Josh Diebert
“I am excited to work with all the different practice groups at Sherman & Howard. Being exposed to so many areas of law will be invaluable at the start of my legal career,” said Josh. “The firm’s culture and reputation in the community are what drew me into the Summer Associate Program, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Josh will be starting his third year of law school at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in the fall. Before attending law school, he worked at a construction company, starting as an office engineer then making his way to assistant project manager. He managed high-value commercial construction projects, subcontracts, project schedules, and financials. Changing his career to be on the legal side lets him use his background in the construction industry to help people solve problems and simplify the construction process. However, he is looking forward to branching out into other areas of law.
After his first year of law school, Josh served as a law clerk at a Colorado firm, where he assisted in research of construction case law and statutes.
When he is not studying law, he can be found training for his next big race. Currently, he is training for the Triple Bypass, a 118-mile bike race with 10,800 feet of elevation gained over three mountain passes.
Tad Elliott
“This summer, I want to learn as much as possible, and Sherman & Howard’s Summer Associate Program stood out to me because you can experience many different areas of law,” said Tad. “I have the unique opportunity to soak up as much knowledge as I can so that I can find what suits me best.”
Tad will be starting his third year of law school at the University of Colorado Law School in the fall. He has served as a court judicial assistant at La Plata County Combined Courts and a summer associate at a Denver firm. These work experiences taught him about a variety of complex legal areas and how to best collaborate as a team. He wants to be an advocate with the ability to follow through for others, so becoming a lawyer was the natural next step in his career.
Prior to law school, Tad was a professional athlete. As a cross-country skier and mountain bike racer, he has won seven National Championships, competed in six World Championships, and was a member of the U.S. Ski Team and the USA Cycling National Team. His history as an athlete has taught him the value of hard work, teamwork, discipline, and ambition, which will all be of great benefit as he continues down his career path.
Cornelius Foxworth II
“While working as a practice assistant at Sherman & Howard, I got first-hand experience in seeing how the firm operated and felt like it would be a great place to be a summer associate,” said Cornelius. “I’m excited to flip the script and experience life as an associate at the firm.”
Cornelius will be starting his second year of law school at the Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the fall. Prior to law school he interned at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and served as a paralegal at a Worker’s Compensation and Social Security Disability firm in Denver. Cornelius was also a practice assistant in Sherman & Howard’s Business & Real Estate Practice Group and returns to the firm as a summer associate.
Though becoming an attorney felt like a natural decision for Cornelius due to his parents’ careers, he has a passion for helping people in any capacity, and law felt like the right fit to make a positive impact in the community. Volunteer work is close to his heart; he mentors children and teens through Young Life and the Angel Flight Track Team.
He is excited to be back in Colorado to reconnect with the community and enjoy some Colorado nature.
Emily Garlock
“Through the work I did as a paralegal, I realized that I wanted to be at the forefront of helping people understand their options and guiding them through the complexities of legal issues,” said Emily. “This summer I am hoping to get a clearer idea of what area of law I want to practice in, as well as improve my legal writing skills.”
Emily will be starting her third year of law school at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in the fall, where she serves as a teaching assistant in the Lawyer Process I and II courses and an academic achievement program leader for property law. Before attending law school, Emily worked as a legal assistant and then as a paralegal.
Emily values community involvement in her daily life. She has worked on the university’s Tribal Wills Project, which has law students dedicate a week of vacation time to travel to various reservations to provide wills, medical powers of attorney, living wills, and memorial instructions to tribal members. She is a refugee mentor for families newly arrived in the U.S. and currently serves as the vice president for the Sturm College of Law Student Bar Association.
In addition, she loves spending time with her family, traveling, and oil painting.
Libby Gorske
“With Sherman & Howard’s robust Summer Associate Program, I’m excited to have the most well-rounded experience possible and to foster genuine, lasting relationships with my peers and colleagues at the firm,” said Libby. “I am also excited for the mentorship component of the program and applying skills I have gained throughout law school to real-world situations.”
Libby will be starting her third year of law school at the University of Colorado Law School in the fall, where she volunteers as a student law ambassador and serves as the treasurer for the Class of 2025. Previously, she was a law clerk for the Honorable Michael E. Hegarty at the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Since starting law school, Libby has been drawn to trust and estate planning law but is looking forward to spending her summer at the firm, where she can gain experience in other areas of law.
Libby decided to become a lawyer because she’s always been passionate about supporting underserved communities, which she is furthering through her pursuit of a certificate in International Law. For her, pursuing trusts and estates law is an avenue to assist families through difficult periods in their lives.
Outside the busy life of a law student, Libby spends her time in the great outdoors with her dog and playing music at her church.
Camila Gutierrez Writtenberry
“The firm’s inclusive culture and vast learning opportunities were what drew me back,” said Camila. “I am looking forward to being more involved in public finance and corporate work, while also being excited to reconnect with the wonderful people I worked with last summer and fall and make some new connections.”
Camila will be starting her third year of law school at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in the fall, where she earned a certificate in legal research in 2022. This will be Camila’s third semester at Sherman & Howard. In 2023, she participated in the firm’s Summer Associate Program and was a law clerk that fall. Most recently, she completed an internship at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
Camila chose the legal path because lawyers can significantly impact communities, whether it be through direct client representation, advocacy, or economic development. Fluent in Spanish, Camila owns her own nationwide translation and interpretation service, which was born from her passion for creating more language access. She also volunteers for Learn Your Rights in Colorado (LYRIC), which empowers young people to exercise their constitutional rights.
In her free time, she loves traveling, puzzling, and spending time with her husband and eight-year-old daughter.
Alex Lemmel
“I’m excited to summer at a top-notch firm with a deep bench of attorneys like Sherman & Howard. As a nontraditional student, I’ve worked with attorneys in a lot of different capacities, but I’ve never stepped foot into a firm. I’m excited to learn how firms operate and get to live the life of a lawyer all day,” said Alex. “My goal for the summer is to learn as much as humanly possible.”
Alex will be starting their third year of law school at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in the fall, where they serve as a senior editor and contributor of Race to the Bottom, a student-faculty blog that keeps the public informed about major developments in corporate and commercial law. Alex has served as a legal extern at a technology company and a manufacturing company, where they gained experience in employment law, regulatory policy, and reviewing service contracts. Though they have a background as a certified public accountant (CPA) with over a decade of experience, Alex felt a legal career was more in line with their skills and aptitude.
Alex is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and serves as chapter president of DU’s law student LGBTQ+ group, OUTLaws. They have also launched and led programs with the purpose of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
When they’re not studying law, they’re either whipping up something in the kitchen or enjoying the Colorado outdoors.
Sasha Shadrina
“My goals for this summer are to foster professional relationships with the staff and attorneys, engage in complex legal analysis, and learn something new every day,” said Sasha. “Sherman & Howard has such a welcoming community, and I look forward to reconnecting with everyone.”
Sasha will be starting her third year of law school at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in the fall, where she works as a research assistant at the Westminster Law Library and serves as a staff editor and Equity Committee member on the Denver Law Review. She has experience as a paralegal with Colorado Legal Services, where she volunteered and worked during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sasha participated in Sherman & Howard’s Summer Associate Program in 2023 and returns to the firm with the desire to expand her transactional tax knowledge.
Sasha decided to pursue law because she wanted to understand the complex rules that bind everyone in society, and she hopes to use her knowledge to support others. Sasha is fluent in Russian and proficient in Spanish.
When she’s not studying to become a lawyer, she can be found cycling around Denver, hiking in the Colorado foothills, or reading epic fantasy novels.