OUR TEAM
Bruce Wiener, Executive Director
Bruce is the founder and Executive Director of Bridge to Justice. He is also an attorney who practices in the areas of family law and landlord-tenant. Prior to the formation of Bridge to Justice, Bruce practiced labor and employment law and general civil litigation at a corporate law firm in New York City. After relocating to Boulder in 2009, Bruce volunteered for Boulder County Legal Services and worked as a staff attorney for the Boulder Law Shop representing modest means clients in family law and landlord-tenant matters.
Bruce is a contract attorney for Boulder County Legal Services and Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN), taking dissolution of marriage, allocation of parental responsibilities, and civil protection order cases and is a court-appointed attorney representing the mentally ill in civil commitment and involuntary medication order hearings.
Recognized on several occasions by the Boulder County Bar Association for his pro bono work, he received the Boulder County Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year Award in 2012.
Bruce founded Bridge to Justice after assisting many clients of modest means who had serious civil legal issues and were attempting unsuccessfully to represent themselves in court without a lawyer. Because many of these individuals did not qualify for legal aid, he recognized that without affordable legal representation they were unlikely to access justice in a meaningful way.
Education
Fordham University School of Law, J.D., 2008
Cornell University, B.S., School of Industrial & Labor Relations, 2005, Dean's List
Bar Admission
New Jersey, 2008
New York, 2009
Colorado, 2010
Professional Affiliations/Membership
Colorado Bar Association
Boulder County Bar Association
Boulder Interdisciplinary Committee, Board Member, 2015 - 2019
Office of Violence Against Women Safe Haven Grant, Consulting Team, 2014 - 2018
Boulder Housing Coalition, Board Member, 2011-2013
Published Cases
Parocha v. Parocha, 2018 CO 41, 17SC406 (Colo. 2018)
Speaking Engagements
Boulder County Bar Association, Family Law Section, The Changing Landscape of Civil Protection Orders, November 27, 2018
Boulder County Bar Association, Family Law and Availability of Legal Services Sections, Expanding Access to Justice in Family Law Cases: A Practical and Ethical Guide to Unbundled Legal Services, March 16, 2016
Senior Law Day, Free or Low Cost Legal Services for Boulder County Seniors, August 22, 2015
University of Colorado Law School, Professor Melissa Hart's Seminar on "Access to Justice? The Provision of Legal Services for Middle - and Low-Income People," Presentation on Bridge to Justice, March 9, 2015
Colorado Bar Association Moderate Income Task Force, Presentation on Bridge to Justice, December 9, 2014
Boulder Bench Bar Retreat, Access to Justice, October 30, 2014
Colorado Legal Resource Day, Post-Decree Family Law Issues, September 20, 2014
Boulder County Bar Association, Business Law Section, Limited Service Fee Agreements, February 4, 2014
Boulder County Bar Association, Real Estate and Availability of Legal Services Sections, Colorado Warranty of Habitability, January 19, 2011
Honors/Publications
Boulder County Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year, 2012
Boulder Interdisciplinary Committee President's Award, 2015
Colorado Supreme Court Pro Bono Legal Service Commitment and Recognition Program, 2013-2018
"The Access to Justice Problem And What Can Be Done About It," September 2014, Boulder County Bar Association Newsletter, https://www.boulder-bar.org/resources/Documents/BCBA-Newsletter-Sep-2014.pdf
Joel R. Hayes, Jr., Staff Attorney, Healthcare and Food Assistance
Employment
· Staff Attorney, Bridge to Justice, January 2019 to present
· Solo private practice: Primarily health, elder and domestic violence, May 2016 to present
· Senior Attorney and Managing Attorney, Colorado Legal Services, January 2001 to April 2016
· Senior Attorney, The Legal Center for People with Disabilities, January 1999-2001
· Managing Attorney, Colorado Rural Legal Services, March 1991 to January 1999
· Staff Attorney, Kansas Legal Services, June 1985 to March 1991
Education
· Tabor College, B.A., Hillsboro, KS, 1982
· University of Kansas, School of Law, J.D., 1985
Bar Admission
· State and Federal Courts of Colorado: July 1991 – present (Federal License Inactive)
· State and Federal Courts of Kansas: Inactive
Expertise
· Medicaid eligibility and scope of services
· Food stamp eligibility and scope of services
· Eviction defense and public housing advocacy
· Social Security, Old Age Pension, unemployment compensation and other public benefits
· Domestic violence and general civil poverty litigation
Trainer
· Medicaid and other public benefits trainings for the Colorado Bar Association, the Boulder County Bar Association and other bar associations, as well as Colorado Legal Services (CLS) staff and volunteers.
