Meet your Denver Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Division Executive Council
Jim Fogg is a Denver native and currently serves as a judicial law clerk for the Hon. James S. Casebolt of the Colorado Court of Appeals. He began his clerkship after graduating from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2014. During law school Jim was a member of the National Trial Team, served as an Articles Editor for the Water Law Review, and advocated on behalf of clients in DU’s Environmental Law Clinic. He received his undergraduate degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder. In his spare time, you will find Jim spending time with his fiancé, Becca, fly-fishing a mountain stream, or searching for his golf ball.
Dear DBA Young Lawyers,
For the next few months we are going to spotlight a member of the DBA-YLD Executive Council every other week. We have a wonderful dedicated group this year, as each year, and we would like to introduce ourselves to you all. Please feel free to contact us with comments or concerns and please do come up and introduce yourselves at any of our events, we are always happy to chat.
Where are you from?
I was born in Denver and raised in Littleton, Colorado. As a result, I oftentimes wonder whether I could pull off the “Don’t Hassle Me, I’m Local” t-shirt Bill Murray made famous in “What About Bob?”
Where did you go to undergrad and law school?
As a Coloradan, I could never convince myself the grass was greener anywhere else. I traveled a few miles north to attend CU-Boulder for undergrad then returned to my home town and went to law school at the University of Denver.
Where are you working and what is your practice area?
I had the good fortune of clerking for the Honorable James S. Casebolt on the Colorado Court of Appeals right after law school. Now that my clerkship has ended, I plan to start as an associate at Reilly Pozner, LLP at the end of July, specializing in litigation and trial work.
What led you to that practice area?
Several people. My dad, Mark Fogg, practiced as a trial lawyer for over 25 years. He instilled in me a deep appreciation for the selfless role a lawyer takes when representing a client at trial. The attorney-coaches of the National Trial Team at DU Law taught me the fun of dissecting and presenting a case. And the lawyers at Reilly Pozner (where I clerked during law school) have shown me the profound impact a favorable litigation result can make in a client’s life.
Any advice for other, young lawyers?
Set goals for yourself. Whether it’s on a daily basis, yearly basis, or years out, I have found it incredibly important to envision what you want to achieve and to establish a timeline by which you expect to achieve it. Some of those goals should be concrete and attainable (i.e. I will have a draft of this section of my brief done by noon). Others can be more abstract and flexible (i.e. I would like to hold a position on ___ board/committee/team in ___ years). If you set a long term and seemingly complex goal, break it into smaller “sub-goals” that can be more readily achieved. And, although they should be calculated, I believe you must take risks to achieve certain goals.
If you weren’t a lawyer, you’d be?
A fly-fishing guide. There are very few things I enjoy more than standing on a stream somewhere in the Rocky Mountains casting to rising fish. And I love sharing that experience with others, whether they are longtime fly-fisher or brand new to the sport.
Social media network of choice? Contact information?
I like using LinkedIn to stay connected to the people I have met throughout my career. I also enjoy catching glimpses of the adventures people take on Instagram. Best way to get a hold of me is through email — james.e.fogg@gmail.com.
On your desk right now:
As I write this, I am in between my clerkship and my position at Reilly Pozner. As a result, I have been working from a mobile desk (i.e. my iPhone).
Most random job you have ever had:
One day in college, a roommate of mine said that he had just met a woman in a coffee shop who was going to give him a job building trails. I called her up and spent the next two summers building hiking and biking trails around Boulder and Steamboat Springs. The job basically consisted of moving large boulders to build retention walls, water diversion barriers, and staircases. It was the most physically demanding job I ever had, but a fantastic way to get in shape and enjoy the outdoors.
Want to know more about Jim? Contact him at james.e.fogg@gmail.com.
