Managing Partner

laura@spark-law.com

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Laura Wolf is the founding partner of Spark Justice Law LLC. Her practice includes advocating on behalf of individuals suffering from abuses of their civil rights, including persons whose liberties are lost at the hands of the police and other government officials, employees facing discrimination in the workplace, tenants and homeowners suffering from housing discrimination, and sexual assault survivors. Prior to forming Spark Justice Law LLC, Laura was a partner at a prominent civil rights firm in Denver, Colorado.

Laura graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University in 2008 and cum laude from Harvard Law School in May 2013. Laura previously served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable R. Brooke Jackson on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.

In 2019, Laura launched a new project committed to helping others establish a career in the civil rights legal community called Spark Justice Careers, LLC. You can learn more the project at their website.

LEGAL VICTORIES & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Laura has devoted her career to advocating for individuals suffering from abuses of their civil rights. In her first case, Laura helped secure a nearly $4,000,000 jury verdict on behalf of a woman who had been sexually assaulted by her employer, obtaining legal victories on numerous matters of first impression. Laura’s legal briefing resulted in the court awarding an additional $2.1 million judgment in punitive damages.

In June 2020, Laura worked with a team of advocates to draft a Motion for Temporary Restraining Order to stop the use of excessive force by the Denver Police Department against non-violent demonstrators in the wake of the George Floyd protests. She led oral argument on the Motion, which was ultimately granted with sweeping directives to curb the use of such force. Days later, state legislators adopted language from the TRO into the historic Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity bill that was passed by the Colorado General Assembly just one week later.

In addition to her courtroom skills, Laura has utilized her legal acumen to secure sizable settlements and significant policy changes on behalf of her clients. Laura’s work on a systemic race discrimination case against the Fort Collins Police Department resulted in the creation of an independent Equal Employment Opportunity Office for use by any officer suffering from discrimination in the workplace, as well as an agreement that the city would take steps to achieve a workforce reflecting the diversity of the community it serves. In a case against a private employer, Laura was able to secure the restoration of religious rights in the workplace after representing approximately 140 individual employees in their Title VII discrimination claims. Laura’s participation in sexual assault cases on school campuses has resulted in significant changes to the reporting and investigation of suspected child abuse by K12 schools within the State of Colorado.

Laura is incredibly active within the larger legal community, serving on the Board of the Lawyers’ Civil Rights Coalition and the Rocky Mountain Victim Law Center (“RMvlc”). In her role as Immediate Past Chair of the RMvlc Board, Laura helps to ensure the organization can continue to serve the needs of the many crime victims it interacts with each day, including victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. As a member of the Colorado Women Bar Association’s Public Policy Committee, Laura actively took part in drafting the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, which was passed and signed into law during the 2019 Legislative Session, as well as its amendments that were signed into law during the 2023 Session. In 2020, Laura spent the legislative session advocating for a change to our housing discrimination laws to protect our immigrant population.

Laura is also working to expand access to the civil rights community here in Colorado. Laura has led the charge in planning numerous CLE programs regarding immigration, employment, and disability rights, organizing a Meet & Greet event for law students and lawyers looking to practice in civil rights, and volunteering for and promoting the Federal Pro Se Clinic and the Federal Limited Appearance Program at the Alfred A. Arraj Courthouse.

Laura graduated as a member of the 2019 COBALT class, an interactive leadership training program designed specifically for lawyers with demonstrated leadership skills and commitment to the legal community. In 2020, the Colorado Bar Association honored Laura with the Gary McPherson Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award.

In the 2021-2022 academic year, Laura became an adjunct professor at the DU Sturm College of Law. In this role, Laura constructed and taught a civil rights seminar entitled Civil Rights Lawyering focused on the ways in which our legal system is failing to protect the civil rights of our community and efforts to create long lasting change.