· Advocacy trainings annually for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy 2001 to present
· Adjunct faculty University of Colorado, School of Law
Publications
· CBA Colorado Lawyer and Boulder County Bar newsletter articles on Medicaid and public benefits
· CBA Practitioner’s Guide to Colorado Domestic Relations Law, Chapter on Public Benefits
Published Cases Include
· Reiff v. Colo. Dept. Health Care Policy and Financing, 148 P.3d 355 (Colo. App. 2006)
· Rigmaiden v. Colo. Dept. Health Care Policy and Financing, 155 P.3d 498 (Colo. App. 2006)
· Monez v. Reinertson, 140 P.3d 242 (Colo. App. 2006) (for Amici Curiae)
· T.L. v. Colo. Dept. Health Care Policy and Financing, 42 P.3d 63 (Colo. App. 2001)
· Velo v. Employment Solutions, 988 P.2d 1139 (Colo. App. 1998)
· Pettyjohn v. Shalala, 874 F. Supp. 305 (D. Colo. 1995); 888 F. Supp. 1065 (D. Colo.1995)
· Visser v. Taylor, 756 F.Supp. 501 (D. Kan. 1990)
Molly N. Jickling, Staff Attorney
Molly Jickling joined Bridge to Justice in May 2020, after graduating from the University of Colorado Law School. While in law school, Molly focused on family and juvenile law, access to justice, and public interest work. She participated in the Juvenile and Family Law Clinic and earned the Juvenile and Family Law Certificate. While in law school, Molly was the Public Service Pledge representative and Secretary of her graduating class, served on the school’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program Committee, and worked as a law clerk for Bridge to Justice.
Before moving to Colorado, Molly ran the Family Services Department of a Head Start Program in Bloomington, IN. There, she saw first-hand how many families were navigating the court system without affordable legal assistance. She later worked with homeless individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Washington, DC who were struggling to advocate for themselves in the landlord-tenant context. These experiences inspired Molly to go to law school so she could be a compassionate advocate for others and bridge the access to justice gap.
Education
University of Colorado, J.D., 2020
Ithaca College, B.A. Philosophy and Religious Studies/Counseling, 2012, summa cum laude
Bar Admission
Colorado, 2020
Rachel Dane, Staff Attorney
Rachel Dane brings experience, expertise, and compassion to help survivors of domestic
violence. Many attorneys shy away from domestic violence litigation because it is so difficult.
Ms. Dane, on the other hand, has dedicated her career to helping survivors of violence pursue
safety through the court system. She has counseled, represented, and supervised the
representation of hundreds of survivors of domestic violence in family law cases. Above all, Ms.
Dane believes that everyone deserves a safe and healthy family life, and she works hard every
day to pursue that for her clients. Ms. Dane strives to practice with professionalism and
compassion at every stage of a case. Feel free to schedule a consultation with her to learn more
about her availability, background, and practice philosophy.
Education
George Washington University, J.D., 2014
Thom Ward, Contract Attorney
Thom Ward is a contract attorney for Bridge to Justice, practicing in the area of family law. Prior to his legal career, he worked at Deloitte Consulting, LLP and in corporate finance. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Boulder IDC (Interdisciplinary Committee), a community of professionals supporting families going through divorce. In 2019, Boulder County Legal Services recognized him for his pro-bono contributions.
Education
University of Colorado Law School, J.D., 2012
University of Maryland, College Park, B.S., Finance, 2003.
