Todd Burnham 0:00
Hi, this is Todd Burnham. I am a licensed practicing attorney. But just because you're listening to me doesn't mean that I represent you. This is for informational purposes only if you're good with that, then let's roll.

Chris Braden 0:20
Season One was about how Todd Burnham started Burnham Law in his basement and built it to one of the most prestigious law firms in Colorado by thinking outside of the box and surrounding himself with the best lawyers and staff in the industry. Now during a pandemic Burnham Law is still growing. How you ask? Walk toward the storm and face it head on and you empower the people that help get you there. It's time to execute. It's time to make some lemonade. It's time to burn the ships. This is Deep Bench with Todd Burnham. All right, everybody. This is usually when I say, Hey, Todd, what's up, but guess what? Todd's not here today. We're interviewing one of the newest attorneys at Burnham Law. This is we're just gonna get to know her. Her name is Kristin Weaver. Kristin, how are you doing today?

Kristin Weaver 1:17
I'm doing great. How are you?

Chris Braden 1:18
Good. So you're like a brand new lawyer, right?

Kristin Weaver 1:23
Yes, I was sworn in on May 4.

Chris Braden 1:25
So how exciting was that?

Kristin Weaver 1:27
It was very exciting, but also very strange. Because I was part of the first group of COVID lawyers, I guess you could say where my whole swearing in was actually done over zoom. Okay, so I was in my kitchen. And my husband had to record it. And my dogs were just standing right there beside me. So it was just very interesting.

Chris Braden 1:51
So was it anti climatic for you? Or like, was it still cool?

Kristin Weaver 1:56
I'd say it was definitely still cool. It was definitely a goal that I had really reached for. So being able to get there and it happening was one of the coolest moments of my life. But I would say it didn't feel as real as I had wanted it to. And I mean, this experience has just been a total learning curve because courts are over video now. And so everything I had prepped for and trained for and law school, right, I'm now doing the total opposite of.

Chris Braden 2:28
So as far as so what law school did you go to? I guess let's start there.

Kristin Weaver 2:32
I went to Denver. So the Sturm College of Law.

Chris Braden 2:36
Didn't Condoleezza Rice go there?

Kristin Weaver 2:38
I have no idea.

Chris Braden 2:39
No? I think she did go there. I will. Look I will look that up. Because Conde is like when you people say DU, like I'm a Colorado guy. And there's two colleges we really don't meet a lot of people from DU is one of them. They have a good lacrosse team now. Todd probably loves that. And CC, literally I like CU, CSU you name 'em all man. We all know but like a lot of people from Colorado really don't go to those colleges. It's interesting.

Kristin Weaver 3:08
Oh, yeah. I didn't go to undergrad here. So I have no i

Chris Braden 3:11
So where'd you go to undergrad is the next question.

Kristin Weaver 3:14
I went to the University of Arkansas.

Chris Braden 3:16
Okay.

Kristin Weaver 3:16
Woo pig. Big SUC girl.

Chris Braden 3:20
Sure.

Kristin Weaver 3:21
Big football fan.

Chris Braden 3:22
What about basketball? They used to have a really good basketball team back in the day.

Kristin Weaver 3:25
Yeah, so we had the fastest 40 when I went there sweet, a really good basketball team when I was there. I'm just not a big basketball fan. But we have a great baseball team. We go to Omaha every year. So great baseball team, great football team. Those are kind of my big two.

Chris Braden 3:40
So are you from Arkansas or where are you from?

Kristin Weaver 3:43
I'm from Texas, outside of Houston.

Chris Braden 3:46
Okay. It's like really hot there. And there's a lot of bugs. Is that why you ended up in Colorado?

Kristin Weaver 3:53
No, my husband actually wanted to move here. And we made a bet and I lost a bet. So we ended up here.

Chris Braden 4:01
You're gonna love it here. So you're fairly new here. How long have you actually been in Colorado?

Kristin Weaver 4:07
So I've been here since 2017. May of 2017.

Chris Braden 4:11
So you've been here for quite a while?

Kristin Weaver 4:12
Yes.

Chris Braden 4:13
Because you had to go to law school at DU and stuff.

Kristin Weaver 4:15
Yes.

Chris Braden 4:16
So what kind of attracted you to Burnham Law? What was it about Burnham Law that made you decide that this was a place you'd like to be?

Kristin Weaver 4:25
So I had done a lot of different externships and internships, both in undergrad and in law school. I actually accidentally kind of fell into family law. I always thought I wanted to be a business attorney. But I've always been drawn to litigation, and just the competition of trial. So that was always something that I really had my heart set on. But I went to a seminar at our law school, and they were talking about family law, and it's just a very small community. And there's not a lot of people who first graduate law school who actually ended up in family law. I got an externship in law school and I ended up just falling in love with it. I got to know a lot of people in the community, the reputations, and I worked at a small firm at first. And I really wanted and I also worked for a government, also the Colorado legal services, and it was a great externship, as well. But I really wanted to end up in just a larger firm, where I could start somewhere and really grow.

