Zeyen Wu
Member Spotlight
May 2024
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Zeyen Wu is a native Chicagoan who has lived in all four time zones in the contiguous United States. He has called Denver home for over a decade.
Hometown: Chicago
Law School: UCLA School of Law
Lives in: Denver
Works at: US Attorney’s Office
Practice Areas: Affirmative civil rights cases/investigations—Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Housing Act, discrimination against servicemembers/veterans, public accommodations discrimination, language access
CBA Member Since: To be honest, I’m a government lawyer, so on and off throughout the years!
Pronouns: He/Him/His
What are you passionate about?
Justice. It’s corny, but my one plug for my employer is that the vast majority of people who work for the Department of Justice want to do the right thing, get the right result, and put principles over personal gain, recognition, or short-sighted outcomes. Sometimes high-profile matters give the DOJ a bad reputation, but those are not representative of the work we do day in and day out.
If you weren’t a lawyer, you’d be:
In the NBA. Coming out of high school at 5´8̋ and about 135 pounds, I was a lock for the draft, but I just thought, I’ll be giving up the potential of having an extremely fulfilling legal career.
Social media network of choice:
As a DOJ lawyer, I’ve been completely scared off from participating in social media, so I mostly don’t. I do have LinkedIn, though, so feel free to find me and connect!
Favorite Denver restaurant:
It used to be Fruition, but I think they were hit hard by the pandemic. Safta is great, Mercantile Dining & Provision in Union Station is a favorite, and I recently went to Brutø for my birthday, which had the best bread I have ever eaten. Taking recommendations for others!
Last movie you watched:
Quiz Lady. What a fun movie, and it’s always great to see more representation of Asian Americans in the media. Sandra Oh is hilarious.
Favorite month and why:
July. Hot month.
Most random job you’ve ever had:
I was an Uber driver for a short time—this was after I was working as a lawyer. It was fun.
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
I don’t cook complicated food, but I like to make staple dishes well. One of my favorites is just plain-old apple pie—the recipe is from my mom, so it gives me nostalgia for childhood, it’s always a favorite with others, and it is so patriotic.
If I had a dime for every time I heard (blank), I’d be a rich person.
Flake rate. If you know, you know.
What’s your dream career?
Personal counsel to Taylor Swift. I’d also do work for Travis on the side if he asks nicely.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I’m blessed to have a job where I can impact people’s lives both on a direct individual level and in a larger systemic way. Anytime I resolve a case, I feel a sense of achievement.
What advice would you give a new lawyer?
Be darn sure you like the law and the practice of law. It’s probably more advice for those considering law school, but it’s not too late once you’ve graduated law school because you can do a lot of things with a JD outside of practicing law.
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