Taft Law Firm domestic relations attorney Eliz Espinoza has been elected president of LAW SCHOOL…Yes We Can, a Colorado-based pipeline program focused on expanding access to legal careers.
In her new role, Espinoza will lead the nonprofit in its mission to support high-achieving college freshmen from diverse backgrounds through four years of intensive mentorship and training. Founded in 2014, LSYWC aims to expand access to the legal profession and demystify the process of applying to and navigating law school.
“I am a nontraditional student, as many of our fellows are,” she said. “I took night classes, and I’ve seen what this program can do for our students.” Espinoza has already worn a variety of hats at LSYWC, from serving as a fundraiser to chairing committees as a board member even while she was preparing for the LSAT.
She described her path to her current position at Taft as anything but linear. “My mom is a practicing attorney, and part of me always knew I wanted to be a lawyer, especially after personal experience with family court,” she said.
In the 1990s, family law often expected families to “look a cookie-cutter way,” Espinoza said. Her family did not fit that mold, leaving her with a negative impression of the field. “I wanted to see change to accommodate nontraditional family types, and to effectuate change, you have to be in the rooms.”
Determined to get into those rooms as quickly as possible, Espinoza began working as a junior paralegal at a Denver law firm shortly after high school. At her parents’ urging, she also enrolled in night classes at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
“I am very grateful that the university allowed me that flexibility,” she said. “I took the classes I could pay for, which is why it took me 10 years to graduate.”
Mentors at the firm encouraged her to pursue law school. One left books about the application process on her desk, and a friend connected her with LSYWC.
“At Yes We Can, the large majority of students are first-generation students in their family, not only of college but also of high school,” Espinoza said. “The biggest challenge they face is becoming comfortable in rooms they have never been in, that their family has never been in, and doing it with little to no guidance.”
The program offers long-term, structured support. Fellows attend weekly workshops on topics such as networking, graduating with the least amount of debt and creating a resume. They participate in law student panels, social events and “LinkedIn Day,” where they receive help with their profiles and have professional headshots taken.
While most fellows enter the program as college freshmen and remain connected through law school, students who develop an interest in law later are welcome. The 2025 cohort of graduating fellows was the largest to date, with about 40 students, many from the University of Denver and Colorado University.
Espinoza said her top priority in her first year as president is strengthening fellows’ resiliency and mental health, particularly as many have expressed anxiety about the current political climate.
“At a time when we are straying away from the ardent support that was once given to pipelines programs, it impacts our fellows to know that because they are of a historically underrepresented background or community, their hard work, accomplishments and overall goals are being marginalized,” she said.
“We are making sure they don’t feel alone or overwhelmed,” she continued. “We’re focusing not on what we can do tomorrow but on what we can do today.”
To support that goal, each fellow is paired with three mentors: a law student, a newer practicing attorney and a judge or firm partner. “Law school is a difficult journey. We walk students through it: These are the steps you need to plan for; this is how you plan to hit these milestones and more,” she said.
LSYWC is funded through donations, with significant support from its annual fundraising event, Building Futures. When Espinoza first became involved, the event featured a silent auction conducted with pencil and paper. “We were all running around with clipboards,” she said, laughing.
This year’s Building Futures event will be held May 19 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and will include a digital auction, a keynote speaker and testimony from fellows.
Espinoza said mentorship remains one of the most impactful ways to support the organization. LSYWC is seeking volunteers willing to share insights in one-time events or serve as long-term mentors.