Chris Braden 5:29
Sure.

Kristin Weaver 5:29
And that really attracted me to Burnham, and I applied on a whim did not think I was ever going to get a call back from them. And my now direct supervisor, Danielle is actually the one who called me. And she called me probably an hour after I put my resume in and then now I'm sitting here.

Chris Braden 5:47
That's pretty exciting, right?

Kristin Weaver 5:48
Yes, it was definitely. It was one of the most exciting things I could have asked for, I did not think that I was going to get ever a call back from Burnham or just any larger scale firm. And just being here now and just seeing the potential that I have and how much I can grow here has just been a complete dream.

Chris Braden 6:08
So have you met Todd?

Kristin Weaver 6:09
Yes, I have.

Chris Braden 6:10
What are your thoughts on Todd?

Kristin Weaver 6:12
So unfortunately, during all this COVID stuff, we've only gotten to me briefly. But I've heard about old Todd, I obviously never met old Todd. So I have nothing but great things to think about him. He's been just a great mentor and someone that I really look up to personally. He's built this entire firm. And I think anyone, especially any new attorney can definitely appreciate that. He has really looked at me as a person, which is something that new attorneys rarely get. And we're just kind of seen as like workhorses, and people just at the bottom. And the fact that if I do something, and he recognizes it, and actually personally texts me or calls me, that just means a ton.

Chris Braden 6:58
That is cool. What about your relationship? I mean, because family law is a big part in kind of the cornerstone of Burnham Law where it kind of started having people like Danielle and Stephanie Randall there to mentor you as well. How important is that?

Kristin Weaver 7:14
I would say it's extremely important. I truly wouldn't be where I am without honestly, Danielle, taking the time every day to just be patient and help me. Stephanie has really helped me. I mean, I've talked to Jess Lasky, Eric, Aaron's even helped me on a couple of things that I've really needed help on and just reached out to him. My paralegal Jean and Donna are also just complete lifesavers. And they also just mentor and are there for me at all times. I mean, Jean's, got the whole spectrum. She's got a partner now as an attorney that she's under, and then she's got me who's just a total baby. So the fact that she stays patient with me and Danielle, just every day, and we're just able to work as a team. It's just something that's really helped me reach my full potential.

Chris Braden 8:03
You know, here at Burnham lot, Todd's always in I don't know if you've listened to any of the Deep Bench podcasts. But Todd kind of runs this firm, kind of like a sports franchise. And just hearing you say that, it feels like everybody here at Burnham Law is treated like a team that actually works like a team, would you say that?

Kristin Weaver 8:25
I would definitely say that I played competitive sports my whole life. And so sports have always been something that's also close to me, kind of like I mentioned before, and I love football, baseball. I watch it every weekend, me and my husband take time to carve out that's our entire weekend.

Chris Braden 8:38
Oh, that's cool.

Kristin Weaver 8:39
Grilling and watching football is our favorite time of the year just because of football. But I would definitely say that. I mean, everyone here has a voice. And that was something I really looked for. And I definitely mentioned to Danielle multiple times in my interview was I wanted to work somewhere where everyone's a team and everyone has a voice and no one is just above one person. And you don't get that here. You don't get that vibe here. Like Stephanie would never give that vibe to anyone Stephanie treats me like her equal. It's like I have a say. And I can do things which to me is so important. And work, especially as a young attorney, just knowing that I have a say in something and that it actually matters. I mean, it makes me want to go to work every day and just work so hard for everyone here.

Chris Braden 9:27
And that's cool. So you really feel empowered to do your job and do it well. Right.

Kristin Weaver 9:31
Yes. I mean, coming from someone who's just brand new and coming into this, if you feel like you're getting just stomped on and you don't matter. It's not going to be somewhere where you want to wake up and work extremely hard every day and being a lawyer. It's a lot of hard work and it's a lot hours and it's 24 hours a day you're thinking about this job. So the fact that I can come to work and actually have a say and my voice is heard just makes it that much better.

Chris Braden 9:55
So I want to get back to the football thing. So you are from Houston. So who's your NFL team?

Kristin Weaver 10:01
The Texans.

Chris Braden 10:02
Is it really?

Kristin Weaver 10:03
Yeah.

Chris Braden 10:04
You know, they just guessed their coach, right.

Kristin Weaver 10:06
Finally. I mean, all it took was JJ Watt getting mad, but finally he's gone.

Chris Braden 10:13
Hallelujah, man talk about a team. That should be good.

