Arash Jahanian
Member Spotlight
November 2024
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Originally from Kansas City, Arash Jahanian landed in Denver permanently in 2012 after becoming enamored with the mountains, sunshine, and people. After a dozen years practicing civil rights, immigrant rights, and education law, he joined Colorado Legal Services in April 2024. A child of Iranian immigrants, he has always been blessed with family, including his amazing wife Veronique and their 2-year-old son Kasra.
Hometown: Kansas City, Kansas
Law School: Georgetown
Lives in: Denver
Works at: Director of Advocacy for Denver, Colorado Legal Services
Practice Areas: Consumer, Domestic Relations, Housing, Migrant Farmworker Rights, Public Benefits, Survivor Services, Tax
CBA Member Since: 2013
Pronouns: He/él
Describe yourself in five words.
I try very hard to be funny.
Why did you become a lawyer?
Being a lawyer has provided me with constant intellectual challenge and an avenue to have a positive impact. My parents left their lives behind in Iran, fleeing persecution as religious minorities, to provide every opportunity for my brother and me. I have always felt an obligation to honor their sacrifice by trying to better the lives of those who do not carry the same privilege as I do.
What is your favorite memory from law school?
My friends and I organized a mustache competition, held on the last day of finals at the end of our 1L year. Mind you, this was in 2006. Mustaches were not in. But they still looked glorious on us, and the competition brought everyone together. (Not to be forgotten, my section won the grand prize, the Commemorative Burt Reynolds Plate.)
What is one of the most positive experiences you’ve had as a lawyer?
Representing the family of Jessica Hernandez, a 16-year-old girl killed by Denver Police in 2015, was the greatest challenge and greatest reward of my legal career. For two years, we tended to a family enduring unimaginable grief while navigating complex legal and political landscapes. In the end, we achieved systemic change while avoiding divisive litigation and, most important, honored Jessie’s memory and gave all of ourselves to her family.
What do you like the most about your practice area?
I am humbled every day by my colleagues who tirelessly give of themselves to give voice to the voiceless and power to those who have nowhere else to turn, through excellent, thoughtful legal representation.
What do you wish you had learned in law school?
I had an incredible experience in law school, learning from groundbreaking civil rights professors in the shadow of the Supreme Court and Capitol Building while making great friends. But I was disappointed that there wasn’t more of an emphasis on service, ethics, and integrity.
What are you passionate about?
Rooting for the underdog.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to:
Machu Picchu.
What sport do you love to play or watch or both?
I have long been afflicted with an obsession with baseball and my Kansas City Royals. In November 2020, I convinced the Colorado Women’s Bar Association to publish my blog post about Kim Ng becoming the first woman general manager of a major North American men’s professional sports team. I also play for and help run a recreation league softball team that was started almost 50 years ago by a core group of public defenders.
What advice would you give a new lawyer?
Pick your battles. Professionalism, integrity, and kindness will only make you a better lawyer.
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