NOTABLE VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS

• Prairie Middle School Students v. Cherry Creek School District (Title IX, sexual assault in education) -- $11.5 million

• Wilson v. Pauling, et al., 2013cv35298, (Denver Dist. Ct. 2013) (sexual assault and employment discrimination) -- $6.3 million

• Said Ali, et al. v. Cargill Meat Solutions & Teamsters Local No. 455 (religion, race, and national origin discrimination) -- $1.65 million

• McFadden, et al. v. Meeker Housing Authority, et al., 16-cv-2304 (D. Colo. 2016) (housing discrimination and retaliation) -- $1 million

• Jane Doe v. XYZ Corporation (sexual abuse and trafficking) -- $1.35 million

• Jane Doe v. XYZ Corporation & Individuals (sexual abuse and assault) -- $850,000

• Estate of Andrew Byrd v. City of Pueblo (excessive force, officer shooting) -- $600,000

• Jane Doe v. XYZ Entities & Individuals (sexual assault, Title IX, negligence) -- $565,000

• Pedestrian v. City & County of Denver & John Logue (Denver District Court) (police negligence, personal injury) -- $521,816

• John Doe v. XYZ Non-Profit (sexual abuse, negligent supervision) -- $468,010

• Araujo, et al. v. City of Fort Collins, et al., 16-cv-00966-RBJ (D. Colo. 2016) (systemic race and national origin discrimination) -- $425,000

• Jane Doe v. XYZ Corporation (sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, Title VII) – $350,000

• Jane Doe v. XYZ Corporation (unpaid bonuses and commissions) -- $250,000

• John Doe v. XYZ Corporation (unpaid wages, disability discrimination) -- $250,000

• John Doe v. XYZ Corporation (disability discrimination and retaliation) -- $205,000

• Contreras, et al. v. Rent-Rite Super Kegs West, et al., 16-cv-01737-CBS (D. Colo. 2016) (wage theft; race and national origin discrimination) -- $200,000

• Two Women v. XYZ Private College (Title IX, sexual abuse in education, negligent supervision): $197,500

• Anecdote LLC v. Bannock RE Partners and Gerard (“Jerry”) Maglio, JAG Arbitration (2018) (business fraud, unjust enrichment) -- $182,688

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

• Gary McPherson Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award, 2020 – Colorado Bar Association, Young Lawyers’ Division

• CTLA Case of the Year Award Winner

  • 2021: Abay, et al. v. City & County of Denver

• CTLA Case of the Year Award Finalist

  • 2020: McFadden, et al. v. Meeker Housing Authority, et al. (lead counsel)

  • 2017: Rai v. St. Vrain Valley School District

• The Best Lawyers in America, Civil Rights Law & Employment Law – 2022; Best Law Firms – 2022

• 5280 Magazine, Top Lawyers, Civil Rights Litigation – 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023; Employment Law – 2021, 2022, 2023

• Colorado Rising Star, Employment Litigation – 2018-2020

• Colorado Bar Association Leadership Training (“COBALT”) Program, Class of 2019; Sessions Committee 2020

• Towards Justice 2023 Wage Justice Champion

• Barrister’s Best Award: Employment Lawyer for Plantiffs - 2023

• Avvo Clients Choice Award - 2023

• 5280 Magazine Top Lawyer 2024

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• Rocky Mountain Victim Law Center, Immediate Past Chair, Board of Directors

• Colorado Bar Association, Civil Rights Section Executive Council (2018-2021), Chair (2018-2019)

• Lawyers’ Civil Rights Coalition, Board Member

• Colorado Women’s Bar Association, former Board Member & Public Policy Committee Co-Chair

• Women’s Foundation of Colorado, Empowerment Council

• Colorado Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section Member

• Colorado Trial Lawyers Association

• Colorado Women Trial Lawyers Network

• Denver Bar Association

PUBLICATIONS

• Wolf & Herod: Colorado’s Trailblazing Law Enforcement Integrity Law: What It Does, and What Is Left to Be Done, Trial Talk (October/November 2020)

• Wolf & Swain: Accommodation and Disability Rights for Workers in the Midst of a Pandemic and Beyond, Trial Talk (June/July 2020)

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

• Pedestrian v. City & County of Denver and Officer John Logue (Denver District Court 2021) (Police Negligence, Personal Injury)

• Abay, et al. v. City & County of Denver, 20-cv-1616 (D. Colo. 2020) (Police Excessive Force)

• Prairie Middle School Students v. Cherry Creek School District (Education) (2018)

• United States v. Glaub, 16-cr-184 (D. Colo. 2016), 17-1182 (10th Cir. 2017) (First Amendment)

• East High School Cheerleaders v. Denver Public Schools (Education) (2017)

• Estate of Andrew Byrd v. City of Pueblo (Excessive Force – Officer Shooting) (2017)

• McFadden, et al. v. Meeker Housing Authority, et al., 16-cv-2304 (D. Colo. 2016) (Disability Discrimination in Housing, Retaliation)

• Araujo, et al. v. City of Fort Collins, et al., 16-cv-00966-RBJ (D. Colo. 2016) (Systemic Race and National Origin Discrimination, Retaliation)

• Contreras, et al. v. Rent-Rite Super Kegs West, et al., 16-cv-01737-CBS (D. Colo. 2016) (Race and National Origin Discrimination, Wage Theft)

• Said Ali, et al. v. Cargill Meat Solutions & Teamsters Local No. 455 (Religion, Race, and National Origin Discrimination) (2016)

• Wilson v. Pauling, et al., 2013cv35298, (Denver Dist. Ct. 2013) (Assault, Battery, Intentional Interference with Contract, and Employment Discrimination)

BAR ADMISSIONS

• Colorado

• U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

• Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

EDUCATION

• Harvard Law School, JD 2013, cum laude

• Brandeis University, BA 2008, magna cum laude

Attorney

erin@spark-law.com

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Erin Vanek is an attorney at Spark Justice Law LLC. A graduate of the University of Colorado School of Law Class of 2022, Erin initially worked for Spark Justice Law as an intern during the summer of 2021. Her experience at the firm further cemented her passion for civil rights law and her dedication to trauma-informed care in legal practice, and we were delighted to have her join the team full-time after graduation.

As a student attorney for the University of Colorado’s Juvenile and Family Law Clinic, Erin represented indigent clients in both criminal and civil court, where she gained experience in custody disputes, addiction and housing issues, juvenile criminal rehabilitation, and immigration law. Erin also interned for the Office for Civil Rights within the Department of Health and Human Services, where she worked with individuals who experienced discrimination at the hands of health care professionals or whose privacy rights had been violated. During law school, Erin completed over 250 hours of legal work in fulfillment of the Public Service Pledge, most of which involved civil rights cases and representation.

While in law school, Erin’s passion for civil rights was evident in her extensive involvement in advocacy both inside and outside the classroom. Erin was the president of OUTLaw, a student organization dedicated to providing professional, social, and academic support for LGBTQ+ law students and raising awareness for legal issues involving LGBTQ+ individuals. She is also the co-founder and former vice president of the Colorado Disability Justice Alliance, which is committed to improving and resolving access needs for current and future disabled law students, as well as encouraging student engagement of disability rights and law. In her final year of law school, Erin was a fellow with the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law, which is dedicated to expanding public knowledge and informed discussion about constitutional matters. Erin has also written extensively about the impact of sexual violence on various minority communities, especially the effect of discrimination on the reporting and investigation process.

Since joining Spark Justice, Erin has represented clients in a broad range of civil rights cases, including individuals who have been discriminated against in their employment or housing due to disability, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity; those who have experienced police violence; and survivors of sexual assault. Erin’s particular areas of interest are the pursuit of justice for survivors of sexual violence and the protection of the LGBTQ+ community, especially the intersection of LGBTQ+ and religious rights.