Kristin Weaver 10:16
We won. We finally won a game. So,

Chris Braden 10:19
so sometimes it's good. You get better by cutting things out.

Kristin Weaver 10:23
Yes, I would definitely say that.

Chris Braden 10:24
So you miss Hopkins.

Kristin Weaver 10:25
Yeah.

Chris Braden 10:25
Did it make you sad. Was there like one of those little tears that came out? When you're that?

Kristin Weaver 10:29
Um, I wouldn't say made me sad. I'd say I started yelling. I was definitely just very angry. I don't get why that was ever even done or thought of.

Chris Braden 10:41
The Cardinals are loving it just FYI.

Kristin Weaver 10:43
Definitely.

Chris Braden 10:47
Murray's totally excited about that. And it's cool that you're gonna fit in perfect here. I mean, it's it's really cool that coming in new lawyer, hearing that you're empowered, but you also have mentors, I think, I think that's important with the team. And obviously, I don't know everybody, but I've talked to a ton of people here. And it just seems like the culture at Burnham Law is something of growth. You know what I mean?

Kristin Weaver 11:13
I would definitely say that, I mean, I've only been here. So my first day was June 1. And I can tell you, I've grown so much as an attorney, but also just a person. And this job is way more than I ever could have asked for coming out of law school. And it takes some people time to find their groove and where they want to be at, as lawyers, you see people kind of move firms a lot, or they'll move to start their own firm. I mean, I found somewhere where I don't want to leave.

Chris Braden 11:42
Right.

Kristin Weaver 11:43
It's like, I just want to be here every day. And I want to stay here. And I'm not going anywhere.

Chris Braden 11:48
As a young attorney. I know you've heard that Todd stepping back a little bit. And Stephanie is she's kind of been doing this job already a little bit. As a young attorney and just brand new, does that give you hopes for the future that you could possibly end up being becoming a partner and all that and just the growth within the firm? As a young attorney?

Kristin Weaver 12:09
I think it definitely does, and seeing from what Stephanie's come from, and I've talked to her before. And also, I mean, Danielle, because when I first started, Danielle was just a senior associate. And obviously, I didn't know much about the background of the firm and everything that had really happened before. But I got to be here when she was made partner. And Todd came down to this office and in the room we're sitting in right now is where it all happened. And just seeing how young she is. And when she came to Burnham. I mean, she came to Burnham, I think it was maybe four years ago, four or five years ago, I think. But she's already grown so much. And she's told me as an attorney and a person. I mean, my mentoring with Danielle, it's just not on a lawyer level. It's on a personal level, which is what I really appreciate. Because I can call her for anything and the fact that she sits down with me and really talks to me about those things and is excited to see me grow. I mean, that's all I can ask for.

Chris Braden 13:09
So you've seen the website, you understand how Burnham Law markets itself, you know, divorce sucks, your attorney shouldn't. COVID sucks. Your attorney shouldn't. What are your thoughts on that? Because you basically are marketing yourself. As you guys are badass attorneys and a bunch of winners. How does that feel? Does it give you a little extra swag?

Kristin Weaver 13:31
Yeah, I would definitely. I would say that. I don't know if I'd use the term swag. But

Chris Braden 13:37
What would you use? A little more confidence.

Kristin Weaver 13:42
Yeah, just, I mean, I can't say it because I'm not gonna cuss on your show, right? Just a BA you know what I'm saying?

Chris Braden 13:51
I'll say it for you. They're a bunch of badass attorneys. And I think that it's really cool. And well, congratulations, I guess last thing I wanted to throw it to you and I'm not trying to put you on the spot. When we do these interviews and podcasts. We always put a quote on him and or life motto. Do you have anything like that? Do you have like a favorite quote, are kind of your life's motto or a mantra that you kind of, you know, run your life by Is there anything that you have?

Kristin Weaver 14:19
Oh, gosh, you should have given me a heads up so I could have come up with something.

Chris Braden 14:25
No, man, we want this to be real. If you don't you don't?

Kristin Weaver 14:29
Well, now I'm blanking.

Chris Braden 14:31
I know, I put you on the spot. I'm sorry.

Kristin Weaver 14:33
I would definitely say just work hard. And take no shit.

Chris Braden 14:40
Yeah. You know, it's funny too, because, you know, I'm not an attorney, and I know how much work it would be and that takes someone special that would that really enjoys that. You know what I mean? I think it's really cool. And I have a lot of respect for you and all the rest of the attorneys and Donna and everybody that works here you do a really good job. So I guess last thing I just say, hey, congratulations on becoming an attorney. Congratulations for graduating law school and, man, it's pretty cool. Good job.

Kristin Weaver 15:13
Thank you.

Todd Burnham 15:16
Hey, thanks for listening. Make sure you subscribe and until next time, keep getting better.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai