The Leading Young Lawyers Award, presented by Law Week Colorado, recognizes outstanding early-career attorneys making a meaningful impact in the legal profession and their communities. Honorees are nominated for their professional excellence, leadership and commitment to service.
This year six winners were selected from an exceptionally strong pool of candidates.
Leading Young Lawyer: Trystan Melancon’s AI tools reshape how law gets done
In her practice as a construction law attorney, Trystan Melancon advocates in mediations, shapes settlement strategy and guides clients through complex construction disputes and decision-making in litigation matters.
At the same time, Melancon pushes the boundaries of how that work gets done. As an associate at Fennemore, she has developed and implemented custom AI tools to streamline workflows across mechanics’ liens, collections and contract-related processes, with some of her tools being adopted by colleagues across multiple offices.
“If we can cut down the time it takes to handle those more administrative tasks, it ultimately lowers costs for clients,” she said. “It also frees us up to focus on the bigger-picture issues that really require a lawyer’s judgment and strategic thinking.”
Melancon practices business litigation with a concentration in construction law, a field she entered through Galvanize Law, a boutique firm that merged with Fennemore in 2025. Melancon was initially intrigued by Galvanize Law as a women-owned construction law practice in a male-dominated industry.
Melancon’s approach to her practice has been significantly informed by her mentors from Galvanize Law and now Fennemore: January Allen, Kate Strauss and Lindsay Rose. “They all do things a little differently, but the common thread is that the client always comes first,” she said. “Being honest about outcomes, being efficient and making sure you’re really serving the client’s needs — that’s something I’ve carried with me.”
A client-centered philosophy is essential in construction law, where clients often arrive in the midst of high-stakes disputes and may be reluctant to engage attorneys, she said.
“Once you build that trust, they come to you for everything,” she said. “It’s not just one issue; it’s an ongoing relationship where you’re helping them navigate their business.”
The work aligns closely with Melancon’s instinct as a problem-solver. “I’ve always loved having a problem and figuring out a creative solution,” she said. “That’s what practicing law is like every day. There’s always a new challenge to solve, an issue to work out.”
Her interest in technology is connected with her love of puzzles and logic. With exposure to legal tech coursework in law school, Melancon entered the field attuned to the growing role of AI in the profession — and eager to explore its practical applications.
“There are tons of areas where it can improve efficiency and free up a lawyer’s time for that more strategic thinking and interpersonal relationships with clients,” she said. Nonetheless, she added, “There’s a human side to this profession that technology can’t replace.”
Originally from the Houston area, Melancon moved to Colorado in 2024 after earning her J.D. from Louisiana State University. “I loved the weather and the sense of community,” she said.
Outside of work, she plays in a weekly volleyball league, camps with her partner and spends time with their dogs and cats. These connections, she said, help sustain the demands of practice.
“We’re often meeting clients on their worst day,” she said. “If we can help them navigate that and come out in a better place, that’s what makes the work meaningful.”
Leading Young Lawyer: Ryan Tseng melds academic interests with lived experience
Ryan Tseng was pondering how to connect his business, entrepreneurial and legal interests at the University of Denver when a business ethics course changed his trajectory.
The class, taught by Professor Paula Holt, a practicing family law attorney, offered a glimpse into how business and law intersect. “Every time I went to that class, I remember being awestruck,” he said.
Tseng soon added a business ethics and legal studies minor to his degree. “The legal side of things became the most mentally challenging and interesting part of my education.”
He entered the University of Denver Sturm College of Law planning to pursue mergers and acquisitions work, yet on his first day of law school, he became fascinated by property law. “It was like something out of ‘The Paper Chase,’” he said. “I loved every minute of it.”
The questions behind property law, from how land is developed to how it is regulated, led him toward real estate, land use and construction-related coursework.
The property law connection was personal, too. Tseng’s parents owned a construction company in Pueblo, and he spent much of his childhood surrounded by construction equipment. “I grew up sweeping floors, helping on jobsites, playing in dirt piles,” he said. “It all felt very familiar.”
His background proved formative when he joined, initially as a summer associate, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, where he found litigation “endlessly engaging.”
He said, “I realized I liked the more adversarial side of things. I like having those stand-up moments; I think I needed that energy.”
Now practicing in construction litigation, Tseng focuses on property law, development issues and complex disputes involving construction projects.
An important influence on his practice has been his mentorship within the firm’s construction litigation group, led by attorneys Jonathan Pray, Kevin Walsh and Michael Zehner.
Tseng credited Pray in particular with shaping his approach to litigation. “He’s a wizard at trial,” he said. “He’s calm, composed, strategic and very surgical in how he approaches every situation.”
Mentorship has translated into unusually early hands-on experience. Tseng has served as both a second chair and first chair at trial and has conducted depositions and hearings typically reserved for more senior attorneys. “They trust me to go get the job done, but they’re also very supportive in making sure I’m set up for success,” he said.
Trust and preparation have accelerated his development as a litigator. He said, “It’s not about charisma. It’s about who comes to the table most prepared.”
Beyond the courtroom, Tseng channels his own mentorship experiences into his work with law students through the nonprofit LAW SCHOOL… Yes We Can, where he serves on the board as vice president.
“On days when I feel a little jaded, seeing students excited about the legal profession reminds me why I do this,” he said.
Tseng also appreciates Colorado’s outdoor culture, including mountain biking, trail running and camping. With the help of his dog (who poses), he recently picked up photography, and he is training to run his first marathon.
Leading Young Lawyers: Alexis Jackson’s people-first approach to law
Alexis Jackson determined to become a lawyer at age 5.
“I was in kindergarten,” she said, recalling a classroom visit from an attorney who described her job as “helping people determine what’s right and wrong.”
She continued, “That clicked for me. I’ve always been someone who wants to be on the right side of things and help others get there too.”
Through her studies at the University of Denver and later law school at the University of Iowa College of Law, Jackson pursued the legal field with intention, initially drawn to civil rights work. But a gap-year role at a law firm led her to transactional law. “I love bringing people together,” she said. “In transactional work, both sides are working toward a shared goal. It’s about collaboration, compromise and building something.”
Today, as a commercial real estate attorney at Faegre Drinker, Jackson’s practice includes buying, selling, leasing and financing properties across the country, from agricultural land deals to large-scale apartment and retail developments.
She especially values the tangible nature of the work. “You can see it,” she said. “It’s a building, a space, something real. There’s something satisfying about helping bring those projects to life.”
Jackson’s people-centered mindset has shaped her career path. Early on, Jackson took the initiative to build relationships across offices, leading to connections that ultimately allowed her to transfer to Philadelphia when her husband enrolled in business school on the East Coast. The move expanded her skill set, particularly in real estate finance, and reinforced her instinct to seek opportunity through connection. “By reaching out and building relationships, doors opened,” she recalled.
While her commercial work serves large clients, Jackson has also maintained a robust pro bono practice, rooted in the sense of right and wrong that drew her to law in grade school.
“I’ve always felt a responsibility to give back,” she said. “My grandfather always said, ‘Unity in the community,’ and that stuck with me.”
Jackson’s pro bono work on pardon applications, mostly in Philadelphia, helped individuals move beyond decades-old convictions that limit their ability to find housing or employment. “It’s about second chances,” she said. “You hear people’s stories, and you realize things aren’t always as simple as what’s written on paper.”
Back in Colorado, she has also supported asylum seekers, where she helps people who have been detained prepare for hearings.
Her commitment has earned her a place on her firm’s pro bono honor roll for three consecutive years and recognition for advancing housing access through the Colorado Lawyers Committee.
“It’s very different from commercial work,” she said. “You know what you’re doing can truly change someone’s future.”
