Denver Real Estate Law and Family Law Blog. (Vol 1.28)  February 22, 2014 .

By Craig Franklin Chambers Esq. 7851 S. Elati Street #204, Littleton,  CO 80120

The Littleton Lawyer.  

As a Denver lawyer who specializes in  real estate  and divorce and family law in Denver, Littleton,  Highlands Ranch, and Arapahoe, Jefferson, and Douglas County, I have had several mentors who have helped me along the way. One is  a retired judge;  another one, a fellow real estate attorney; and then there was Jim Peters.

You may recognize  Jim Peters'  name because  he was elected and served as the District Attorney for Arapahoe, Douglas, Lincoln and Elbert Counties for 8 years in the 90's.  I first met Jim in the 80's at a garage sale, when I was a Re/Max agent, and after being thoroughly interviewed by him, he chose me to help him with his real estate needs.

We became friends, and he was largely responsible for encouraging me to go to law school and become an attorney. Even after he ran for office and was busy with his job as DA in charge of 200 personnel prosecuting crimes, he always had time for me.

I used to run my quirky, crackpot cases by him, which I am sure intrigued him. He was always rational and thorough, waiting to hear all of the facts before weighing in with an opinion or narrating a related story. This is important in a mentor, given my own tendency to get carried away. . .

He taught me to step back and to listen. The best lawyers are gray, not the flamboyant lawyers you see on television. And the best approach is to approach the case as you think a judge would.

And he was fair, a rare quality for a prosecutor. He empathized with the victims of crime, but he also recognized the rehabilitative potential of the criminal justice system.. He had integrity, going so far as to refuse to use the government cell phone or fax back when these things had costs related to them.

He was grounded and modest. A rarity in this day and age. He was enormously successful, yet he was all about his work and didn't involve himself with frills or make decision based on ego.

He was a great lawyer, a great husband to his wife,  proud father to his son.

Jim passed away on Wednesday, February 20, 2014 after a valiant battle against cancer. He was only 62, and I feel like I've been cheated out of twenty years of his friendship and counsel.

He was an exceptional person. An exceptional colleague, an exceptional mentor, and an exceptional friend.