / Broomfield Bar Association’s representatives for the Colorado Bar Association Board of Governors, and is the current co-chair of the CWBA Judicial committee. She previously served on the Adams / Broomfield Bar Association Executive Board, was the Adams / Broomfield Regional Mock Trial Coordinator, and has served on the Broomfield Library Board. In her spare time, you’ll find her working out, reading, or spending time with her family (especially her grandson). She also enjoys volunteering as a tutor with Reading Partners Colorado, an organization devoted to assist students in low-income schools master basic reading skills.