Outside of work, Erin has been actively involved in the Colorado LGBTQ Bar Association since her first year of law school and has served on its Board of Directors for over two years. Following the Club Q shooting, Erin spearheaded the bar association’s response by creating a database of pro bono legal services available for victims of violence against the LGBTQ+ community and their families and helping to coordinate a CLE on how communities can heal from trauma in the wake of violence.

Prior to law school, Erin graduated from American University in 2015 with a degree in International Relations with a focus on the Middle East.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• Colorado LGBTQ Bar Association, Board of Directors & Public Policy Committee Member

• Colorado Bar Association

• Colorado Women’s Bar Association

• Lawyers’ Civil Rights Coalition

ACADEMIC LECTURING & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

• Healing in the Wake of Community Trauma – Panelist – Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program & Colorado LGBT Bar Association (January 25, 2023)

• The 30th Annual Ira C. Rothgerber Conference: Looking Back to Move Forward: Exploring the Legacy of U.S. Slavery, Panel 1: Institutional Complicity in U.S. Slavery; the Role of the Judiciary and Higher Education – Moderator – University of Colorado Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law (April 14, 2022)

• ‘Moonlight’ Discussion Panel – University of Colorado OUTLaw, Colorado LGBT Bar Association, American Constitutional Society, & Colorado Center for Legal Inclusiveness (December 3, 2020)

BAR ADMISSIONS

• Colorado

• U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

EDUCATION

• University of Colorado School of Law, JD 2022

• American University, BA 2015

Attorney

steve@spark-law.com

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Steve Shaw is an attorney at Spark Justice Law LLC. Prior to joining the firm in 2021, Steve spent nearly four years as an associate at Goodwin Procter, LLP in Washington, DC. His practice focused on complex civil litigation and appellate litigation. While there, he developed a substantial pro bono practice. In particular, Steve played a major role in two class action suits challenging USCIS policies on constitutional and administrative law grounds, securing a preliminary injunction and surviving multiple dispositive motions. Steve’s pro bono work has also focused on protecting the rights of prisoners and other disadvantaged individuals, including multiple deliberate indifference prison cases and one housing discrimination case on behalf of a transgender evictee.

Steve has experience driving cases through the entire process of litigation, both on behalf of individual plaintiffs and in class action suits intended to make a policy impact. His work on behalf of individual plaintiffs has focused on the fields of complex business litigation, employment discrimination, constitutional rights, sex abuse (including Title IX), disability discrimination, and police excessive force. Steve has also worked extensively in the appellate context, authoring several amicus curiae briefs and drafting or contributing substantially to numerous appellate briefs. Steve has previously argued and won remand in an appeal in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals relating to a prisoner’s First Amendment and Equal Protection right to wear a religiously mandated beard without residing in solitary confinement, and he has appeared on several briefs filed with the U.S. Supreme Court.

From 2015 through 2017, Steve served as a law clerk for then-Chief Judge Ruben Castillo of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Steve graduated from Harvard Law School in 2015, where he served as Supervising Chair on the Harvard Law Review. As a law student, Steve interned with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in the Special Litigation Section, developing impact litigation cases relating to police practices and disability discrimination. Steve graduated summa cum laude with a degree in philosophy from Fordham University in 2009, and he received a Master’s Degree in philosophy from Fordham University in 2010.

PUBLICATIONS

• 129 Harv. L. Rev. 1090 (2016) (arguing that 28 U.S.C. § 2255’s statute of limitations on federal habeas corpus petitions violates the Suspension Clause)

• 128 Harv. L. Rev. 261 (2014) (discussing Kaley v. United States, 134 S. Ct. 1090)

• 127 Harv. L. Rev. 1059 (2014) (arguing that cell phone searches should not be permitted under the search-incident-to-arrest warrant exception)

BAR ADMISSIONS

• Colorado

• New York

• U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

• U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

• Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

• Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

EDUCATION

• Harvard Law School, JD 2015

• Fordham University, MA 2010

• Fordham University, BA 2009 – summa cum laude, in cursu honorum