Her instinct for improvement and growth extends to her hobbies. A self-described DIY enthusiast, she said, “I love finding something that has good bones but needs work. Stripping it down, repainting it, giving it new life — it’s really satisfying.”
Jackson has been named a Top 40 Under 40 Black Lawyer by The National Black Lawyers and is proud to be part of Phi Beta Kappa.
“At the end of the day,” Jackson said, “it’s about using what you have to help others move forward.”
Leading Young Lawyer: Zoe Levesque grounds defense in principles and care
Zoe Levesque approaches each case with a clear, consistent belief: Every client deserves rigorous advocacy, no matter the charge, the circumstances or the outcome.
“My job is to fight for them in every way I can,” she said.
At Right Law Group, Levesque manages a caseload covering everything from traffic offenses to serious felony charges. In fewer than two years, she has also helped the firm expand its footprint into Denver and Adams counties.
From the outset, Levesque has wanted to help grow a practice, not simply participate in one, as part of her mission to fight injustice. At Right Law Group, “there’s a lot of support, but not a lot of rigidity,” she said. “If something makes sense, you’re encouraged to pursue it.”
Her independence is paired with a strong ethical throughline. “It can be easy to get pulled away from your principles,” she said. “I try to keep the same standard in every case, for every client.”
Before moving into private defense, Levesque spent two years at the Denver District Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted more than 200 cases and conducted 18 jury trials.
The experience helped her understand how cases are established and where they can break down. “If you know how a case is prosecuted, you know where the weaknesses are,” she said. “That perspective is incredibly valuable.”
Her time as a prosecutor also gave her a closer look at alternatives to traditional prosecution. When she stepped in to run the office’s restorative justice diversion programs for several months, she found herself engaging directly with individuals accused of crimes, in contrast to her work then as a prosecutor.
“You’re not just reading a report anymore,” she said. “You’re hearing what actually happened from their perspective.”
Today, as a criminal litigation attorney, she regularly advocates for outcomes that include restorative justice.
“I’ve seen how effective those programs can be, not just for the person charged but for everyone involved,” she noted.
Her perspective on restoration and care carries into her client relationships.
“It’s about recognizing that this is one version of them, not the whole person,” she said. “You can hold someone accountable while still seeing their potential.”
Balancing empathy with the realities of the criminal justice system is one of the ongoing challenges of the work.
“It’s difficult,” she said. “You’re dealing with people’s lives. But I focus on what I can do: making sure I’ve done everything possible for them.”
Cases that resolve favorably for her clients are why she stays in the profession. She said, “The hard parts of this job also bring the best parts. When you get a result that truly helps someone move forward, it makes all of it worth it.”
Outside the office, Levesque enjoys spending time with family and playing in a variety of recreational sports leagues.
It’s a balance that helps her navigate what can be emotionally demanding work. At the core, she said, “No matter who the client is, they deserve someone who will stand up for them.”
Leading Young Lawyer: Lorenzo Thayn blends design with law
For Lorenzo Thayn, the path to real estate law involved dreaming about design, structure and how things are put together.
Before entering the legal profession, Thayn worked as a CAD draftsperson, drawing plans and surveys alongside engineers and architects. Yet the intricacies of law captivated him as an undergraduate architecture student at the University of Utah, so although he continued to be enthralled by design, he switched to political science and pursued law. He received his J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School.
Today an associate at Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti, Thayn brings his technical and design background into a real estate practice that spans commercial transactions, leasing and a range of property matters.
“A lot of my time has been doing commercial transactions and commercial leasing,” he said. “We do everything from ranch deals to residential deals to easements and mineral rights.”
His experience reading and creating design plans influences how he drafts agreements and allows him to spot details in real estate transactions that others might miss. “Having that background has always felt like a comfort zone to me,” he said.
Thayn works closely with partner Peter Schaub, who serves as a mentor and collaborator in a lean transactional practice. “He’s a great mentor and friend,” Thayn said.