Bar Admissions
Colorado, 2012
U.S. District Court, Colorado, 2014
Professional Affiliations/Membership
Colorado Bar Association, Family Law Section
Boulder Bar Association
Boulder Interdisciplinary Committee
Graham Fuller, Contract Attorney
Graham Fuller is an experienced civil law attorney who has argued cases as high as the Colorado Supreme Court. Graham moved to the Boulder area when he was 10 years old, leaving only to attend law school in New York City. Graham previously worked at Stone, Rosen & Fuller, P.C., and merged his practice into Kottke & Brantz in 2019. Graham enjoys working closely with clients to find results-oriented solutions to their legal issues, and often finds creative "outside the box" solutions other attorneys might ignore.
Graham is a contract attorney for Boulder County Legal Services, representing low-income residents in cases that are typically extremely complex and time-sensitive. Additionally, Graham has developed specialized expertise in post-judgment collection, presenting a CLE on the topic to attorneys and teaching a monthly collections clinic at the Boulder courthouse for pro se litigants.
Graham is heavily involved in Music and Theater. He has produced four musicals and is the co-composer of 'In the Trenches,' a musical comedy about parenting that has been performed along the Colorado front range. In his free time, Graham enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children and rooting for Colorado sports teams.
Education
BS, University of Colorado, 2005
JD Brooklyn Law School, cum laude, 2008
Professional Affiliations/Recognition
Rising Star, Colorado Super Lawyers® Magazine (2019-2021)
Colorado Bar Association, Member 2008
Boulder County Bar Association, Member 2008
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Ainagul K. Holland, Contract Attorney
Ainagul Holland is a contract attorney for Bridge to Justice, practicing in the area of family law. Prior to immigrating to the U.S. in 2005 she worked in the oil and gas industry in her native county, Kazakhstan. After her immigration to the U.S., she acquired a paralegal certificate and worked in the legal field since then. In 2019, Boulder County Legal Services recognized her for her over 100 hours of pro-bono contributions. Ainagul is also an occasional volunteer at Ask-a-Lawyer in 20th Judicial District and High School Mock Trials.
Education
University of Wyoming College of Law, J.D., 2014
University after Kh. Zhubanov, Aktobe, Kazakhstan, 2000. Bachelor’s degree in English-Kazakh Translation and Interpreting with a German Language Minor.
Bar Admissions
Colorado, 2015
Professional Affiliations/Membership
Colorado Bar Association, Family Law Section
Boulder Bar Association
Elise Aiken, Contract Attorney
Elise Aiken is an experienced litigator whose practice focuses mainly on complex civil litigation, including commercial disputes, intellectual property, real estate litigation, and appellate work. Elise is a contract attorney for Bridge to Justice, providing representation to clients in landlord-tenant disputes.
As a Colorado native, Elise received her A.B. from the University of Chicago and her J.D. from University of Colorado Law School. Following law school, Elise clerked for the Hon. Norman D. Haglund and the Hon. Karen L. Brody in the Second Judicial District of Colorado, Denver County. After developing her litigation practice for several years at another Boulder firm, she joined Kottke & Brantz as a partner in 2021. Elise enjoys finding client-driven solutions to legal problems, both inside and outside of the courtroom. When not working, Elise spends time enjoying Colorado with her husband and daughters.
Clerkships
Judge Karen L. Brody, Second Judicial District of Colorado, Denver County District Court (May 2014 – July 2016)
Judge Norman D. Haglund, Second Judicial District of Colorado, Denver County District Court (February 2012 – April 2014)
Education
A.B., University of Chicago, 2006
JD University of Colorado School of Law, 2011
Professional Affiliations/Recognition
Colorado Bar Association, Member
Women's Bar Association, Member
Admitted to the Colorado Bar in 2011
BreAnne Meyer, Paralegal/Intake Coordinator
BreAnne Meyer joined Bridge to Justice in July 2021. Before joining the team, she worked at a local domestic violence agency advocating for survivors of abuse in the civil, family, juvenile, immigration and criminal justice systems for 12 years. In that time, she provided court support, legal advocacy and legal information to hundreds of survivors, getting to know the many Boulder county justice systems and how they work together. She developed and implemented a program that provides attorneys to survivors and attended multiple advanced trainings on family law, domestic and sexual violence, child abuse, trauma informed care, strangulation, and best practices for survivors involved in the legal system. She is excited to bring her passion, experience and networking to Bridge to Justice as Paralegal/Intake Coordinator. When not assisting clients, she enjoys hiking, paddleboarding, making music and spending time with family.