He’s learned from his mentors to listen closely, especially in a transactional context where small details carry significant weight.
“Being thoughtful and careful to listen to clients or issues is very important to me,” he said. “Just because a client may say something in passing, that point may come back around at some point in the deal.”
He continued, “Understanding the client’s goal is something I’ve become more conscious of.”
As he has taken on greater responsibility, Thayn now leads more aspects of deals, from client communication to negotiation.
Even so, real estate law rarely follows a script, he said. Each deal presents its own variables, requiring both precision and adaptability. “There is not a template. You have to figure out how to break matters down to their base level,” he said.
Thayn’s problem-solving approach reflects the resourcefulness that predates his legal career. As the first in his family to attend graduate school, Thayn relied on independent research and persistence to navigate the path to law. “My wife and I grew up in a small town, where there were only a couple attorneys in the county. So I spent a lot of my free time on places like Reddit or Google, searching, ‘What do I need to do to go to law school?’ I was determined to figure it out.”
His resourceful mindset informs how he approaches complex transactions as well. “I start at the endpoint,” he said. “Then ask: ‘How do I get there?’”
Thayn is engaged in the legal community through multiple bar associations, including the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, where he values staying connected to both his professional network and his heritage.
He said when he is not with his wife and toddler, he fits in golf and enjoys following professional sports.
Leading Young Lawyer: Makenna Johnson balances public necessity with constitutional protections
Makenna Johnson finds eminent domain law fascinating because “it’s not just about property but about balancing progress with constitutional protection,” she said.
Movement between public necessity and private rights has shaped Johnson’s practice in the Property Rights Group at Davis Graham & Stubbs, where she focuses on eminent domain, land use and real estate litigation.
“I like representing condemning entities because I get to help them see through essential projects,” she said. “And for landowners, I like ensuring their constitutional rights are protected.”
Eminent domain is also the area of law she first dove into as a law student at William & Mary Law School. “I was fascinated by the intersection of constitutional law and property law,” she said, alongside how those doctrines play out through infrastructure development, utilities and land acquisition.
Growing up in Colorado Springs, Johnson had little exposure to the legal profession, with her father working as a UPS driver and her mother managing the household. Still, she recalled telling people from a young age that she wanted to be a lawyer. “I didn’t know anything about being a lawyer,” she said. “I just knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Her early certainty carried her to the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, where she studied political science with minors in communication and pre-law, and eventually to William & Mary. After receiving her J.D., she returned to Colorado, eager to build her career in her home state.
She began her legal work at a boutique eminent domain and real estate litigation firm in Denver before joining Davis Graham & Stubbs nearly three years ago.
Within the firm, she appreciates that the Property Rights Group functions like a “small firm within a large firm.” Johnson works closely with partners Brandee Caswell, Sarah Kellner and Katie McDermott and participates in regular one-on-one mentorship conversations focused on her growth as a young associate. She also continues to reach out to Professor Robert Thomas from William & Mary, who helped solidify Johnson’s interest in land use. “He has been instrumental in my career,” she said.
At Davis Graham & Stubbs, Johnson is known for her attention to detail and focus on client goals. In complex, document-heavy eminent domain matters, she digs into the facts of a case as well as the objectives behind them. “I try to think about how someone in-house would approach the strategy,” she said. “And what would best advance their objectives.”
Outside her practice, Johnson serves as a district representative in the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, acting as a liaison between national and local bar organizations across Colorado and Wyoming. She is also involved with the Colorado Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division and holds leadership roles within the ABA’s State, Local and Tribal Government Law Section, including serving as chair of the Land Use Committee.
In 2024, she was named Davis Graham & Stubbs’s Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, recognizing her work in legal clinics and her representation of landowners in pro bono matters.
Johnson enjoys hiking, running, reading J.R.R. Tolkien and time with family and friends. That support system, she said, is essential to sustaining a practice navigating the ever-fascinating tension between public projects and private rights.